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Travel Experts Swear by This Simple Motion Sickness Remedy—and You Don't Need a Prescription for It
There is, however, one thing that could help just about anyone stop that queasy feeling in its tracks—and it doesn't require a prescription.
"Ginger has been used to settle sickness for centuries, and studies have shown that it helps to improve digestion, calm the gastrointestinal tract, and reduce nausea by stopping the development of gastric dysrhythmias, which are abnormal patterns of electrical activity in the stomach," Travel expert James Steele from Go2Africa recently shared with Travel + Leisure .
And he's not the only one who backs this remedy. "Ginger has much more scientific backing," Uma Darji, a board-certified family medicine doctor, shared. "It's been shown to help reduce nausea by working on the gastrointestinal system and possibly the central nervous system. Whether it's ginger tea, chews, or capsules, it's a go-to remedy I recommend frequently, especially for patients looking to avoid medications."
Some of the particularly compelling research behind ginger's efficacy in reducing motion sickness includes this 2020 clinical evaluation published in the journal Current Therapeutic Research, which had 184 adult participants with a history of motion sickness take four trips, one on a bus, car, ferry, train, or subway, each lasting 15 minutes. The first trip they took without any aid, while on the next three trips, they each took one ginger tablet 15 minutes before travel. Following the trips, participants were asked to fill out a "Motion Sickness Assessment Questionnaire," or MSAQ.
The researchers found that taking ginger, participants' average MSAQ scores dropped significantly, from about 40 points before the ginger treatment to around 25 points after, meaning their nausea, dizziness, and fatigue noticeably improved (though some participants noticed an increase in indigestion and burping, which could be linked to the ginger).
Why does it work? The researchers noted ginger can help to settle the gastrointestinal tract and prevent stomach contractions that can trigger that icky nausea feeling. It could also interact with serotonin receptors, further reducing nausea signals sent from the stomach to the brain. A man resting in his cruise cabin after experiencing motion sickness.
Nico DeWhile Hussain Ahmad, a consultant practitioner at Click2Pharmacy, noted that ginger tablets, tea, or crystallized ginger can all be effective and are safe for most people, he added that "we usually advise speaking to a general practitioner or pharmacist first if you're pregnant or on blood thinners."
As for how to make the most of this remedy, Steele said travelers could try drinking ginger tea about 30 to 60 minutes before they set off so "your body has time to absorb the active compounds it needs to work, before the motion starts." Then, pack a few ginger candies for the road to maintain this relief. But, he noted, "make sure they contain real ginger extract or crystallized ginger, not just ginger flavoring."
This wasn't the only hot tip Steele suggested. While it doesn't have the same amount of scientific backing, he said there are several other home remedies people swear by including chowing down on a green apple, which could help thanks to its sour taste that induces saliva production (and is a tip many cruisers and cruise workers swear by), smelling a lemon to trick your brain, and or even blowing on your thumb, which could "reduce stress and calm anxiety." And you know what? If it works for you, that's all that matters.
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Entrepreneur
28 minutes ago
- Entrepreneur
Avoid Jet Lag With These Science-Backed Tips
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CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Remember ‘The Biggest Loser'? Docuseries ‘Fit for TV' explores the harm the show did in the name of health
Millions of Americans watched for 18 seasons as people pushed their bodies to the limits physically, ate as few calories as possible, and underwent sometimes mortifying challenges to be crowned 'The Biggest Loser.' It was discomfort worth grappling with for a shot at better health and a new life, many of the contestants said. But 'Fit for TV: The Reality of 'The Biggest Loser,'' a Netflix docuseries premiering Friday, suggests that the cultural phenomenon may not have been healthy for the contestants or the country at large. When creating the new show, filmmakers asked themselves whether 'The Biggest Loser' was, in fact, part of an industry promoting health and wellness in the United States, said Skye Borgman, the director of the docuseries. 'Everybody always wants a magic bullet that's real. And the thing about magic bullets — they're never real.' 'Fit for TV: The Reality of 'The Biggest Loser'' investigates how the highly popular show affected the contestants and conversations around health. The docuseries also explores the implications of so many viewers being willing to watch –– and sometimes laugh at –– people attempting to lose weight. 'It was such a huge phenomenon and absolutely reflected and perpetuated some of the really harmful messages around weight and weight loss,' said Dr. Rebecca Pearl, associate professor of clinical and health psychology at the University of Florida. In a show claiming to transform people's health, what did the contestants' regimens look like? Men were advised to cut their calories down to 1,500 to 2,000 per day and women to 1,200 per day, said Dr. Robert Huizenga, physician on 'The Biggest Loser,' in the series. But sometimes, trainers might have recommended as few as 800 calories daily, he added. The amount of exercise was also intense, sometimes spanning eight hours a day, former contestant Danny Cahill said in the docuseries. The series showed clips of contestants dropping to the floor from a treadmill run, many people vomiting in the gym, and instances when caffeine pills were utilized to curb appetite. 'There's not any way that an entertaining show and a health show can 100% exist together. … One of them is always going to take the lead,' Borgman said. 'In the case of 'The Biggest Loser,' I feel like the entertainment value of the show far outran the health aspects of the show.' An extreme diet and exercise regimen is associated with significant health risks, Pearl said. Losing too much weight too quickly or not getting enough calories can lead to gallbladder complications, muscle loss and nutritional deficits, she said. Overexercising can result in heart problems, dehydration and injury –– which also prevents people from maintaining healthy behaviors. Eating a balanced diet and getting movement in your day is generally good for health, but the punishing approach to food and exercise showcased on 'The Biggest Loser' also worked against long-term health-promoting activities, Pearl added. 'One predictor and one recommendation for engaging in physical activity long term is to find an activity you enjoy,' she said. 'The kind of grueling, suffering activity that was shown on that show is not setting someone up to build a healthy, positive relationship with physical activity or with their body.' One theme that may have kept viewers coming back to the show was the hope that someone could make a dramatic, lasting change to their body. But a weight loss transformation that stood the test of time wasn't always necessarily the result even in 'The Biggest Loser,' Borgman said. A 2017 study following 14 contestants in the years after 'The Biggest Loser' wrapped found that many regained much or all the weight they had lost over the course of the show. The return of the weight makes sense, said Dr. Larissa McGarrity, clinical psychologist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at University of Utah Health. The degree of calorie restriction and intensity of exercise were at levels that neither the contestants nor the viewers could implement at home in a realistic way, she said. Also, the amount of weight lost from week to week was extreme. At times, show participants were losing up to double digits at each weekly weigh in. Experts tend to recommend a sustainable weight loss rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week, McGarrity said — adding that the best guidance is to utilize the methods you can keep up long-term. 'The answer instead is probably, 'how do I slowly make changes in my life that help me to get in the right nutrients to help my body feel good? How do I move in a way that will allow my body and mind to feel at its best over time?'' she said. 'Making too many changes at once tends to not go well for most people from a psychological or behavioral standpoint.' Even if viewers at home could implement the stringent protocol followed by 'The Biggest Loser' contestants, research suggests metabolic changes from the dramatic weight loss depicted on the show made it harder to keep the weight off. Six years after contestants were on the show, the 14 studied on average still had a slower metabolisms, even if they had regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost, according to the study. Their bodies were naturally burning fewer calories throughout the day and increasing hunger cues. 'It essentially means that keeping the weight off long term is nearly impossible without continued extreme measures over many years, because your body will fight against you to maintain that weight or defend that weight at that initially higher level,' McGarrity said. Often interwoven into 'The Biggest Loser' –– from coaches, in depictions of bodies, and in the audience interactions –– was a lot of shame, McGarrity said. The format supported a myth around weight: that the size of a person's body is totally under their control, and having a larger body is a sign of lack of willpower or moral failing, she said. That myth ignores the realities of things like genetics, environment and individual metabolisms, and it paves the way for denigration and callousness, she said. 'Cruelty, verbal abuse, sort of indirect physical abuse, in terms of being forced to really torture your body in unhealthy ways –– there was a sense that if you're in a larger body, you deserve this,' said Oona Hanson, a parent coach who specializes in helping families navigate diet culture and eating disorders. 'It made us participate as viewers in kind of like a pity or even disgust response in terms of the way people's bodies were portrayed, in the way they talked about their bodies,' she added. The docuseries showed just how dehumanizing or degrading those images could be, with cameras shaking as contestants fell to make it look like they caused an earthquake or challenges asking contestants to carry whole loaves of bread in their mouths. 'Without really being completely aware of it, the show succeeded in making fun of fat people,' Borgman said. Some contestants did say that they found empowerment and representation in being part of a competition in which they succeeded in goals and accomplished physical feats, she added. But it isn't hard to find a clip from 'The Biggest Loser' in which contestants are put in disparaging situations, Pearl added. Content that stigmatizes the size of a person's body and emphasizes thinness at all costs impacts not just the contestants, but also the viewers at home, Hanson said. It's hard for those viewers not to internalize those negative stereotypes, affecting how people see their communities and themselves. 'The Biggest Loser' may have been canceled years ago, but 'Fit for TV' shares that the reality show's lasting influence underscores the fact that the United States has not elevated the way people talk about weight and bodies, Borgman added. 'We as a culture feel like we're super evolved. … We don't judge. We take people for who they are,' she said. 'I don't think that's true at all. So, I hope people walk away from this series and look at themselves a little bit more and how we treat people.' Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN's Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being.
