Flight jet lag can be a miserable reality for many long-haul travellers – yet a simple solution tastes particularly fruity, according to experts. The NHS defines jet lag as “when your normal sleep pattern is disturbed after a long flight.” It adds: “Symptoms usually improve within a few days as your body adjusts to the new time zone.” Yet nutritionist Anita Bean has spoken exclusively to Express.co.uk about a top tip Britons can use – with the solution both tasty, and healthy.
She said cherry juice could prove the key to combatting excessive tiredness after touching down.
Anita said: “Jet lag occurs when your internal body clock becomes disrupted due to crossing time zones.
“The main symptoms include fatigue, insomnia, digestive problems, appetite changes and concentration and memory problems.
“Eat cherries or drink cherry juice.
“Cherries are one of the only natural sources of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate our sleep patterns.”
Anita spoke about the science behind the apparently simple solution, and said: “Research has found that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day raises the body’s level of sleep-inducing melatonin and can increase sleep time by more than 80 minutes a night.
“The extra melatonin may help your body fight jet lag and regulate its natural sleep cycle when you arrive in your new time zone.”
Meanwhile, the NHS offers further advice for Britons travelling to destinations such as America, Thailand and Australia.
They stated: “Change your sleep schedule to the new time zone as quickly as possible.
“Set an alarm to avoid oversleeping in the morning.
“Go outside during the day – natural light will help your body clock adjust.”
Meanwhile, another simple natural remedy for jet lag has come to light.
Nutritionists have exclusively revealed to Express.co.uk the best herbal supplement of 2019 to banish jet lag for good is ginseng.
They hail the slow-growing plant with fleshy roots that has been used in Chinese medicine for decades, as the secret to stopping excess fatigue in its tracks.
Nutritionist Erin McCann Galvin told us: “Ginseng is a great herb to use for jet lag because it is believed to improve energy, physical and emotional health, and well-being.
“Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbs for fatigue.”
Meanwhile, Dr Stephen Fulder Phd, author of three books on Ginseng told us: “Countless studies have closely linked ginseng to increased levels of energy, cognition and wellbeing.
“Ginseng is one of the most expensive ingredients, which is why it is rarely used in health supplements.”