The act of going on holiday can be a stressful experience as weeks, or even months of preparation lead up to a period of a few days where you get to switch off and recharge.
However, it is this preparation for the holiday that can sometimes have adverse consequences, as people find themselves getting ill just days after they’ve turned on their Out Of Office email.
With the frequency of people getting coughs and colds on holiday seemingly rising, experts have been looking into why the numbers have been going up.
One theory is that the build-up to the holiday is causing the issues, as people get run down while rushing to tie up their affairs at work and double-checking they have all their flights, taxis, connections and other plans in place for that long-awaited leave.
In light of this, several experts have suggested there could be some ways for people to mitigate their risk of falling ill on holiday, including through vitamin optimisation.
Speaking to the Times, senior lecturer in immunology at the University of Sussex and the author of Immune to Age, Dr Jenna Macciochi, suggested that boosting your levels of several key supplements could protect the immune system during the stressful pre-holiday rush.
She said: “I’d consider taking vitamin D; magnesium to support sleep and stress resilience, because many of us tend to have sub-optimal levels.
“And omega-3 fatty acids, which help to reduce inflammation, support mood and may enhance immune regulation during and after periods of stress.”
Dr Macciochi also recommended taking some vitamins on holiday to bolster the immune system during the early stages whilst its relaxing after the adrenaline of the pre-trip rush.
She suggested: “Pack some vitamin C supplements and zinc lozenges as these can be useful to have on hand if symptoms strike if you take them at the first sign of illness they may reduce the duration of the symptoms.”
Whilst Dr Macciochi has suggested the usage of vitamin D supplements to temporarily help boost the immune system, another doctor has talked about their benefits for ageing.
Speaking on BBC’s Morning Live, Dr Oscar Luke said that a recent study had suggested that vitamin D could slow down ageing.
He told the programme’s hosts during their Health Headlines segment: “So this study is looking at the effects of vitamin D on ageing, and they’re looking at the chromosomes and how it affects our chromosomes.
“On the ends of chromosomes, you have something called telomeres. They stop that chromosome from going off and binding with another chromosome and forming things that might cause problems, cancers, or bad effects of ageing. And so those telomeres are really important.
“They can shorten down, and that causes those ageing effects. When they took the vitamin D, they saw less shortening, less shrinkage of the protective caps of your chromosomes. So maybe the vitamin D is helpful.”
