Holiday travel season is upon us, and it is upon our immune systems too. The hustle and bustle is fun, exciting, and reliably exhausting, which takes a toll on the body in a not-so-celebratory way. Stress, seasonal colds and flu, airplane germs, and sugar are everywhere you turn. During the holidays we are continually exposed to external organisms that we swallow or absorb through the skin and mucous membranes, and it falls to the immune system to sort out which of them matter. When our defenses are worn down by stress, poor sleep, and the food we are eating, we are more vulnerable to spending the season in bed. Here are two habits that may help you have the happiest and healthiest holiday travel season.
People take probiotics for many reasons: gut health and digestive comfort, urinary tract health, and more. Probiotics have also been studied for their role in the immune system, including how they help balance intestinal homeostasis and influence immune responses (1).
Probiotics are the bacteria that line your digestive tract and support your ability to absorb nutrients and mount a healthy immune response. There are thousands of strains of bacteria living in the body. We are also exposed to environmental and agricultural compounds that can reduce the beneficial bacteria in the gut, which is one reason gut balance gets attention during cold and flu season.
Two of the biggest offenders on that list are also two of the most common features of the most wonderful time of the year: sugar and stress. Holiday travel and stress seem to go hand in hand, and the usual feel-good remedy for that stress is waiting at your favorite coffee shop or on grandma's kitchen counter. Excess sugar can work against gut balance and contribute to digestive discomfort. Should you skip grandma's cookies entirely? No. But adding oral probiotics and probiotic-rich foods is a reasonable way to support digestive health and, in turn, your overall wellness.
A balanced digestive system does not only affect digestion. It also plays a role in how well your body absorbs vitamins and minerals, which brings us to the second holiday travel tip.
Call this one vitamins, vitamins, vitamins and hydration, hydration, hydration. Most of us know that vitamins and minerals matter to a healthy immune system, but how they get absorbed matters too. A healthy digestive lining supports absorption of the nutrients you get from food and oral supplements. Intravenous administration works differently: it delivers fluids and nutrients directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract altogether. That is one reason some patients ask about an infusion of immune-supporting vitamins before a long trip.
IV hydration is a minimally invasive procedure used to deliver fluids, vitamins, and other nutritional support directly into the bloodstream, and at RevitalIV it is administered by a registered nurse under physician direction.
So which vitamins do people ask about for immune support? There are many. RevitalIV's REVIVE travel treatment is one example of a blend built around nutrients commonly associated with the demands of the holiday season. It includes:
Alongside those nutrients, IV hydration addresses something that is easy to underestimate during travel: plain dehydration. Staying adequately hydrated supports your body's ability to clear waste and helps you feel like yourself. Dehydration affects sleep, energy, and your willingness to exercise, none of which do your immune system any favors. Drinking at least eight glasses of water a day is a solid baseline. But when the body is running low, whether from poor intake or from an illness that is drawing fluid out of you, a more direct rehydration method is sometimes the more comfortable option, since it does not have to pass through the digestive tract.
Whether you are headed over the river and through the woods in the open air by horse and carriage or squeezed into a germy middle seat, these are our two best holiday travel tips: look after your gut, and make sure you are hydrated and actually absorbing your nutrients. If you are flying out of Palm Beach International or driving north for the holidays, patients across Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, and Juno Beach often schedule a treatment in the days before they leave.
RevitalIV is located at 1317 W Indiantown Rd, Suite 100, Jupiter, FL 33458, serving patients from Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, and across Palm Beach County. Call (561) 406-2202 or book a consultation.
This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Individual results vary. Consult a licensed healthcare provider about your individual health situation.
