Many people tend to "trivialize digestive problems", ignoring the importance of a healthy digestive system for long life and overall wellbeing.

Raising awareness as part of World Digestive Health Day, nutritionist Fiona Hunter said that digestive complaints can often be serious and require medical investigation.

Figures show that 80 per cent of women in particular experience bloating at some point in their lives.

"Problems aside from bloating are things like constipation – this can lead to problems later on in life and can increase the risk of piles and diverticular disease and potentially, more serious problems, like bowel cancer," Ms Hunter warned.

Research conducted by Activia found that in addition to physical symptoms caused by digestive complaints, the emotional effects of poor digestion can take their toll, with 54 per cent of women admitting that digestive discomfort makes them feel sluggish and 41 per cent say it makes them feel uncomfortable in their own skin.

Ms Hunter advised: "There are changes we can make to our diet and lifestyle that will help reduce the risk of problems like bloating and other digestive problems. We should make those changes first."