Easy Strategies Support Health During Air Travel

by Chris D. Meletis, ND

Each and every time we board an airplane we increase our risk of dehydration, blood clots and increased free radical damage. As a frequent flyer myself, traveling tens of thousands of miles each and every year to lecture at medical conferences, I know the risks can be great. In fact, as I finalize this article, I am on my way to the large, annual A4M conference in Las Vegas that attracts upwards of 3,000 physicians and other health care providers.

We know there are few guarantees in life, yet when we can minimize potential risk we must become attentive to help support our individual wellness journey. So, what is a person to do when traveling by air? Here are some of the common recommendations that my patients follow.

First, try to get good sleep for at least the 3 days prior to traveling. Second, I recommend optimal hydration, with at least 64 ounces plus of non-caffeinated beverages. It is important to remember that both caffeine and alcohol-containing beverages increase the risk of dehydration. Thus it’s crucial to avoid these type of beverages to the best of your ability when traveling and certainly while at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet (which is pressurized to 6,000 feet).

Third, it is critical to move your legs and feet, and ideally get up and stretch your legs with a back and forth walk up and down the aisle at least once every hour, while trying not to get in the way of the flight crew. Also keeping your legs moving while seated is a must.

Last, bolstering your antioxidant supply is important. I personally like to add some extra R-lipoic acid, resveratrol and pterostilbene (ResPG) to my daily regimen prior to, during and for a few weeks after travel.

The bottom line is travel is stressful and increases the burden of substances the body is exposed to daily such as EMF fields, background radiation, toxins, pollutants, etc. Consequently, even if one doesn’t go through the TSA screening radiation units, simply flying increases cosmic radiation burden. As with all things, it is a matter of balance and total burden. Taking a few extra steps to help your body fly well is something I encourage my patients to do routinely.