5 Supplements, Vitamins & Nutrients that are Essential to Take While Traveling

Quick Health Scoop:

• Traveling can be fun and exciting. Try to maintain some of your regular health habits, like your vitamin routine, to help support your overall wellness and enjoyment of your trip.
• Support your stress management, immune health, and digestive health while traveling with supplements like Ashwagandha, Vitamin D, Vitamin C, Magnesium, and Probiotics, respectively.†
• Pack your supplements smartly by keeping them secure in your carry-on luggage, avoiding liquids, and instead choosing forms that are less likely to be affected by environmental changes.

Are you planning a trip to the beach or the city? Catching an international flight or heading for a mountain getaway? Just because you’re taking a hiatus doesn’t mean your everyday health routine has to. In addition to maintaining your diet, exercise, and sleep habits as much as possible, it’s beneficial to continue your normal supplement regimen while traveling.

Let’s consider why traveling with your vitamins and supplements should be a key part of your packing plan, plus which ones we recommend make the cut and how to pack vitamins for travel. By the way, can you bring vitamins on a plane?

The Importance of Traveling With Vitamins

Traveling is a favorite pastime for good reason. But when planning your itinerary of activities and adventures, make time to continue some version of your normal health routine. In order to get the most out of your experience, it’s important to take care of yourself. If you’re used to taking vitamins and supplements at home, this is a simple practice to continue as you travel.

Furthermore, vitamins and supplements can help bridge any potential nutrient gaps you may experience during travel, as you might be eating differently than normal. Traveling can also interrupt your sleep pattern, especially if you’re adjusting to another time zone. Maintaining your supplementation routine may help support your wellness. If you’re asking yourself, what vitamins should I take every day, we’ve got you covered with 11 vitamins, minerals, and supplements to maintain your health.

Learn More: How To Support Your Sleep Schedule: A Guide

 5 Supplements and Vitamins that are Essential to Take While Traveling

In addition to your favorite daily multivitamin, the below supplements would be helpful to support your wellness while traveling.

1. Ashwagandha 

Along with all the joys of travel can also come new stresses on your body. Ashwagandha is a traditional herb long used for its adaptogenic properties to help adapt to stressors. Additionally, Ashwagandha reduces feelings of stress and occasional anxiousness.[1] Try Nature Made® Ashwagandha Capsules, formulated with clinically studied SENSORIL® Ashwagandha to reduce stress.†

2. Probiotics

One of the most common complaints associated with traveling is a change in bowel habits. This is because your gut microbiome, home to trillions of organisms, can be sensitive to changes in routine, diet, sleep, and more.[2] Probiotics can help support gastrointestinal health. Digestive Probiotics Advanced Dual Action Capsules help support healthy gut flora in the small intestine to relieve occasional gas, bloating, diarrhea and abdominal discomfort, and in the large intestine to help relieve occasional constipation and irregularity. †

3. Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps support the immune system.[3] A Vitamin C supplement like 1000 mg Chewable Tablets can be a beneficial travel companion as it’s an easy way to keep up your immune health routine.†

4. Vitamin D

Taking a Vitamin D supplement can be beneficial as part of your regular health routine, particularly when you’re traveling, as Vitamin D is essential to support a healthy immune response.[4] Since most Americans do not get enough Vitamin D in their daily diet (95%) you don’t want to miss out on this important nutrient.[5] Consider Nature Made® Vitamin D3 2000 IU  softgels as a daily supplement.†

5. Magnesium

Another great supplement  during travel is Magnesium, as it supports muscle relaxation and helps relax the body.[6]  Nature Made® High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate provides 200 mg of Magnesium per serving.†

Learn More: How Much Ashwagandha Per Day Should I Take?

Can You Bring Vitamins on a Plane?

Regular flyers are well-versed in TSA rules for what can and cannot come on board a plane. But are vitamins and other supplements allowed, and if so, how should you pack them?

The TSA website clearly states that yes, packing vitamins is allowed in both your carry-on bag and checked baggage.[7] As long as they are in solid form, such as capsules, tablets, or gummies, you are permitted to pack as many supplements as you like, and they don’t have to be labeled.

If your vitamins and supplements are in liquid form, however, these will fall under the 3.4-ounce size requirement for liquids if you’re packing them in your carry-on. Liquids have to be packed in a one-quart-sized resealable clear bag that will go through security screening.[8]

So, can you bring vitamins on a plane? Yes. The final decision about anything in your bag will rest in the hands of the TSA officer at the security checkpoint, but it is unlikely that supplements packed in alignment with the requirements above will be turned away.

How to Pack Vitamins for Travel

Now that you know that bringing vitamins is allowed, you’re probably strategizing how to pack them well for travel. After all, living out of a suitcase is hard enough without random supplements either spilling out all over your stuff or bottles taking up too much space.

Here are some tips for how to pack vitamins for travel:.

Avoid Liquids

Not only is the TSA not going to allow you to pack liquid vitamins in your carry-on bag, but they can be inconvenient while traveling. Liquid vitamins have to be measured into single serving sizes. This can be a pain to manage when you’re not in the comfort of your own home. Plus, liquids can expand and contract during travel and potentially spill on other items.

Keep Them Safely Secured

Things can shift in your suitcase during travel. To prevent your supplements from spilling or getting mixed up with other items, be sure to secure them. For instance, place them in a resealable bag together. If you’re traveling for a week or less, divide them into a 7-day pill box that has AM and PM slots.

Pack Them in Your Carry-On Bag

Your carry-on is the best place for your most important items when traveling. While it’s not inevitable, bags that are checked at the airport do sometimes get lost or temporarily misplaced on their way to your destination. Keep your bag of vitamins in your carry-on to prevent any potential disruption in your health routine.

Choose Capsules, Tablets, or Softgels 

Keep in mind that liquids might be inconvenient, and gummies might melt and stick together with fluctuations in temperature. Instead, opt for capsules, tablets, or hard softgels that are less likely to be affected by changes in the environment as you travel.  

Get more tips for travel:

• Staying Healthy While Traveling: Summer Wellness Tips
• 7 Tips For Healthy Traveling
• How To Prepare Your Sleep Schedule For A Time Zone Change

Follow @NatureMadeVitamins on Instagram for new product news, healthy tips, and more.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Salve J, Pate S, Debnath K, Langade D. Adaptogenic and Anxiolytic Effects of Ashwagandha Root Extract in Healthy Adults: A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Study. Cureus. 2019;11(12):e6466. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.7759/cureus.6466
2. Conlon MA, Bird AR. The impact of diet and lifestyle on gut microbiota and human health. Nutrients. 2014;7(1):17-44. Published 2014 Dec 24. doi:10.3390/nu7010017
3. Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017;9(11):1211. Published 2017 Nov 3. doi:10.3390/nu9111211
4. L Bishop E, Ismailova A, Dimeloe S, Hewison M, White JH. Vitamin D and Immune Regulation: Antibacterial, Antiviral, Anti-Inflammatory. JBMR Plus. 2020;5(1):e10405. Published 2020 Sep 15. doi:10.1002/jbm4.10405
5. Reider CA, Chung RY, Devarshi PP, Grant RW, Hazels Mitmesser S. Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1735. Published 2020 Jun 10. doi:10.3390/nu12061735.
6. Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H. Magnesium and Human Health: Perspectives and Research Directions. Int J Endocrinol. 2018;2018:9041694. Published 2018 Apr 16. doi:10.1155/2018/9041694
7. “Vitamins.” Transportation Security Administration. Available from: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/vitamins
8. “What Can I Bring?” Transportation Security Administration. Available from: https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/medical?page=1