Travel, whether for work or pleasure, can take a toll on our bodies through stress, fatigue, and exposure to countless pathogens. Savvy jetsetters understand how crucial it is to maintain a healthy immune system before, during, and after work trips and vacations to avoid getting sick.
So, if you plan to brave crowded Dubai airport, particularly in the busy summer months, consider adding the nutrient-rich superfood, bone broth, to your daily routine today. Why? We’re glad you asked!
First, let’s delve into why we’re prone to falling ill during travel. Then we will explore how consuming bone broth is an easy and natural way to boost your immunity and avoid sickness.
Why do we get sick during or after travel?
Whether you’re hitting the bitumen for a family road trip or flying across the globe, travel can increase your chances of getting sick for several reasons, including:
- Travel-related anxiety and stress
- Jet-lag
- Inadequate or alternate diets
- Contaminated food or water
- Exposure to pathogens in public spaces, such as airplanes, trains, buses, restrooms, and restaurants.
The above factors can contribute to falling ill during or after travel, yet many are unavoidable. For example, boarding a plane, visiting public places, or navigating crowds are common and often necessary travel experiences that potentially expose you to countless pathogens.
Experts believe the flu and other airborne viruses can spread up to six feet away via droplets made when people sneeze, cough, or talk.
In addition to the high likelihood of transmission in an enclosed space, air travel poses a unique set of risks to our immune systems. Although commercial passenger aircraft have high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, which filter microscopic particles from the air, cabins have low humidity levels.
Studies show that low humidity (i.e., dry air) can reduce tissue repair and dry up the mucosa in the nose.
Therefore, exposure to dry air increases your risk of infection with the flu or other airborne viruses.
Now we know why it’s common to fall sick during or after traveling, it’s time to explore how HAPI Bone Broth can boost your immune system.
How can bone broth boost your immunity?
Travel-related respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses are more common than you may think. According to a cohort study of 460 people, 79% of participants fell ill during or after their trip.
You can do many things to avoid sickness while traveling, including washing your hands, eating well, and avoiding tap water. However, to stay healthy abroad, your preparation should begin with eating an immune-boosting diet before you depart.
Quality broth, such as HAPI Bone Broth, contains bio-available minerals and micronutrients that support a healthy immune system. These vitamins and minerals are extracted from the animal bones and connective tissues during the prolonged simmering process.
Vitamins and minerals
HAPI Bone Broth uses high-quality ingredients ranging from premium seasonings to organic animal bones and tissues, containing potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus, and other trace minerals.
Consuming a healthy diet rich in essential vitamins and minerals is vital to maintaining a healthy immune system. Micronutrients play various roles in helping our immune systems function optimally.
For example, vitamin A and zinc regulate cell division, which is essential for a proliferative immune response. Zinc, as found in bone broth, is also an antioxidant and acts as an anti-inflammatory.
Drinking or cooking with bone broth is a simple and tasty way to support optimal immune function and meet your nutrition needs. Adding bone broth to your meals or drinks can boost your immune system in the weeks leading up to your departure.
Gelatin and collagen
Gelatin is simply hydrolyzed collagen, where proteins are broken down into smaller peptides during the integral process of simmering the bone and cartilage in beef, lamb, and chicken bone broth.
One-third of the total protein in our bodies is collagen, and it makes up the main component of our connective tissues, such as skin, cartilage, tendons, and bone. Collagen and gelatine are great sources of amino acids, including glycine and glutamine.
Glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and helps maintain healthy sleep cycles. It is important to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep in the days and weeks leading up to your trip. One study found that poor sleep before exposure to the common cold virus (rhinovirus) can increase your chances of falling ill.
Glutamine supports the immune system by maintaining healthy gut barrier function and intestinal immunity.
Other amino acids, such as arginine and cysteine, also boost our immunity and reduce inflammation.
Therefore, drinking bone broth boosts your immune system by maintaining healthy gut function, supporting cellular immune responses, and reducing inflammation. As a bonus, it also tastes great!
Other travel health tips
By now, you’ve likely gained a good understanding of why we often fall sick while traveling and the science behind why bone broth benefits our immune systems. Consuming a healthy diet in the weeks leading up to travel is a crucial step in preparing your body for the stress, excitement, and fatigue of travel. Further, maintaining a healthy diet during your travels will also benefit your health, as we all know airplane meals often lack nutrition (and flavor).
By drinking bone broth or adding it to your meals, you can increase your daily intake of bio-available minerals and micronutrients and even improve your sleeping patterns.
Additional steps you can take to avoid getting sick while traveling include:
- Exercise: physical activity helps your immune system by improving the circulation of immune cells that combat pathogens.
- Be hygienic: wash your hands with soap, avoid frequently touching your face, and use sanitizer.
- Reduce stress: planning a holiday can be stressful. As stress can weaken your immune response, it’s crucial to find time for activities that manage your stress levels, including meditation, yoga, walking, or listening to music.
In summary, many of us eagerly look forward to traveling and creating memories in new places. However, getting sick during or after a trip is an unfortunate reality for many travelers.
Thankfully, there are practical ways to give you and your loved ones the best chance of staying healthy on your travels, such as enhancing your daily diet with the superfoods such as HAPI Bone Broth.