‘Natural’ Cures for Trip-Related Ills

Trips can be rough on the body, and travelers often complain about gastrointestinal problems, motion sickness and sleep disturbances. The search for relief may lead them to sleeping pills, caffeine, alcohol or over-the-counter medications that can make them feel worse.

But herbal medicine experts suggest turning to the produce section or the health-food shelves to find surprisingly simple remedies for travel-related ailments.

Those prone to travelers’ diarrhea should consider taking along dried blueberries. This is recommended by Varro E. Tyler, an expert on herbs and plant-derived medicine and dean emeritus of the Purdue University School of Pharmacy and Pharmacal Sciences. Get a pint of blueberries a few days before travel and dry them for two days or so in the sun, he suggested. When symptoms develop, eat 3 tablespoons of the dried berries.

Tannins, substances formed in the blueberries during the drying process, act as astringents, Tyler said. Fresh blueberries don’t release tannins, so they won’t stop diarrhea; they might even cause it. The pectin (a gummy, water-soluble carbohydrate) found in the berries also helps. An alternative to dried blueberries is pectin-rich raw fruit such as bananas and apples.

For prevention of motion sickness, take a capsule of ginger (available in health-food stores) before traveling, Tyler advised. Another option is anti-motion-sickness wristbands, which apply pressure on the acupressure point believed to control nausea. They are sold over the counter at drugstores.

For upset stomach, chamomile tea is a sure solution, said Tyler, who credits flavonoids in the tea.

Tyler also suggested keeping extract of artichoke on hand for digestive problems if tea brewing is not possible. It is sold in capsule form at health-food and drugstores. But people with a history of gallstones should avoid the extract because it can increase bile flow, he said.

Travelers bothered by sleep disturbances due to time-zone differences often turn to melatonin supplements, sold in capsule form. Melatonin is the hormone produced during darkness by the pineal gland that helps regulate sleep.

Drew Francis, a doctor of Oriental medicine and a licensed acupuncturist in West Los Angeles, cautioned against taking too much. He suggested starting out with a 1.3-milligram dose an hour before bedtime the day before departure, then the same dose the next day an hour before bedtime at the destination. “We usually tell travelers to take it for three days,” Francis said, and to repeat the process when preparing to return home.

Dr. Steven Krems, a Marina del Rey internist who sometimes recommends herbal remedies, suggested that travelers boost their immune systems for a day or two before departure. In a plane or on a cruise ship with hundreds of others, he said, it’s fairly easy to catch a cold. He often suggests that patients take echinacea and goldenseal or other herbs to boost the immune system.

Practicing acupressure might also help relieve travel-related discomfort, Francis said.

For exhaustion: Place your palm on your knee, fingers pointing down. Where your ring finger falls is roughly the point. (Or run your finger up your shin. Stop where you feel the depression.) Apply pressure for about two minutes.

For nausea, apply pressure about 2 inches up from the wrist crease on the palm side, right between the tendons. That’s the same point that the wristbands target.

Consult your doctor before taking herbal preparations. Follow directions, and be alert for side effects.

The Healthy Traveler appears twice every month.