Travel and Your Gut:

How It Affects Digestion and What You Can Do

Traveling is exciting, but it can also throw your digestive system off balance. Long flights, different time zones, and unfamiliar foods can all cause gut issues. Here’s how travel impacts your gut and what you can do to keep it healthy.

How Travel Messes with Your Gut

Here are key reasons why school impacts kids' gut health:

Disrupted routine

Changes in meal times, sleep, and activity levels can slow down digestion, leading to constipation or bloating¹.

Unfamiliar foods

Eating foods your body isn’t used to can cause stomach upset, diarrhea, or gas².

Dehydration

Long flights and hot climates can lead to dehydration, which can slow down digestion and make constipation more likely³.

Common Signs Your Gut is Affected While Traveling

Bloating and gas

Constipation or diarrhea

Nausea or stomach cramps

Heartburn

What Can You Do?

Here are some simple tips to protect your gut while you’re on the go:

Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water, especially during flights or in hot destinations. This helps keep your digestion moving³.

Eat wisely

Focus on balanced meals with fiber-rich foods that support digestion. Trying new foods is part of the experience, but balance is key to keeping your gut happy⁴.

Move around

Whether it’s walking around the airport or stretching during a flight, keeping active can help prevent bloating and constipation⁵.

Sleep well

Jet lag can throw off your digestion, so try to get enough sleep to keep things running smoothly⁶.

Take probiotics

Probiotics can help maintain gut balance when exposed to unfamiliar foods or water, supporting digestion during travel⁷.

Travel doesn’t have to be tough on your gut. A few mindful choices, like staying active, hydrating, and supporting your gut with probiotics, can make a big difference in how your digestion handles new environments. Embrace the adventure while keeping your gut healthy along the way.

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Yatsunenko, T., et al. (2012). Human gut microbiome viewed across age and geography. Nature, 486(7402), 222–227. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11053
Hempel, S., et al. (2012). Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA, 307(18), 1959-1969. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2012.3507
Rees, J., et al. (2007). Hydration and its effects on gastrointestinal health. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(6), 1681-1695. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/85.6.1681
Kim, E., et al. (2016). Dietary fiber and the gut microbiota: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 8(12), 773. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8120773
van Dongen, H. P. A., et al. (2016). Effects of physical activity on gut health: From the microbiome to gastrointestinal disorders. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology, 50(6), 445-454. https://doi.org/10.1097/MCG.0000000000000530
Stommel, M., & Diehl, H. (2013). Sleep and gut health: The reciprocal relationships. Journal of Sleep Research, 22(2), 197-204. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12032
Hempel, S., et al. (2012). Probiotics for the prevention and treatment of traveler's diarrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Travel Medicine, 19(1), 24-33. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1708-8305.2011.00546.x

A- Lahiri K et al. Bacillus clausii As An Adjuvant Therapy In Acute Childhood Diarrhoea. IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) 2015;14:74-76.

B- Giua et al (2024). A Prospective Real‑World Study of Bacillus clausii Evaluating Use, Treatment Habits and Patient Satisfaction in Italian Community Pharmacies: The PEGASO Study. Drugs - Real World Outcomes (2024) 11:137–147.

C- Ghelardi et al (2015). Survival and persistence of Bacillus clausii in the human gastrointestinal tract following oral administration as spore-based probiotic formulation. Journal of Applied Microbiology 119, 552-559.

D- Castro et al (2019). Bacillus clausii as adjunctive treatment for acute community-acquired diarrhea among Filipino children: a large-scale, multicenter, open-label study (CODDLE). Tropical Diseases, Travel Medicine and Vaccines 5:14.

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