Many travelers have a love-hate relationship with airplane food.
But one fitness and nutrition expert says he would never eat while traveling by plane, not even when traveling in first class with restaurant-worthy dishes.
In a recent podcast, Michael Sheedy, 31, warned that the pressure and elevation of the cabin make it difficult for food to move through the body.
This change in air pressure, along with the motion of the plane, means that digested food cannot move efficiently into the small intestine. This can cause stomach pain, bloating, gas, and make it harder to do number two.
For this reason, passengers with IBS may experience worsening of their symptoms.
Backing up her claims, New York-based gastroenterologist Dr Elena Ivanina told DailyMail.com that “the jet belly is indeed a real phenomenon” and that it is best not to eat while in the air.
Michael Sheedy, 31, a business and fitness trainer based in Las Vegas, never touches food on airplanes because it could cause gastrointestinal inflammation.
She explains: “Not only does travel and associated schedule changes, sleep disruption, and changes in eating schedules and food choices alter digestion, but the act of flying itself also changes digestion due to the pressure of the cabin.
‘Gas in the intestine can expand when air pressure decreases at higher altitudes and can cause bloating, bloating and the urge to pass gas.
“In fact, studies have shown that astronauts going into space had an abnormal decrease in stomach motility after eating during the first few days of space flight.”
Being inactive for long periods of time in a confined space can also contribute to gas, as well as making it difficult for digested food to pass into the small intestine.
Therefore, Dr. Ivanina says that, if possible, it is best to eat before and after flying.
This especially applies to passengers with pre-existing digestive problems, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, as eating in the air can increase their discomfort.
This is because slower digestion and constipation are more likely to occur in a pressurized environment.
Dr. Elena Ivanina, a New York-based gastroenterologist, says that, if possible, it’s best to eat before and after flying.
And as for drinks, Dr. Ivanina advises staying away from alcohol and carbonated drinks and sticking to “soft waters and still teas.”
Fitness influencer Mr Sheedy does exactly this. He revealed his flight rituals in the rich road podcast.
‘So when you eat on a plane, the food is not digested as well and could cause gastrointestinal inflammation.
‘So what I do every time I fly, even if it’s an earlier flight, I wake up and I don’t eat.
‘I will only drink coffee, water and electrolytes on the plane.
‘(Even in) first class I say no to food. Usually (the food) is not good in any way.”
Even at the airport, Sheedy says it’s “hard” to find healthy food, so he chooses to fast for the entire trip until he reaches his final destination and can finally eat.
And he concludes: ‘You know, that not only makes my body composition look good, but it also makes me feel better.
“And when I land, I can eat whatever I want.”
To avoid gas and bloating Turkish airlines It also advises passengers to go to the bathroom before boarding a flight and, on long-haul flights, to walk around the cabin every two hours.
And if you decide to eat during a flight, the airline recommends doing so “slowly,” as “air enters your digestive system each time you swallow…swallowing too much air can cause bloating.”