Healthy Meetings: Vitamin Boost
Author: Julie Keller
June 2008
Columns
Business travel is an activity fraught with potential health perils.
Jet lag, lack of sleep, stomach ailments, and exposure to germs due to recirculated air in airplane cabins and conference halls are just a few of the health hazards travelers can encounter. But there are some valuable weapons at your disposal to battle these issues—in the form of vitamins and supplements. Supplementing your diet with these immunity boosters can make you and your meeting-goers feel healthier, more refreshed and able to better battle the bugs that can make you sick while on the road. Here are a few to consider:
Vitamin C
According to many experts, vitamin C is a dietary supplement that can help the immune system fight such ails as the common cold. Its antioxidant properties are also thought to be important in improving overall health. Plus, if you already have a cold when you set off on your journeys, taking vitamin C may reduce its severity, says Roberta Anding, MS, RD, and American Dietetic Association (ADA) spokesperson. The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake recommends 90 milligrams per day and no more than 2,000 milligrams per day, so be sure to check your bottle to make sure you are not over- or under-dosing.
Vitamin D
Another valuable vitamin in the battle against viruses is vitamin D. According to Bill Sardi, president of Knowledge of Health, in his Travel Survival Guide, “high-dose vitamin D may soon eliminate the need for most antibiotics and antiviral drugs.” In fact, a recent report in Alternative Medicine Review says that a super-high dose of vitamin D3, taken for up to three days at the first sign of a cold or the flu, “will rally an army of white blood cells so rapidly as to quell all symptoms within minutes of oral consumption.”
Additionally, vitamin D is known as the “sunshine” vitamin, since its production in the body is naturally stimulated by exposure to the sun. Many meetings occur indoors, so sun exposure is limited. Downing a dose of vitamin D can help strengthen your bones and boost your immunity when you don’t have all-day access to the natural source. The U.S. Dietary Reference Intake suggests a dose of 5 micrograms per day for infants, children, and men and women ages 19 to 50, and 10 micrograms per day for men and women ages 51 to 70.
Ginger/Ginger Root
Upset stomachs, either caused by motion sickness or simply overeating, can put a damper on productivity during a meeting. To naturally treat this malady, consider taking ginger, an edible herb first cultivated in China that is now available in pill and lozenge form. Ginger can help ease the discomfort of diarrhea and can also help battle nausea. “Ginger root is a traveler’s aid in these instances and is often relied upon as a remedy for motion sickness,” Sardi says.
Melatonin
Sleep—or lack thereof—is another issue travelers face. Since taking sleeping pills can sometimes cause grogginess the next day, travelers looking for a more natural approach to a good night’s sleep should consider melatonin. Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone that helps regulate daily sleep rhythms and encourages drowsiness. According to Sardi, nine out of 10 studies confirm that travelers who take melatonin near bedtime at the point of destination find that the effects of jetlag are much lessened. Available without a prescription in the U.S., melatonin can be taken as either an oral supplement or via a transdermal patch.
A Word of Caution
Many vitamins and supplements, when taken on an empty stomach, have been shown to cause nausea in some patients, so do your best to pop the pills after a meal or snack. Also, taking them with a full glass of water can help ease any stomach rumblings. It’s also a good idea to talk to your doctor when considering adding vitamins and supplements to your diet, as he or she can alert you to any contraindications to current drugs you are taking and fill you in on any potential side effects.
If taking several supplements seems daunting, you can consider purchasing a multivitamin that includes a number of body-boosting ingredients to help you maintain your health while traveling. “The key is to manage your away-from-home eating plan,” Anding advises. “If indeed the meal plan includes grab-and-go foods, this means usually a limitation on fruits and vegetables. If this is the case, then a good multivitamin with close to 100 percent of the daily recommended dose of most vitamins and minerals should do the trick.”
Julie Keller is editor-in-chief of American Spa, an award-winning magazine that reports on the national and international spa marketplace.
Resources
American Dietetic Association
eatright.org
Knowledge of Health, Inc.
lifespannutrition.com
