Tips to Maintain Gut Health While Travelling Abroad

Tip 1: Stay Hydrated with Clean Water

Travelling can easily lead to dehydration, especially if you walk long distances under the hot sun or forget to drink water regularly. 

Why It’s Important

Did you know that waterborne illness accounts for 1 billion cases of diarrhoea and an estimated 10–25 million deaths yearly?

While travelling, drink enough clean water to keep your body hydrated and ensure the smooth functioning of your digestive tract and other bodily functions.

Tip

Here’s a tip for staying hydrated: If you’re travelling to places where clean drinking water might not be available, drink only bottled or purified water. You may also carry and refill a water bottle with safe and clean drinking water.

Bonus Tip

Even if you feel hot and crave cold drinks, avoid ice cubes, which might have been made with untreated water and may contain disease-causing microbes.

Tip 2: Be Cautious with Street Food

Looking forward to enjoying those delicious and tempting street foods from your travel destination? While it can be a delightful experience, you should stay cautious about the potential dangers. 

Why It’s Important

Street foods might not always be prepared hygienically and could lead to foodborne illnesses. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), each year worldwide, unsafe food causes 600 million cases of foodborne diseases.

Tip

While travelling, choose food vendors and restaurants that appear clean. Go for freshly prepared meals. If the food looks like it’s been sitting out for a while, it’s better to avoid it. 

Best Choice

Want to know what foods are best for your gut health while travelling? Steaming hot, freshly prepared foods. If restaurants offer this option, choose foods prepared in front of you and served hot.

Tip 3: Include Probiotic-Rich Foods

Did you know that millions of good microbes live inside your gut? This group of microorganisms, the gut microbiome, is necessary for good digestive function. Poor food choices while travelling, combined with stress or excitement, may cause an imbalance in your gut microbiome. How can you prevent this from happening? Probiotics can help – probiotics are live microorganisms that have immense health benefits when consumed.

Why It’s Important 

Probiotics help maintain the balance of healthy microbes, prevent the growth and multiplication of harmful disease-causing bacteria in your gut, and enhance your immunity.

Tip

How can you include probiotics in your diet? While travelling, make sure you include probiotic-rich foods, like yoghurt, kefir, or fermented foods, such as kimchi or sauerkraut, whenever possible.

Alternative

If local food options do not provide probiotic-rich options, you can take probiotic supplements instead, which are available over the counter at many stores.

Tip 4: Maintain a Balanced Diet

Travellers usually depend on street foods, which may lack the essential nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Eating a well-balanced diet when travelling can prevent digestive discomfort and maintain gut health.

Why It’s Important

According to a 2024 review on the role of diet in maintaining gut health, polyphenols and probiotics found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds promote gut health and support the growth of beneficial bacteria.

Constipation is a common problem faced by travellers. Including fibre-rich foods like fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains and staying hydrated can ensure smooth bowel movements and prevent constipation and bloating.

Tip

While travelling, make sure to include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats and fibre-rich foods in your meals.

Practical Advice

It is okay to indulge in local cuisines or street foods while exploring new places, but try to avoid overly processed and greasy foods which may upset your stomach.

Tip 5: Manage Stress Effectively

Even though travelling is exciting, all the planning, the new surroundings, and the long journey may cause stress. Stress can leave you feeling tired and irritable or may even result in a bad headache. Managing travel-related stress is important to enjoy your trip while staying on top of your health.

Why It’s Important

Your gut and brain are connected through a complex network called the gut-brain axis. Stress can affect your gut health negatively – it causes changes in gut motility, permeability, and blood flow to your gut, and it also causes an imbalance of your gut microbiome. It may even lead to increased susceptibility to inflammation and various gastrointestinal diseases.

Tip

How can you manage stress in between your travels? Keep a few minutes apart for self-care. Practise stress-relieving techniques like deep breathing, meditation or simple yoga postures. If all the adventure and excitement feel overwhelming, take some time out of your schedule to relax.

Bonus Tip

Engaging in your favourite activities, like reading a book or listening to music, can help relieve stress.

Tip 6: Watch Out for Food Allergies and Intolerances

Food allergies (immune reaction to some proteins found in food) and food intolerances (gut sensitivity to certain foods) affect many people worldwide.

Why It’s Important

Exploring local cuisines may expose you to foods which could trigger food allergies or intolerances.

Tip

• If you have dietary restrictions, make sure you learn how to communicate them in the local language. 
• Research local dishes and ingredients to be aware of any foods that might trigger an allergic reaction. 
• Before you travel, consult your doctor to know what medicines you need to carry with you and how to use them in case of food allergies or intolerance. 

Best Practice

Bring your own safe food to eat while travelling. Always keep safe, non-perishable foods like snacks handy in case options are limited.

Tip 7: Stay Active

You must already be aware of how essential physical exercise is for your overall health. A recent study showed that aerobic exercise at moderate intensity can induce beneficial changes in your gut microbiome and improve mental health.

Why It’s Important

Why is physical activity important? Staying physically active improves digestion and prevents abdominal discomfort like bloating and constipation.

Tip

Explore the new city on foot or on a cycle. Enjoying activities like swimming, dancing, hiking or playing sports with your travel buddies is also a great way of staying physically active while enjoying your trip.

Bonus Tip

Avoid long hours of sitting or inactivity when you’re travelling. Take short breaks to walk, stretch or move around regularly.

Tip 8: Use Digestive Aids When Necessary

A digestive aid is a substance that helps break down and absorb nutrients during digestion. 

Digestive enzyme supplements are being used to support digestion, especially in people with enzyme insufficiency, which causes food intolerance.

Why It’s Important 

A new environment and foods can cause imbalances in your digestion and cause symptoms like bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhoea. Digestive aids in the form of digestive enzyme supplements can help reduce gastric problems.

Tip

Carrying a prescription, over-the-counter digestive enzyme supplements, or activated charcoal tablets can help with bloating or gas. Use these only when required, and follow the recommended dosage as prescribed by a healthcare professional.

Tip 9: Avoid Excessive Alcohol and Caffeinated Beverages

Various studies have shown how alcohol and caffeine can negatively affect your gut. Excessive alcohol or caffeine while travelling can disrupt your gut health, leading to inflammation and an imbalance of the gut microbiome. 

Why It’s Important

Occasional consumption of alcohol or caffeinated beverages causes no harm. However, excessive intake of these can cause dehydration, disrupt your gut microbiome and cause abdominal discomfort.

Tip 

How can you enjoy these drinks without having to worry about your gut? – Limit your intake of alcohol and caffeinated drinks. If you drink, choose quality over quantity and remember to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of clean water.

Best Choice 

Opt for healthy drinks like non-caffeinated herbal teas, fruits abundant in water, such as watermelons, or bottled mineral water to stay hydrated during your travels.

Tip 10: Practice Good Hygiene

Want to enjoy a comfortable and safe trip? Maintaining good hygiene can prevent exposure to harmful disease-causing microbes.

Why It’s Important

Poor sanitation and hygiene during travels can lead to illnesses affecting your gut health, such as traveller’s diarrhoea. Practising good hygiene can prevent illnesses, allowing you to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Tip

Here are some travel hygiene tips for gut health:

• Wash your hands frequently using soap and water, especially before eating.
• Carry a hand sanitiser frequently while travelling or when water isn’t available to wash your hands.
• Choose restaurants that seem clean to have your meals.

Other Measures

You can use wet wipes to clean surfaces like aeroplane tray tables, hotel room tables, and remote controls.

Wrapping Up!

Don’t ignore your gut health, especially when you’re travelling. Practise good hygiene, eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated for optimal digestion and overall well-being. 

We hope these tips come in handy! Follow them to enjoy your travels without facing gut health-related issues, and stay healthy and energised during your trip!