Jet Lag Solutions - How To Beat Jet Lag
In this article, you will learn about the natural ways to combat jet lag, and also some popular treatments/supplements available.
If you haven’t read our article “Jet Lag - Causes & Symptoms”, check it out.
Basically, jet lag is caused by a combination of disruption of circadian rhythms, sunlight exposure, cabin pressure, humidity, and dehydration.
To minimise the effect of jet lag, CDC recommends taking a few steps. Before travel, you should get plenty of rest, eat healthy meals, and adjust your body clock to the time zone at your destination. During travel, avoid eating large meals, coffee and alcohol. You should also drink a lot of water, walk around and stretch out as much as possible. With less than 20% humidity, the cabin environment is drier than the Sahara desert so you don’t want to be dehydrated. After arrival, try to adjust your activities to the local time. Again, drink plenty of water, and avoid coffee and alcohol as much as possible.
However, even if you follow the advice from CDC, you might still struggle with jet lag, especially when you cross multiple time zones. If so you might want to talk to your doctor about your concerns. If you are interested in jet lag solutions, please read on. According to our research, there are four types of jet lag solutions in the market.
- Melatonin
- Mobile Apps
- Homeopathic pills/sprays
- 1Above effervescent tablets
Melatonin is probably the most common medication for jet lag. It is available over the counter in the United States but it is a prescription medicine in some countries such as New Zealand. Your body releases melatonin to regulate the internal body clock. The darker it is the more melatonin it is released which will tell your body that it is time for bed. When you travel, your light exposure is disturbed, so taking melatonin might help you adjust to your new time zone and help you sleep better. However, taking it at the wrong time can have opposite effects. Check out this article about melatonin’s side effects. In addition, melatonin could assist with sleeping but not with other jet lag symptoms such as dehydration and fatigue.
Mobile apps such as Timeshifter tell you the right timing for light exposure, and when to take melatonin, sleep, or nap. You do it by entering your flight time and preferences. However, it is difficult to do it if you have a busy work and life, and you must be very disciplined to get benefits from the recommendation.
Homeopathic pills/sprays are another option to help reduce the effects of jet lag. They are usually a combination of herbal ingredients. However, treatments using homeopathy has no scientific basis and "there is little evidence to support homeopathy as an effective treatment for any specific health condition" and in some cases some products could cause side effects with high amounts of active ingredients.
The last solution is 1Above effervescent tablets, an infusion of vitamins, electrolytes, and French maritime pine bark extract Pycnogenol®. Pycnogenol® is the world’s most studied antioxidant with over 450+ scientific publications and 160+ clinical studies. It is proven to reduce jet lag significantly in combination with vitamins and electrolytes. It is also found to help with boosting immunity. Plus, since it is effervescent tablets, you have to take 1Above by dissolving it in water which helps you drink more and stay hydrated. 1Above has helped thousands of people including frequent travellers, pilots, and flight attendants fight jet lag since 2010.
Overall, there is no one solution to jet lag. Once you understand the causes and take steps to help reduce it, you will have more time to enjoy your trip and make the most out of it. If you have any questions, please flick us an email at info@live1above.com - we are happy to assist.
Stay well!
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Scientific references:
1. Belcaro G et al (2018). CLINICAL STUDY: Long-haul flights: prevention with stockings and Pycnogenol® supplementation (LONFLIT Registry Study). Minerva Cardioangiol 66: 152-159, 2018
2. Belcaro G et al (2008). CLINICAL STUDY: Pycnogenol® significantly lowers the severity of a wide range of typical jet-lag symptoms of flight passengers travelling intercontinental routes. Minerva Cardioangiol 56(5 Suppl): 3-9, 2008
3. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (2021). Homeopathy: What You Need To Know.