Holiday Travel Plans? Pack These!
There are three issues that can certainly put a damper on any holiday trip:
1. Traveler’s diarrhea
2. Jet lag
3. Immune system challenges
Fortunately, there are also three natural supplements the savvy traveler can bring along:
1. Probiotics
2. Melatonin
3. Immune-supporting nutrients
Your patients (and you!) look forward to holiday travel plans all year long and a little packing advice can go a long way in helping patients prepare for the possibility of these common travel tribulations.
Several studies, including a 2016 meta-analysis in the journal Medicine, have found that when people start taking probiotics several days before their trip and during their trip, the risk of developing travelers’ diarrhea is reduced significantly.*
Travel itself is tiring, but traveling across time zones can cause significant fatigue known as jet lag. Studies have shown that the hormone melatonin can help with jet lag and support sound sleep. According to a 2017 review in the journal Neurological Research, “Melatonin has been shown to synchronize the circadian rhythms, and improve the onset, duration and quality of sleep.”*
It’s well-known that travel taxes the immune system. Circadian rhythm disruption is one way that travel can negatively impact resistance, but stress, dry air, temperature changes and environmental contaminants in airplanes, trains, and hotel rooms also add to the burden of adaptation. That’s why additional immune system support before, during, and after travel can be so helpful.*
There are many ways to support the immune system with dietary supplements. Here are just a few immune-supporting ingredients to consider *:
• Vitamins A and C
• Zinc and selenium
• Mushroom extracts
• Elderberry, Echinacea, and Pelargonium sidoides
• Olive leaf, astragalus, and curcumin
• Green tea and glutathione
As an added benefit, both probiotics and melatonin have also been shown to support immune health.*
Don’t let traveler’s diarrhea, jet lag, or any other travel woes ruin your patients’ holiday travel plans (or yours!). Be sure to recommend they pack probiotics, melatonin, and a high-quality immune-support.
Selected References:
Forsythe P. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2014;11(S1):33-37.
Islam, SU. Medicine. 2016;95(5).
Pohanka M. Open Medicine. 2013;8(4).
Xie Z, Chen F, Li WA, et al. Neurological Research. 2017;39(6).
