Give Your Gut A Holiday
From a travel point of view the world has got smaller. We can now easily travel around the world and many of you clock up many miles either for work or leisure. Traveling to new places can be very exciting and enjoyable but only if you feel ok. Being ill is bad enough but there is nothing worse than being ill away from the comfort and security of home. Getting diarrhoea is horrible but manageable at home. When you are stuck in a hotel room with little understanding of the local language, that's really horrible. Also if you are working away, your schedule is likely to be condensed, making time out from meetings difficult. Apart from working abroad many of you save up all year in anticipation of two weeks of heaven. Falling ill on holiday is not only physically draining, it can be a huge emotional upset as all your long awaited happy expectations disappear.
Traveller's diarrhoea is surprisingly common as countries once only visited by the really intrepid have become common destinations. Attack rates of up to 50% can happen in high-risk areas such as Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia and is more common in people under 40.
Traveller's diarrhoea usually occurs from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Poor food preparation, undercooking and tap water are some of the risk factors. Poultry, cold meats, dairy, seafood, raw fruit and vegetables are the highest risk foods which unfortunately covers most food in anyone's diet. Many people know not to drink tap water when abroad but often forget about ice or pre-prepared drinks. Organisms most commonly associated with traveller's diarrhoea are E.Coli, Salmonella and Campylobacter. Recent studies show that as well as providing food to enable good gut bacteria to flourish, selective prebiotics, in particular Bimuno also have anti-adhesion properties that prevent pathogens such as E.Coli and Salmonella from infecting the gut and effective in reducing the incidence of TD. Traveller's diarrhoea does not always stem from just infection. Changes in diet can also destabilize the delicate balance in the gut. Dietary changes could include richer, spicier, stodgy, fatty food, more alcohol or simply more of everything. Just a change from the food you normally eat can influence in particular the delicate balance of gut bacteria. Also the general stress, tiredness or excitement of traveling can also be a disruptive factor.
Holiday Protection
Never drink tap water, take ice and be sure of the source of any water based drink. Also make sure any water bottles are sealed when you buy them. Make sure all meat and vegetables are well cooked, much safer than salad. Peel all fruit and beware local diary produce, it is probably not pasteurized. Make sure cutlery and crockery are clean and always wash your hands. Research also shows that pre or probiotics supplements can help but it very much depends on the make. A health professional will be able to advise you.
Also boost up your gut health before you go on holiday – click on our "Steps to Good Gut Health"