Scientists suggest that passengers on long-haul flights eat certain types of food, like chocolate, that will allow them to have better sleep while flying. — Pixabay
How do you cope with jet lag when flying to far-flung destinations? The Australian airline Qantas has looked into this question with the help of scientists. And the answer may lie in the food served on board the aircraft.
You’ve tried everything: Melatonin pills, getting as much sleep as possible during the flight, adapting to the destination’s time before departure, avoiding sleeping pills or wearing compression stockings. But there’s nothing you can do, and every time you take a long-haul flight, you just can’t seem to get the fatigue caused by jet lag under control.
Against all odds, the solution could lie in the in-flight food. Indeed, it’s important to eat a balanced diet during a flight, if you want to arrive at your best. While many travellers confide that they sometimes have too many glasses of wine to help them doze off, doctors are adamant that drinking alcohol is strongly discouraged during air travel.
This is because it dehydrates the body and disrupts sleep.
But to better cope with the transition from one time zone to another, two surprising foods may be of assistance – chili and chocolate. These are the findings of a large-scale experiment conducted by Qantas, in conjunction with the Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney in Australia.
The carrier is gearing up to start operating ultra long-haul direct flights from Sydney to New York in the United States and London, England by 2025. Just prior to Covid-19, Qantas carried out so-called research flights as part of its Project Sunrise initiative to determine ways of improving the well-being of passengers on such a long flight.
As such, 23 human “guinea pigs” were closely monitored by scientists during these experimental flights. They were fitted with devices that recorded their movements, light exposure and sleep patterns.
The researchers concluded that the culinary dimension should not be overlooked. The question of menus is usually approached from a purely gustatory point of view, since taste and smell are altered in the air. Salty and sweet flavours, for example, are less intense, while bitter and acid flavours are much more resistant to atmospheric pressure.
However, menu choices could now also be carefully considered to help passengers fall asleep. During these experiments, Australian scientists encouraged wakefulness and sleep by using specific dishes, including “fish and chicken paired with fast-acting carbohydrates, as well as comfort foods like soups and milk-based desserts”, says Qantas.
The reason is simple: it’s all about encouraging the production of an amino acid called tryptophan, which makes it easier to fall asleep.
However, food isn’t the sole solution. Meals have also been served at times designed to align with passengers’ biological clocks.
Since the launch in 2021 of the world’s longest non-stop flight between Singapore and New York, operated by Singapore Airlines, the question of well-being on board is becoming increasingly central. The city-state’s carrier is not the only one to enter this niche. Air New Zealand connects Auckland to the Big Apple in just over 16 hours, while Cathay Pacific plans to fly direct from Hong Kong to New York. – AFP Relaxnews
