Your Gut on Travel

FYI, jet lag affects way more than just your sleep; it also has a powerful effect on your gut health. The collection of intestinal bacteria that live in your digestive system are known as the microbiome and research shows that they’re connected to almost every aspect of human health including immune function, energy, mood and digestion. New research is connecting the disruptions in sleep and circadian rhythms that occur due to crossing time zones (aka jet lag) to significant disruptions in the type and quality of bacteria that live in your gut. Given this relationship we believe that well wanders should be taking a proactive approach to gut bacteria / “gut lag” in order to maintain optimal health while traveling.

Research on circadian rhythms, ie your regularly scheduled sleep/wake cycle shows a strong relationship between your microbiome and your internal clock. Human evidence supporting the detrimental health effects of disrupting the normal circadian rhythm while travelling is preliminary but promising. Although not directly exposed to the light-dark cycles the gut bacteria are still subject to environmental changes that occur when crossing time zones and during overnight flights. Gut bacteria are supposed to be linked with a regular 24 hour rhythm to support your energy, metabolism, DNA repair, and cell growth. These health-promoting reactions peak in abundance during the dark phase and are considerably disrupted during periods of sleep disruption or changes to natural rhythms that occur while flying leaving your susceptible to diarrhea, constipation & illness while travelling.

The following foods, supplements & lifestyle changes can help you support your gut during overnight flights and while crossing timezones:

• Take a probiotic prior when boarding your flight: strains such as saccharomyces boulardii, L. acidophilus, L. casei,, L. plantarum, B. longum & B. breve are your best bet when it comes to supporting your gut health during travel. You’ll find these strains in our immune-supporting plane packs, and travel packs customized based on your travel location and pre-existing health symptoms.

• Eat your prebiotics: prebiotics are arguably even more important than probiotics since they provide the fuel for your good bacteria to survive & thrive while on vacation. Examples include: inulin, FOS, PHGG, arabinogalactans and galacto-oligosacchries and they are found in the following foods:

  • Chicory root

  • Onions

  • Bananas (especially green bananas)

  • Garlic

  • Leeks

  • Cabbage

  • Root vegetables

  • Apples

  • Beet root

  • Fennel

  • Beans & legumes

  • Asparagus

  • Flax seeds & other nuts + seeds

• Eat before or after flying: if possible try and avoid eating food en route. Airplane food is awful, salty and full of preservatives. Eating food while flying will also put extra strain on the good bacteria in your gut so it’s best to give them a chance to rest on shorter flights, or overnight trips. Fasting on long-haul flights is difficult so if you plan on a meal or two while sky-bound try to stick to more ketogenic or low FODMAP foods. 

• Pop some melatonin: not only is there a ton of research demonstrating the benefits of taking melatonin to prevent jet lag, there’s also some evidence that this sleep hormone positively influences gut motility (ie: prevents travel-associated constipation) and reduces gastric inflammation. Most studies on melatonin dose 3mg prior to sleep before, during and after flying but make sure to check in with your naturopathic doctor first before starting any new sleep prescriptions

• Fly sober: while that mile high cocktail is extremely tempting it definitely isn’t doing your gut any favours. Alcohol consumption contributes to bacterial overgrowth + dysbiosis and alters the overall composition of the gut microbiome so it’s best to avoid it when possible while flying and wait until day 2 of your trip to enjoy your first holiday adult beverage.

This information is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your Naturopathic doctor or primary care physician. Do not use the information in this document for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. Always speak with your Naturopathic doctor or general practitioner before taking any medication or nutritional or herbal or using any treatment for a health problem. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your health care provider promptly. Do not disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking professional advice because of something you have read online.