Consumption of nutrient-rich foods is essential for meeting your daily nutritional requirements and maintaining a strong immune system. However, in certain situations, such as when traveling back and forth, you may require additional supplements to help support your immune system in areas where you are more susceptible to infection.
Supplements your body needs during Eid al-Fitr homecoming
Traveling long distances, particularly on public transportation, can increase the risk of infectious diseases such as the flu, colds, other respiratory infections, gastrointestinal infections, and endemic diseases like malaria and dengue fever. To reduce the risk of infection during homecoming, you may need to take additional immune-boosting supplements.
Here are some recommended supplements:
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is known to help maintain a healthy immune system. Its high antioxidant content can help fight free radicals and strengthen the immune system against infections.
Vitamin C-rich foods include oranges, strawberries, red peppers, kiwi, and green vegetables. Taking vitamin C supplements is another way to increase your vitamin C intake.
Vitamin C intake recommendations vary by age, gender, special conditions such as pregnancy or breastfeeding, and smoking habits. Female adults 19 years of age and older who are not pregnant or breastfeeding require approximately 75 mg of vitamin C per day. Male adults aged 19 years and up require approximately 90 mg of vitamin C per day. If you have a special condition, you should consult your doctor about the safe and appropriate dosage of vitamin C supplements.
Read more: Most Common Diseases During Homecoming
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is essential for maintaining bone health as well as the immune system. Vitamin D supplementation has been shown in studies to reduce the risk of seasonal infections like influenza, pneumonia, and other respiratory infections.
Adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women, are advised to consume 600–800 IU of vitamin D daily. Natural sources of vitamin D that can be consumed on a daily basis include salmon, tuna, sardines, and other fatty fish; fish oil; beef liver; egg yolks; and vitamin D-fortified foods.
Read more: Medicines To Bring During Homecoming
Probiotics
Diarrhea is common when you consume contaminated food or drinks while traveling home. Some research suggests that certain probiotics, such as Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Saccharomyces boulardii, may help reduce the risk or severity of diarrhea.
It should be noted that the findings from these studies are not always consistent. Each person's reaction to probiotics varies. If you have pain and fever in addition to traveler's diarrhea, see a doctor.
In addition to taking additional supplements, you can prevent disease infection during the homecoming trip by diligently washing your hands with soap and clean water, following sneezing and coughing etiquette, and being careful in choosing food and drinks.
If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
Looking for more information about nutrition, food, and other diet tips? Click here!
- Sean Edbert Lim, MBBS
CDC (2022). Your Survival Guide to Safe and Healthy Travel. Available from: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/survival-guide
Mayo Clinic (2023). Traveler's diarrhea. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/travelers-diarrhea/symptoms-causes/syc-20352182
Medline Plus (2023). traveler's guide to avoiding infectious diseases. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001925.htm
Laura Dorwart (2023). What to Know About Supplements. Available from: https://www.health.com/supplements-7775481
WHO (2020). Health risks when travelling. Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/health-risks-when-traveling
Harvard TH Chan (2023). Vitamin C. Available from: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/vitamin-c/
National Institute of Health (2023). Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious Diseases. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ImmuneFunction-HealthProfessional/
Peter Jaret (2024). Using Probiotics for Diarrhea. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/probiotics-diarrhea
