Travel and Immune System Stress - Should you take extra Vitamin D when you travel?

A simple and practical action step to stay healthy despite the stresses of traveling.

I recently traveled with my daughter to visit family. Travel is almost taxing on the body and the immune system. At one point in our travel, we sat in our seats on the airplane for over an hour before the plane even took off!

As we sat there breathing the recycled air of 75 strangers and feeling the collective anxiety of fellow passengers rise as we all started realizing we were going to miss our connecting flights, I thought to myself: "I'm really glad we take Vitamin D and I'm really glad my Vitamin D level was 52 the last time I checked it."

Listen to this articleDr. Brandan Lee

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Travel is stressful to the body because of prolonged sitting, rushing to make flights, and standing in long security lines, among other reasons. You'll also likely be exposed to new and different microorganisms while traveling. It is imperative to consider your Vitamin D intake when traveling.

The best thing to do in travel preparation is to ensure your Vitamin D level is in the optimal range. We know that most of the immune system benefits of Vitamin D are found in having a Vitamin D level between 40 and 60 ng/ml.

If it's too late to check and improve your Vitamin D level before you travel, the next best option is to take extra Vitamin D before, during, and after travel. When my daughter and I reached our destination, we took double the usual amount. When we arrived home, we both took extra doses of Vitamin D and prioritized a good night's sleep.

Traveling to visit friends and family or to see the world is one of life's pleasures, but it is still hard on the body, so ensure your immune system is ready by optimizing your Vitamin D level. Have a trip coming up? Buy a Vitamin D Home Test today to get ready.