A new study has revealed surprising insights into how severely jet lag impacts UK travellers – and the hacks they use to overcome it. Olivia Palamountain reports
Jet lag anxiety is casting a shadow over many Britons' travel plans says research by Yotel. The survey found that nearly a third (32%) of Brits have avoided long-haul destinations due to concerns about jet lag.
This travel hesitation comes despite 44% of respondents admitting they would push through jet lag symptoms to avoid missing out on experiences abroad.
Perhaps most strikingly, the research revealed that more than a quarter (27%) of working Britons have called in sick to recover from jet lag after long-haul travel. London and Leeds emerged as the cities where employees are most likely to take a 'jet lag sickie'.
The study also highlighted a gender disparity in handling jet lag at work, with 36% of men more likely to call in sick compared to 27% of women. Moreover, over half (52%) of respondents believe their colleagues lack sympathy for jet lag's impact on work performance.
Jet lag symptoms reported by travellers include exhaustion (25%), headaches (21%), trouble concentrating (15%), and nausea (10%). To combat these effects, some Brits have adopted unconventional methods, including wearing sunglasses indoors (7%), playing loud music (12%), and donning compression socks (18%).
In response to these findings, Yotel has partnered with wellness brands to introduce innovative jet lag solutions. These include Skin Recovery Kits from Urban Jungle, FlyKitt Rescue supplements by Fount, and a specially curated menu featuring jet lag-fighting foods rich in melatonin. Prices for the jet-lag remedies start from £23.
Sleep expert Dr Charlotte Edelsten and McFly drummer Harry Judd have also weighed in, offering advice on managing jet lag. Their tips range from adjusting to destination time zones before travel to staying hydrated and prioritising sleep in the lead-up to flights.
Dr Charlotte Edelsten's top tips for avoiding jet lag
- Once you board the plane, shift all your activities to match the local time of your destination. Change your watch immediately and align your meal times (even if not hungry) and sleep, light and dark schedules accordingly
- Stay hydrated before, during and after the flight. Flights are naturally dehydrating so sip water as much as possible
- Try to book a flight that lands during the day time, get outside as soon as you land and get as much natural light as possible
- Don’t take a nap upon arrival, this will help your body adjust more quickly to the new time zone and will aid in resetting your internal clock. Napping will reduce your sleep pressure, which we need to be as high as possible to ensure good sleep initiation and maintenance.
- Try to prioritise your sleep in the weeks and days leading up to your flight, going into travel well rested will help lessen the impact of jet lag.
This research sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of holiday planning. With a third of travellers reporting that jet lag negatively impacts their ability to enjoy trips upon arrival, the hospitality industry's focus on combating travel fatigue could not be more timely.
From athlete-approved menus to onboard yoga, Vistajet has created a pick-n-mix wellness programme for private jet flyers that answers the needs of passengers both in the air and at their destination. Globetrender CEO Jenny Southan reports from the launch at Farnborough airport.
To elevate the private jet experience further still, Vistajet has created unique onboard wellness programme that aims to reduce jetlag and rejuvenate fliers.
It also offers the ability to book curated wellness adventures via Vistajet’s Private World, with excursions spanning four continents and over 20 disciplines, delivered by luxury adventure travel companies such as Pelorus. Once on the ground, clients can book "rare and exclusive" private sessions with ancient masters of the world’s most revered traditions and practices, as well as world leading private medical experts.
Responding to demand from private jet flyers, as well as global trends for greater meaning, longevity and impactful life experiences, Vistajet has designed a "multifaceted global wellness portfolio" that offers every passenger a solution that is "suited to their particular perspective and needs".
Whether an athlete is seeking faster recovery or a business leader is seeking greater clarity, there is an array of pick-n-mix wellness add-ons to enhance the trip.
Flying affects both the body and the mind, and for people who fly a few times a week, the impact of jetlag has a real effect on everyday life and business focus. Helping customers be their best is Vistajet’s series of pre, post and in-flight wellness services…
Private Medical CEO and founder Dr Jordan Shlain says: "Life is really predicated on health. So lifestyle is health. They can't be separated. Every decision you make is a healthcare decision. So if you want to be healthier ten years from now, or as healthy as you are today, then you have to have a strategy, and that strategy has to be organised around the decisions you make, big and small."
Matteo Atti, chief marketing officer for VistaJet agrees: “Flying better means living better, and the advantage of flying private should not be limited to the speed of the flight alone. In our aim for excellence, we researched all the ways to benefit the minds and bodies of the people who fly with us.
"Using our resources, knowledge and network, we can really support our members, particularly those who spend a lot of time in the air. When flying is part of your life or business routine, we want to make sure it is a moment that adds value. This is why we designed the Wellness World programme.”
He adds: "Our audience is typically aged 45 to 65, so that is why wellness has become such an important topic for us over champagne."
Pre-flight wellness
Passengers can consult with a Vistajet nutritionist on the best foods to eat before and during flight, and pre-order in-flight meals that work for their mission ahead. There is also a long list of non-alcoholic drinks to choose from.
Vistajet nutritionist Jenna Daou says: "We noticed that one of our program members sometimes wouldn't eat on the board because he's very fixated on the ingredients in the food that he's eating. But once we offered him this programme, we got amazing feedback from him – he really enjoyed the freshness and the quality of the ingredients. Our eggs are from Clarence Court, for example, the smoked salmon is wild (never farmed), our sourdough bread is from a local bakery and our vegetables are organic."
Daou continues: "I'm going deep into where we're sourcing our ingredients from, ensuring that our clients are really getting the best of the best. During the initial consultation, I get an idea about their lifestyle, what they like to eat on board generally, their medical history and dietary requirements. I then build a profile and based on that, curate menus for all their flights. My job is to keep it creative and fun for them, so it's not repetitive.
"To give clients ideas we even have a 'performance menu' inspired by Ferrari drivers. We have a partnership with Ferrari so the drivers fly with us to their races – they're very particular, obviously, about their nutrition as they need to stay in tip top shape for their races."
Relax Menu: Focused on calming the body and mind, using micronutrients known to relax and destress. Supporting ingredients: tryptophan, magnesium, calcium, melatonin, serotonin. A sample menu can be found here.
Revitalise Menu: Focused on energizing the body and mind, providing a nourishing boost. Supporting ingredients: complex carbohydrates, iron, B vitamins, caffeine, electrolytes. A sample menu can be found here.
Rejuvenate Menu: Focused on uplifting the mind and body, nurturing at a deeper level. Supporting ingredients: collagen, probiotics, antioxidants and vitamin. A sample menu can be found here.
Performance Athlete Menu: Focused on preparing the body and mind for optimal performance. Created in collaboration with world-renowned athletes, including Charles Leclerc. A sample menu can be found here.
In-flight wellness
Once onboard one of Vistajet's Global 7500 aircraft, passengers will find ergonomic seating to assist posture; a central lounge with space to do yoga (a DVD and mat are provided); circadian lighting to help combat jet-lag; Bowers and Wilkins noise-cancelling headphones; Mamiel aromatherapy oils; exclusive skincare products from Guerlain’s Orchidée Imperial collection; JING teas; and a curated collection of books to read on the couch or in the double bed, which is made up with crisp cotton sheets and soft pillows. In addition, the cabin is pressurised to 4,000ft.
Dr Shlain says: "Everyone's biology and physiologies are fundamentally unique to them. And until you really can understand your own physiology or you're kind of flying blind a little bit. For travel specifically, sleep and hydration are probably the two most important things. We're generally all under hydrated. We don't realise that if you're not going to the bathroom every couple hours, you're not drinking enough water."
He continues: "Waking up can be the most stressful part of the day. I haven't set an alarm clock for years because this causes causes you cortisol levels to go up. Vistajet aims to keep stress down because cortisol causes 'chronic inflammation' – or ageing – in the body. Jet-lag occurs when you're travelling through multiple times. It's not just your brain that has a circadian rhythm – every cell in your body has a little clock in it, and they all operate on different schedules.
"For that reason you should try to eat as little as possible on your flight, so that you can gear up for the next time zone. And when you land, you should eat. And recalibrate your clocks to the time that you're in. I'd also recommend people take two to three micrograms of melatonin, do some stretching in the cabin, wear flight socks to prevent deep vein thrombosis, and experiment with apps for sleep management such as Timeshifter.
"The other piece of technology is called 'daylight simulation' or 'solar simulation'. So we pretend to shorten your day when you're in the air. We're trying to make your clock react to the level of light inside the cabin so that instead of feeling like there's a ten-hour different time difference, we might reduce it by adjusting the light levels and the tonality of light."
Dr Shlain adds: "If you have a real medical problem we have access to doctors in every city where there's a major international airport."
Post-flight
From biohacking treatments to a private prayer session with a Tibetan Buddhist leader, for those not on a business trip there is the option to curate a special wellness itinerary in specific destinations around the world.
Thanks to an array of exclusive Private World partner offerings with world-leading institutions, brands and experts, customers can experience life-changing wellness adventures.
Pelorus co-founder Jimmy Carroll says: "It's not just about being in the country. We ask how do we maximise the experiences? Are you fit enough? Are you healthy enough to go heliskiing in Antarctica? We put together a programme before we even depart to ensure that you're fit enough. The biggest part is understanding the client and how you live your lifestyle."
One of the trips that Pelorus has designed for Vistajet takes place in Bhutan. Carroll says: "Bhutan is a country of incredible landscapes and mountains. You travel a lot by helicopter and by car, so you can get travel sick. But in every vehicle we have bikes so you can ride downhill instead of drive. We look at every single detail. We do recces and find out in advance where the nearest medical facility is and what local doctors are in place."
He adds: "Sleep's a really important one too. I want you to come back from a holiday feeling rested and relaxed so if we're going to the outback of Rajasthan, for example, and there's no infrastructure there, and I'm building a mobile camp, I want to know which side of the bed you sleep on if you get up in the night to get to the loo. Because if you get up two or three times in the night, I want the loo to be closest to you possible. The worst thing is to come back from a holiday, and then go, 'Crikey, I'm exhausted'."
VistaJet’s collection of Private World wellness recommendations include:
- Nepal and Bhutan with Pelorus — a 21-day spiritual expedition through the heart of Buddhism, with prayer sessions, a helicopter ride to Mount Everest base camp for hiking, monastery visits and traditional rituals for body health. Truly transformational.
- Sacred Valley, Peru with The Luminaire — meet with local plant medicine Shaman, absorb the energy of ancient lands, all in the privacy of your casita tucked behind the Andean highlands. Intellectual growth, restoration of self, in mind and body.
- USA and Mexico with Abercrombie & Kent — for soul stirring adventures in the wild balanced with rejuvenating rituals and practices that reconnect you with earth and self. Experience the soulful energy of US and Mexico as never before.
- Switzerland with Clinique Nascens — exclusively designed post-flying treatments and retreats to rejuvenate the mind and body. Leading medical campus with an innovation hub.
- Ibiza with Six Senses Rosebar — a biohacking retreat dedicated to increasing longevity through promoting cellar function and healing. Treatments tailored to your body’s needs.
- Costa Rica with Auberge Hacienda AltaGracia and The Well — from local healing blue clay rituals to organic fine dining across 20,000 square feet of wellness. True privacy, luxury and comfort.
- Sweden with The Luminaire — indulge in all-natural detox and cold-water therapies guided by Wim Hoff experts to reboot cells and performance endurance.
- Maldives with Joali Being — on the world’s only wellbeing island, learn the four pillars of Joali being: mind, skin, microbiome and energy.
Vistajet's Atti concludes: “When you look at something from the sky, you can spot new options, ideas, and in this case, new remedies and practices to add value to life. It is about reimagining your way in the world — because what else is the purpose of traveling the globe if not to expand yourself?”
Globetrender speaks with Rosalind Milani Gallieni, founder of Jet Candy, about how her new travel kit will be essential for flights in the age of contagion and the secret powers of homeopathy to fight jet lag.
What is Jet Candy?
Jet Candy is a 100 per cent natural, homeopathic remedy developed to help combat jet lag. As well as allowing the internal body clock to function during long-haul travel, Jet Candy helps with dehydration, disorientation, fatigue, mental sharpness and other symptoms associated with the disruption of the circadian rhythms, thereby leaving the jet setter feeling refreshed and clear-headed on arrival.
Why is it innovative?
I started Jet Candy as a very frequent flyer. It is natural and made from five natural ingredients, designed as an antidote to the deleterious effects of jet lag, including arnica (derived from a flower similar to a sunflower), cocculus (a woody shrub), gelsemium (a climbing plant with yellow flowers) and bellis perennis (the common daisy). It is little disruptive in that it is introducing homeopathy to a bigger audience.
What products do you offer for fighting jet lag?
- Mini Jet Candy (enough for four international flights) £5.50
- Executive Jet Candy (for eight to ten international flights) £14.99
What is your connection with homeopathy?
I have always had an interest in homeopathy and the benefits that it can bring. But it was my niece’s graduation in LA some 15 years ago that served as the catalyst for creating what has become Jet Candy. I was travelling from London and wanted to do whatever I could to avoid jet lag, and I was also loathed to take harsh prescription medication.
I could find no simple, healthy, and natural solution on the market, and so I visited one of London’s most renowned homeopaths to concoct a bespoke remedy. The result was astounding and so easy to take. I was immediately captivated by its effectiveness. I arrived in LA, fresh as a rose, with none of the ill effects associated with an eight-hour difference in time zones.
Thereafter, I would offer this remedy to friends and family, who reported similarly positive benefits – and delighted to have gotten rid of the anxiety and worry of jet lag. I was working in Formula One Racing too at the time, so for all our globetrotting colleagues, from paddock to circuit, it was a resounding success.
Demand grew and grew, until three years ago, when I felt it was time to make Jet Candy official and make it more widely available to an international public. The response to date has been positive and it is heartening to think that, perhaps, jet lag will soon be a thing of the past, with one small change to your travel routine.
How have you pivoted in your product offering since the coronavirus pandemic took hold?
Previously, Jet Candy was only available as either our full-size Executive pack or as our business-only branded Mini pack. However, as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, we are now introducing additional elements with the ready-go Jet Candy pack to include the all-important anti-bacterial elements.
What does the new Jet Candy Travel & Safety Kit contain? How much does it cost?
When it launches in July, the Jet Candy Travel & Safety Kit will come in the form of a neoprene pouch containing white gloves, a Jet Candy face mask made from water-repellent poly-satin, a Jet Candy Executive and Mini remedies, a bamboo toothbrush, 50ml Jet Candy HandSan cream and gel, and a code for the in-flight travel assistant App in the Air (and app to keep track of itineraries, boarding passes and frequent flyer programmes). It will cost £49.99 plus postage.
How do you think flying will change in the age of coronavirus?
It will have to entail a lot more consideration for passengers’ well-being. We will see spacing in the seating layout, highly improved and thorough cleaning and disinfecting, improved air filtering systems and more 'impersonal' check-in modes, which the App in the Air offers, and clever in-terminal systems to keep human interaction to a minimum.
A travel plan in future will be preceded by the thought: “Why go? Do I have to go?” rather than our previous attitude of “let me book a flight and I will see you tomorrow”. The lockdown period has proven to us that we do not need to travel as much as we used to.
Exclusive reader offer: Order the Jet Candy Executive pack from flywith@jet-candy.com, using "GLOBETRENDER" in the subject line and get a free pair of hygiene gloves, a Jet Candy mask and bamboo toothbrush.
US airline United has partnered with Timeshifter, an app that advises air passengers when to seek and avoid sunshine, sleep and consume caffeine so that they can avoid jet lag. Emily Eastman reports
The partnership between United and Timeshifter provides members of the airline's MileagePlus loyalty scheme with access to a free, science-based, anti-jet jet lag plan that only demands small actions at specific times. These include what time to go to bed and when to take melatonin (a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle).
Normally access to the Timeshifter app costs US$9.99 per one-way trip or US$24.99 for an annual subscription. (One free plan is offered to everyone but MileagePlus members get an extra one.)
The Timeshifter app has been developed by leading researchers in sleep and circadian neuroscience and is tailored for travellers crossing three or more time zones. For each user, a customised plan is generated based on factors including normal sleep patterns, flight details and individual preferences.
“We want to do everything we can to help improve the experience of travelling across time zones, whether it's a business trip to Tel Aviv or a vacation to Tahiti, our customers should arrive feeling fresh and ready to hit the ground running,” says United's vice-president of loyalty and president of MileagePlus, Luc Bondar.
Bondar adds: “Timeshifter takes all the guesswork out of avoiding jet lag and instead uses science and algorithms to design a customised, step-by-step trip across time zones. I was a believer the first time I used the app and I think our customers will love it too.”
Timeshifter is built around what it calls “the jet lag science we have all missed”. It says the key to quick adaptation to a new time zone is timed light exposure and melatonin supplements, adding that astronauts and elite athletes have been using “timeshifting” techniques for years.
The aim is to ensure travellers arrive at their destination well-rested and able to optimise their productivity, enjoyment and health.
The Timeshifter website features a “jet lag cost calculator”. Companies can enter data such as the number of employees who travel, number of annual trips take, time zones crossed and average days per trip and calculate the total cost of jet lag to their business.
United flies some of the longest routes in the world, including nonstop services between Houston and Sydney (17 hours 35 minutes), and between San Francisco and Singapore (17 hours 25 minutes).
In December, the airline became the first to fly direct from North America to Cape Town with a new service from New York Newark (14 hours 30 minutes). In total, United flies 320 routes to 120 international destinations from the US.
MileagePlus members will receive a free jet lag plan for a flight of their choosing in addition to the complimentary trial, which gives customers two free flight plans.
Meanwhile, elite passengers with Premier 1K status can sign up for free annual subscriptions for unlimited Timeshifter access whenever they travel.
The partnership marks the latest in United’s efforts to improve travel for its MileagePlus members. It follows the airline’s announcement that MileagePlus miles no longer expire and a partnership with expedited airport security programme CLEAR that provides free or heavily discounted memberships for faster-track security.
Can an IV vitamin drip really cure jet lag? California's new C Magazine chief brand and content officer, Andrew Barker, gets under the skin of this new treatment to assess it effectiveness after a long-haul flight from Los Angeles to London.
Life can be sweet. At the beginning of the year I was offered a job that meant I would be travelling eight times a year to LA. Year-round sunshine, beautiful people and plenty of meetings over mezcal. Of course I said yes. But life can also be cruel.
The crippling jet lag was making me a night owl slash zombie for days on end. I tried different strategies to cheat my body clock. I even stayed out until 3am on the first night back once but that threw my circadian rhythm off kilter for ten days. Businesses class problems? Yes, but this businessman needed a solution.
An intravenous drip from The IV Doc UK, however extreme it might sound, looked like it could be the one. I say solution because the IV bag that the delightful nurse Lisa turned up at my flat with in her wheely case was largely made up of saline – in this case a mixture of sodium chloride, sodium lactate, potassium chloride and calcium chloride dissolved in water to replace fluids and electrolytes.
Dr Joshua Berkowitz, medical director of The IV Doc explains why this is so vital. “It takes a mere 1 per cent of dehydration for feelings of sluggishness to set in. But it’s not as easy as drinking lots of water – that is only 50-60 per cent absorbed by the body before being excreted. To rehydrate fully and fast, fluids need to be taken intravenously,” he says.
Lisa assembled her 8ft stand, hung the bag, connected the tubes, tied a tourniquet on my upper arm and located a nice, fat vein, hooking me up quickly and painlessly leaving my right hand free to catch up with the LA office as the emails started to ping in. The whole thing took just over an hour.
What else was in the bag? Multi-vitamins including B-Complex to “correct any chemical imbalance”; vitamin C to “support our energy-yielding metabolism and protects our cells from oxidative stress and reduces tiredness and fatigue”; a large dose of vitamin B12 to help counteract the inevitable fatigue felt after any long-haul flight, but in particular one with an eight-hour jump forward.
Finally, it contained a Glutathione "push" as Dr Berkowitz calls it, to give some additional anti-oxidants to boost energy, and Toradol, an anti-inflammatory “to offset any discomfort and inflammation that occurred while flying”.
So what’s the ROI on the £419 IV treatment that you can find variations of for less money?
Firstly, the convenience of having a nurse show up at my door 30 minutes after arriving home after a mid-afternoon landing probably saved me a couple of hours of valuable nap time.
Waking up and getting out of the house at 7pm for a dinner in Shoreditch was a struggle but the vitamins need up to 12 hours to really kick in. Having said that, I was perky over dinner, enjoyed a few beers and was sound asleep by midnight.
Best of all was how fresh I felt on Sunday morning when I surfaced at 8am. So I checked my local Barry’s Bootcamp and found a slot in a morning class. Getting through that was the proof I needed that I was over the jet lag in 24 hours, something I had never imagined possible.
When I had a catch-up call with Dr Berkowitz he wasn’t surprised: “Our bodies are constantly striving to find their peak physical and hormonal balance and IV Doc customised vitamin cocktails provide a streamlined and effective path to achieving that.”
Now if only they could offer it as an in-flight service with your croissants and orange juice.
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[dropcap size=big]A[/dropcap] new anti jet-lag treatment in the form of a vitamin drip is now available for people living and working in London. Delivered by America's IV Doc, a leading provider of IV fluid treatments and vitamin infusions, weary travellers can be wired up to bags of rejuvenating liquid that are administered intravenously in the comfort of their own home, office or hotel room.
The "Jet Lag Relief IV Hydration Therapy" package costs £449 and claims to be the "ultimate jet lag cure". Apparently, dehydration is one of the causes of jet lag symptoms but drinking water only has a 50-60 per cent absorption rate.
An IV vitamin drip will deliver "one litre of fluid, anti-inflammatories, vitamin B12 and a multi-vitamin cocktail to rehydrate and re-energise". The IV Doc says: "IV hydration is 100 per cent absorbed, making it the fastest way to replenish needed fluids and electrolytes."
Treatment lasts 45-60 minutes and a doctor will always consult with you prior to your drip being prepared for you to ensure the optimum vitamin and hydration infusion "to deliver the very best results". How effective IV therapy really is is debatable.
According to the NHS: "Jet lag is when your normal sleep pattern is disturbed after a long flight. Medicines aren't usually needed. Symptoms often improve after a few days as your body clock adjusts to the new time zone."
A few years ago, Globetrender editor Jenny Southan tried an IV hangover treatment in Las Vegas. In a piece she wrote for Business Traveller she said: "If you’ve overdone it the night before, Las Vegas is probably the only place on Earth where you can take advantage of a medical practice dedicated to the treatment of hangovers. Certified anesthesiologist Jason Burke claims to have cured more than 10,000 people with his rehydration remedy, which involves having up to two litres of vitamin-enriched fluid (known as a Myers Cocktail) fed intravenously into your veins.
"Depending on how bad you feel, you can choose from three IV packages – Redemption (US$159), Salvation (US$199) and Rapture (US$259). The last of these also includes anti-nausea medication, painkillers, 30 minutes of oxygen and an injection of B complex vitamins. Hangover Heaven has a bricks-and-mortar surgery at 3,281 South Highland Drive, and even a mobile clinic in the form of a bus that drives up and down the Strip, but the best thing about it is the option of receiving a visit from a nurse in your hotel room (US$300 per session).
"It is worth noting that having liquid fed into your arm through a drip can be time consuming (up to two hours) and even a little traumatic, especially if you don’t get on well with needles. That said, it could be a saviour if you have a long journey ahead."
Did it work? Jenny says: "A good breakfast, some pain killers and lots of liquids would probably have had the same results in less time. Add a good night's sleep to the mix and you have a similar recipe for beating jet lag." At the same time, Globetrender is curious to try a vitamin drip.
Demonstrating that this trend is gaining momentum, since launching in 2013, the IV Doc operates in 18 regions across the US, as well as London and Ibiza. It was founded by Adam Nadelson MD and also offers a range of other treatments, although we can't attest to their effectiveness…
- Revive IV Hydration Therapy £339
The ultimate hangover cure – also known as the "Deathbed Relief" – includes all three IV medications to tackle nausea, heartburn, aches and pains. - Cleanse IV Hydration Therapy £269
This quickly rehydrates your body on a cellular level and replenishes essential minerals and electrolytes using a balanced salt solution. Improves blood supply to vital organs while purifying your body from daily chemicals you are exposed to leaving you feeling rejuvenated with a healthy glow. - Food Poisoning Relief IV Hydration Therapy £349
Recover rapidly from food poisoning – stops nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and fever, helping you to recuperate quickly. - Migraine Relief IV Hydration Therapy £419
Gain relief from a migraine attack, relieve and stop symptoms through this custom infusion of IV fluids, electrolytes and medication. - Flu Relief IV Hydration Therapy £449
A tailored IV fluid treatment with medications and vitamins to get you on the mend and bouncing back quickly. - Beautify IV Hydration Therapy £449
Getting ready for a special night out or a red-carpet event? This A-list celebrity treatment includes Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5 and B6, a multi-vitamin cocktail and electrolytes to give you a healthy, radiant look. - Antioxidant IV Hydration Therapy £449
The most powerful combination when nothing else will do – a mega dose of Vitamin C, Glutathione (to neutralise free radicals) and The IV Doc Multi-Vitamin Cocktail to have you feeling fine in no time. - Detox IV Hydration Therapy £289
Comprises 1 litre of fluid plus one medication – either anti-nausea, anti-heartburn or anti-inflammatory/painkiller – that the GP will choose during your consultation. - Refresh IV Hydration Therapy £309
The next step up – includes two additional medications to quickly rid you of nausea, upset stomach or aches/pains. - Super Vitamin B12 (IM Injection) £150
A quick energising boost of gives Super Vitamin B12 to boost cell growth and development, promote good red blood cell function and help reverse fatigue.
Other companies that offer IV drips for jet lag include IV For Life, Boost Hydration and The Cure LA, which is targeting festival-goers and holidaymakers.
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In the future, travellers traversing the world on ultra-long-haul flights might be able to take a pill to cure jet lag. Ben Brown reports
It’s 4am and I’m wide awake. Jet lag. It’s an unavoidable evil for the frequent traveller; a constant battle with shape-shifting time-zones. In New York, I do what I always do when I fly west, and explore the city in the early hours.
Headphones in, coffee in hand, it’s the perfect way to see a new place for the first time. New York is almost quiet. 28 Days Later quiet. But I know that, come the evening, my eyes will be fighting to keep themselves open.
If you fly east, it’s a different ball game. In fact, science proves that flying east results in worse jet lag than flying west. Fly far enough, and you can lose what feels like days all in one chunk.
But there is finally a cure for jet lag on the horizon. A new study by the Salk Institute has discovered a new protein called REV-ERBa. By tweaking this protein, we may be able to "reset" our bodies after a long-haul flight.
It sounds as simple as winding your body clock back, just as you would wind your watch when you land. But is it really that straightforward?
Why do we get jet lag?
Jet lag is the disruption of our circadian rhythm, our body clock.
The circadian rhythm is a 24.5 hour cycle that tells our body when to eat and when to sleep. If you fly from London to New York, you might land at JFK, but your body clock is stuck in Heathrow, five hours behind.
Your body naturally wants to sleep and eat according to its usual cycle. Which is why I’m wide awake at 4am and craving all the croissants in Manhattan.
It takes up to six days to reset the rhythm naturally (or up to eight days when you fly west). Although you can force your body to catch up by strictly sleeping and eating according to local time. In other words, don’t give in to the urge to fall asleep at 5pm.
But what if you could just flick a switch when you land, and wind your circadian rhythm to local time? According to scientists, this may be possible as we learn more about the elusive protein, REV-ERBa.
REV-ERBa is the protein that controls and regulates the circadian rhythm. If we can learn to tweak how much our body releases, we can manually regulate our body clock. And that means eliminating jet lag.
“Pharmacologically, we can manipulate this system,” confirms Michael Downes, one of the co-authors of the scientific report.
Jet lag is worsened by ultra-long-haul flights
There are already a handful of ultra-long-haul flights that clock in at longer than 17 hours. United's flight from San Francisco to Singapore, for example. Or Dubai to Auckland with Emirates (launched last year), which takes 17 hours, 15 minutes.
Theoretically, you could leave Dubai on Monday and not land in Auckland until Wednesday. Now that’s going to wreak havoc on your body clock. The demand for a jet lag cure is only going to strengthen as flights get longer and longer.
Existing jet lag remedies
In the near future, it’s possible we’ll see a pill that controls and manipulates the REV-ERBa protein and resets the body clock. Until then, we’ll have to rely on the existing remedies.
Jet lag pills do exist in some form. Most contain melatonin – a substance your body generally only releases in the evening. A melatonin supplement, taken after sun-down, can help trick your body into adjusting to the new time zone.
The problem is, melatonin does nothing to actively shift your body clock. It just helps you doze off. Others swear by sleeping pills, while others use jet lag apps. And if you really can’t switch off, I’ve found that a strong whiskey often knocks me out. Although it’s not exactly "doctor-recommended".
A more pro-active solution is to begin adjusting to your new time zone before you fly. Start modifying your eating and sleeping times one or two days before your trip, and you might give yourself a head start.
However, scientists tend to agree that the simplest trick is the most effective: eat, sleep and move according to your new time zone.
Force your body into the new cycle as quickly as possible. Eat fresh foods, especially for breakfast, and get out into the fresh air. Our body clocks react to light, so try to avoid hiding in the hotel room.
A future in which we wind our body clocks as easily as our watch is coming. But for now, we’ll have to power through through the pain.
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