When traveling, particularly with international travel, you can have your immune system affected by the foods you’re eating, which then can reshape the bacteria in your gut. These experts explain how to keep your gut healthy and your immune system strong when you’re on vacation.
Eating differently on vacation
“Developing traveler’s diarrhea can be a significant disruption to your gastrointestinal tract and resistant bacteria can persist for weeks after you return home,” says Dr. Rachel Pessah-Pollack, MD, FACE, Clinical Professor of Medicine at NYU Langone Health. She notes that when you return home it’s important to get evaluated and avoid spreading this to other family members. She also notes that people often eat different types of foods when traveling, compared to what they eat at home.
You might follow a fiber-rich diet at home and but when you travel and are constantly eating eating out, you might be consuming highly processed foods, including sugar and fat. You may notice significant dietary changes affecting your gut. Fortunately, these changes are largely reversible when you return home and restore your normal eating patterns.
Avoiding food poisoning
Avoiding food poisoning overseas should be a top concern for any traveler. “Aside from the common symptoms of food poisoning, the food-borne illness introduces harmful pathogens into a person’s gut microbiome that can linger from weeks to years,” says Dr. Mark Pimentel, a gastroenterology physician-scientist at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles, California. “This makes you susceptible to secondary GI conditions such as post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).” He explains that one in nine people who experience food poisoning develop IBS, so travelers should take proactive precautions when traveling.
Dr. Pimentel says to prevent food poisoning and safeguard your microbiome while travelling, it’s recommended to avoid eating raw foods such as fish and salads. It’s also best to not ingest tap water sourced from local water that may harbor foreign microorganisms or bacteria that your gut may not be accustomed to handling; that includes ice cubes and water mixed into food or drinks.
For those with or without GI conditions, ensuring gut motility continues as normal is crucial while traveling. This helps to maintain healthy gut function and avoid chronic symptom flare ups like bloating, stomach discomfort, and general inflammation. Says Dr. Pimentel: “Jet lag affects the brain and gut connection, disrupting the circadian rhythms and dysregulating gut cleaning waves.” So make sure you’re getting adequate sleep, too, as it can affect your gut.
Plan out your meals
Travel foods, just like those eaten at home, have a strong effect on your microbiome and your health. A well-fed microbiome will protect you against pathogens by preventing their invasion and strengthening your immune system. It will also maintain other aspects of your health, so your trip can be a lot more enjoyable.
“Travel meals tend to be unhealthy: ultra-processed foods with little fiber and lots of additives that can weaken your gut microbiome, gut barrier, and immune system, increasing the chances of digestive problems and infections,” says Momo Vuyisich, PhD, Chief Science Officer and Head of Clinical Research at Viome. “I recommend planning your meals, by researching restaurant menus and reviews. Visit a local grocery store and buy organic fruit rich in fiber and antioxidants, like apples, pears, and berries. When possible, buy whole foods at a grocery store and assemble easy meals, like sandwiches, wraps, and salads.”
Bring a just-in-case kit
One of the smartest thing you can do to make sure travel foods don’t ruin your vacation is to pack a just-in-case kit. “Some good things to include are magnesium, Miralax packets, Pepto Bismol, Bentyl or Levsin, Gas X, Omeprazole, and Tums,” says Michael Currier, Lead GI Provider at Oshi Health. “That way, you are prepared for challenges should they occur and these items should stop symptoms and so it won’t ruin your vacation.”
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