Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Marrakech, Rio de Janeiro, Puerto Rico ...

Wonderful travel destinations and fascinating places on earth, aren't they? Will you be traveling again this summer or have you already planned your next vacation? Now, when the travel season starts again, the problem of many vacationers begins: Traveler's diarrhea. You're looking forward to your long-awaited vacation and then.... you sit in your hotel room for days on end because you don't dare go any further from the toilet. Unfortunately, relaxation is out of the question - recovery can take several weeks.

Diarrhea on vacation is also known as traveler' s diarrhea, Montezuma's revenge or traveler's diarrhea. Traveler's diarrhea affects tourists who are suddenly plagued by frequent bowel movements with very liquid stools. Diarrhea on vacation is usually the result of a viral, bacterial or parasitic infection.

Especially in African countries, Asia and Central and South America, the risk of being overtaken by Montezuma's revenge is increased by up to 20-50%. While healthy adults can cope well with temporary diarrhea, it can quickly become dangerous for infants, small children and the elderly. To prevent traveler's diarrhea from spoiling your vacation, let's take a look at what you can do to prevent it.

Symptoms of traveler's diarrhea

Traveler's diarrhea can be quickly and clearly identified by the following two symptoms:

1. You have to go to the toilet frequently
2. Your stool is mushy to liquid

"Frequently" means more than three times a day. Accompanying symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, exhaustion and loss of appetite. Traveler's diarrhea is particularly unpleasant when you are on the move, for example on a bus, and there is no toilet available.

Causes of traveler's diarrhea

Causes of travel-related gastrointestinal upset are well known: Change of climate, unfamiliar diet, lack of hygiene and germs.

Depending on where you are traveling to, you may need to pay more attention to your food than usual. Which is not always easy on vacation with all the tempting street food. The causes mentioned do not take one fact into account: an intact intestine and a strong immune system can actually cope with such unusual stresses and protect you even in unfamiliar surroundings.

Preventing traveler's diarrhea - before and during your trip

Too little attention is generally paid to the intestines, you don't "see" them, so many people don't focus on them. However, it is worth taking a closer look at the vital functions of the gut. There are countless bacteria and viruses that are responsible for imbalances.

What many people don't know is that most of these "harmful" bacteria are basically already "part of us", and they only become a problem when they get out of hand.

A weak immune system - or impaired intestinal flora - is particularly sensitive to pathogenic bacteria and viruses. So how can proactive prevention be achieved? Basically it is important to know that it is enough to have an intact intestinal mucosa and a large number of healthy gut bacteria.

What does that mean in concrete terms? Well, just as you prepare your skin for your vacation and take care to avoid sunburn on vacation, you should also prepare your intestinal flora for your vacation.

Gut cleanse with probiotics before and during your vacation

Ideally, you should start a gut build-up or gut cleanse with high-quality probiotics (healthy gut flora bacteria) two weeks before the start of your trip and then take them daily, including during your vacation and for a few days afterwards.

There are special probiotics with bacterial strains that are suitable for this purpose. This is because every bacterium has a specific job in the gut, and not every bacterium is suitable for dealing with typical traveler's diarrhea.

With this preparation, you are well equipped for the vacations and beyond and ensure a functioning digestive system. Several times my customers have proudly told me after their vacation that they were the only ones in their travel group who didn't get traveler's diarrhea. So you did everything right, right?

Hygiene measures on site

In addition to taking probiotics, you should also observe the following general hygiene measures to prevent traveler's diarrhea:

• Wash your hands as often as possible, especially before eating and before/after going to the toilet
• Only drink bottled water and other drinks or boiled water
• Avoid ice cubes
• Only use bottled water for brushing your teeth
• Eat thoroughly cooked and freshly prepared food. It is not advisable to consume unboiled milk or products made from it, sweets kept at room temperature, raw fish or shellfish
• Special care should also be taken with ice cream containing raw eggs or desserts such as tiramisù, which is also made with raw eggs.
• Fruit should always be rinsed well under running water and peeled
• Watch out for tricks such as sprayed watermelon: There are countries where additional water is added to watermelons from the outside by injection. Background: Watermelons are sold by weight. If possible, shop where the local population also procures food
• Avoid raw vegetables or salads

Your immune system is under stress - how you can actively support it

The most important thing is to prepare your body for the fact that it has to adapt quickly to changes in hygiene standards, a time change, a different climate and unfamiliar food and drink. All stress for your immune system.

So this is precisely what needs to be strengthened. Ideally, this should be started a few days to weeks before the planned trip. Because the stronger your body is, the less the foreign germs will be able to affect you. We have developed a great preparation for this purpose: Arktibiotic Akut


Arktibiotic Akutcan be used for both prevention and treatment. It contains the unique probiotic special yeast "Saccharomyces boulardii" in combination with 3 scientifically probiotic bacterial cultures, which "prepare" your intestines so that foreign germs have no chance to settle. You can start taking 1 capsule a day 2 weeks before your planned trip and then continue until the end of your vacation. It should also be in your first-aid kit. Because if you do catch it, it will serve you well here too. You can then take it up to three times a day.



Our Arktibiotic Premium is also a good partner before and while traveling. The lactic acid bacteria contained in the Premium provide your microbiome with valuable good bacteria to achieve a good balance in your gut. If bacteria get into your intestines while traveling and can cause a mess, your intestinal flora is well prepared to clean up quickly.

The third in the bunch are Arktis Grow acacia fibres. Fiber can have a regulating effect on both diarrhea and constipation. In any case, fiber is important for healthy digestion. Another advantage of acacia fibers is that they do not have a flatulent effect.

We also recommend taking colostrum to strengthen your immune system: Colostrum Strong Liquid or Colostrum Strong Capsules, depending on whether you prefer capsules or liquid. This miracle product of nature is actually THE natural antibiotic and also an anti-viral, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic agent. Thanks to its many different components, colostrum is a real immune booster.

Binding toxins

Another way to make it as difficult as possible for germs is to take healing clay, zeolite or bentonite before every meal. These agents bind toxic substances from the food and ensure that they are excreted immediately and cannot settle.

Treatment of traveller's diarrhoea

If all these measures have not worked and Montezuma's revenge has struck after all, you should pay particular attention to your fluid intake.

The WHO has recommended a recipe to stabilizeyour electrolyte balance:for 1 liter of boiled water, add 4 teaspoons of sugar, ¾ teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of soda and 1 cup of (real) orange juice. You may want to take additional potassium.

If you have an appetite, crush an apple, mash a banana, eat rice gruel or oatmeal or (if possible) cook yourself a Moroccan carrot soup. But please avoid milk and dairy products, spicy dishes (for example with chili), fast food and other fatty, hard-to-digest foods during this time. All of this will only put additional strain on your intestines.

Another thing you should not do (for now) is to take a typical diarrhea medication with the active ingredient "loperamide". These only "paralyze" your intestines. Although this will stop the diarrhea, it will make it even easier for the germs to take hold and any toxins that have formed will no longer be eliminated. You would then actually have to take an antibiotic, which is harmful to the good intestinal bacteria that our intestines absolutely need. Much more effectiveare, for example, charcoal tablets, psyllium husks, myrrh or chamomile.

However, if the diarrhea lasts longer than 3-4 days or is bloody, you should consult a doctor.

Things to consider depending on the destination

Which countries harbor which dangers:

• From Egypt, over 90% of travelers return from their vacations with diarrhea.
• Turkey is known for salmonella. It is difficult to protect yourself from this, so you should always wash your hands and pay attention to hygiene, as well as following the above advice.
• In Central and South America, avoid tap water at all costs, even when brushing your teeth.
• Also in the East: no ice cubes and make sure that you can hear a *hissing* sound from water bottles, even with still water. The bottles are often filled with normal tap water. Pay attention to the seal.
• Caribbean: do not eat raw meat or raw fish
• Italy: when swimming in pools and lakes, make sure that your mouth remains completely closed, as harmful bacteria could be present in the water (also in northern Italy)
• Mediterranean countries and Eastern Europe: do not drink tap water.

So now I hope I have prepared you well for your next trip, at least in terms of diarrhea, and wish you a wonderful, relaxing vacation. 🙂

What is your experience with traveler's diarrhea? Do you have any special tips and advice? Then please leave a comment.