Vitamins You Should Always Travel With

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Traveling, while often fun, can also be a cause of great stress whether one is traveling for
business or pleasure. Traveling between time zones can cause jet lag. Sticking to tight
schedules can cause frayed nerves and incredible stress, particularly when traveling
with children. Eating away from home can translate into dietary changes and possible
deficiencies. Being around numerous people in airports, hotels and restaurants can
increase one’s chances of contracting a sickness-causing bacteria or virus. For these
reasons and more, it is vital to travel with certain vitamins to protect one’s health and
boost the immune system. Although numerous people already take certain dietary
supplements each day, the supplements listed below are by far the most important to
remember to bring when traveling.

Vitamin C

Of course, vitamin C is the first vitamin usually thought of as being vital to immune
health. In fact, the history of this vitamin’s immune boosting powers goes back hundreds
of years to the stories of sailors who died of scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency
of the C vitamin. With today’s access to numerous fresh fruits and vegetables in
developed countries, scurvy is no longer the issue that it once was. However, vitamin C
supplementation remains an important topic.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that any extra vitamin C found in the body
is removed daily in one’s urine. For this reason, vitamin C must be consumed on a daily
basis. A majority of research recommends consuming around 500 milligrams of vitamin
C each day, which is certainly more than what the government recommends in its daily
allowances. Because of this, many people will need to use a dietary supplement instead of
simply obtaining the vitamin solely through their food.

Although vitamin C does not prevent a cold or other similar illnesses, it aids the body in
fighting a sickness when it occurs. Further research has shown that while a significant
amount of vitamin C only slightly shortens the duration of the cold under normal
circumstances, those living under great amounts of stress see increased benefits. Traveling
can certainly be considered an occasion for undue stress.

Vitamin B

Vitamin B is actually a conglomeration of eight vitamins, which are called the B complex
vitamins. Vitamin B12 is one of the most common of these and is associated with
metabolism and energy. In particular, it helps turn the carbohydrates found in the food one
eats into usable energy. It is important to take while traveling since a deficiency of it can
lead to fatigue and lethargy. In addition, it aids in proper digestion, keeps the skin healthy
and decreases the side effects of stress. Those who will especially need to supplement
their diet with additional vitamin B are those who are older, pregnant or who keep a strict
vegetarian diet.

A Multivitamin

Many vitamins and minerals are can be found in well-rounded multivitamins. In addition,
these supplements can be purchased by themselves.
Vitamin D helps the body’s immune system fight off various germs, particularly those
that cause upper respiratory issues.
Vitamin E is a wonderful antioxidant that protects various cells in the body from
damage. In particular, this vitamin is used to protect the skin from signs of aging, such as
discoloration and wrinkles. While traveling, it can be quite helpful in healing a sunburn.
Some people with sunburns choose to purchase pure vitamin E capsules, puncture them
and apply the contents directly to their skin.
Zinc has been greatly studied in recent years for its benefits to the immune system. A
study performed at the Cleveland Clinic, found at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/
8678384, showed that people who took zinc while suffering from the common cold had
their symptoms decreased by approximately three days versus those who took a placebo.
Once again, zinc can be found in most multivitamins or can be purchased by itself in the
form of a zinc gluconate lozenge.

Traveling with vitamins can decrease the effects of stress on the immune system. In
addition, these travelers will find that they have increased energy. Although vitamins C and
B are the most popular options for traveling, a multivitamin is an excellent choice as well.

Author Bio
Ron Thompson writes for Del-Immune V(R), a unique probiotic supplement made from the lactobacillus rhamnosus which is a natural immune system supplements.