10 supplements you actually need on holiday to debloat, reset and ease hangovers

Unless you’ve got a gigantic pill box, it’s not always practical to take your whole supplement regimen on holiday. Just like you have a capsule wardrobe for your summer holiday outfits, you also need a curated wardrobe of… capsules for your holiday. From microbiome support to supercharged hydration, these are the pills to pack to make sure you stay well on your travels. 

For holiday hydration: electrolytes 

Travel, heat and changes in routine can increase our risk of feeling under-hydrated, cautions the expert nutritionist Jessica Sepel, who has written three best-selling books on nutrition. “In warmer climates, we lose more fluids and essential minerals through sweat, and even air travel itself can leave us feeling depleted due to the dry cabin environment.”

Our hydration plummets further if we’re drinking more alcohol than usual or we fall foul of sickness bugs while abroad. Top up your hydration levels with electrolyte supplements, which play a critical role in helping the body absorb and retain water at a cellular level.

“Supporting electrolyte balance can help maintain energy levels, reduce fatigue and support overall wellbeing while you’re away,” Jessica says. Try JSHealth Vitamins’ Hydrate+ Powder Formula, £22.99 for 15 sachets. The pink grapefruit-flavoured powder blends sodium, potassium and magnesium with prebiotics and probiotics for a solid all-rounder. We also rate Wellthy by Boots’ Daily Hydration+ Electrolyte Powder, £7 for 12 sachets, thanks to the delicious blueberry flavour.

For holiday gut health: Botanicals and probiotics

“Holiday mode is amazing for the soul, but your gut? Not so much,” says former health and beauty editor Joely Walker Sanderson, the co-founder of the supplement brand We Are Regular. “Your gut is a creature of habit – it loves a routine, meaning constipation and bloating on holiday are incredibly common.

“The moment we swap our routine for sun loungers, our digestion notices. Changes in hydration, fibre intake and daily rhythm can influence gut motility, so your digestive system can take a little time to adjust.”

To ease bowel bother, pack We Are Regular’s Bowel + Bloat Relief, £15 for a 7-day supply, in your suitcase. Formulated to support digestion, it combines magnesium citrate – known for its role in healthy bowel function – alongside a blend of botanicals such as ginger and peppermint, traditionally used for digestive comfort. Take one sachet per day while you’re away to ease discomfort.

If you’re a prepared kind of person, taking a probiotic in the weeks leading up to travel can support gut balance before you even board the plane.

Why? Because travelling abroad exposes us to completely new bacteria through food, water and the new environment, which can disrupt the balance of our gut microbiome.

“Changes to routine such as different mealtimes, richer foods, alcohol, and even disrupted sleep typically make us more vulnerable to issues including diarrhoea, bloating and general digestive discomfort,” says the nutritionist Katie Murray, who has seven years’ experience in the nutrition industry.

“Many people wait until symptoms start, but by then your gut is already under stress,” she says. “Ideally, you want to start supporting your gut at least a few weeks before travelling to give beneficial bacteria time to establish and help build resilience ahead of those changes in food, water and routine.”

She recommends Altruvita’s ProfBiotics Complex+, £29.95 for one month’s supply, which combines a range of beneficial bacteria to support balance and diversity within the gut microbiome.

For curing holiday hangovers: Choline

Your liver works overtime when you’re on holiday, processing everything from alcohol to rich food to environmental stress. Given that few of us are immune to a cocktail or two on the beach, we’re happy to report that there’s a supplement to help your liver do its job. 

De-liver-ance, £24.30 for three doses, combines herbs, roots and extracts to increase mental alertness and clarity, and alleviate the impact of alcohol by reducing the negative effects of toxins in the body. The best news? It gets to work straight away.

With ingredients including the essential nutrient choline, which contributes to normal liver function and supports the normal metabolism of lipids, combined with turmeric, ginseng and astragalus, which support the body’s natural processes. Hangover who?

For international immunity: Vitamin C and functional mushrooms 

How many times have you disembarked a flight and found yourself fighting the flu a few days later? Germs circulating on planes, combined with disrupted sleep, are a recipe for illness, says the nutritionist Jo Woodhurst.

“Even mild sleep deprivation suppresses immune function, and airports are high-exposure environments,” she says. 

Jo recommends Ancient + Brave’s Brave Immunity, £27.20 for 33 servings, to bolster your immune system. “It brings together functional mushrooms, herbs and vitamin C to support your body’s defences during this vulnerable window. It’s worth starting a few days before you fly as well as on the flight itself.”

For jettisoning jet lag: Melatonin, magnesium and more 

It’s a real pain when jet lag stops you from enjoying the first few days of your holiday, but there are a few supplements that can help, says the nutritionist Charlotte Faure Green, who studied at the renowned College of Naturopathic Medicine in Brighton and London and now treats clients around the world. 

“Jet lag is a timing mismatch between your internal clock and the external environment, and the main driver of that clock is light,” she explains. “It’s hard to out-supplement strong light cues determining when you should or shouldn’t be asleep, but there are a few I turn to when travelling.”

She cites melatonin as the most well-researched option. “It’s a hormone your body produces naturally as darkness falls, signalling that it’s time to sleep. Taking a low dose – 1/2mg to 3mg – at the destination bedtime for the first few nights can help nudge your body clock in the right direction.

“It works best when flying east, when you have to fall asleep earlier than your body expects. It doesn’t knock you out; it’s more of a gentle cue. Unlike in many other countries where you can pick it up in a supermarket, in the UK it’s only available on prescription, so it’s worth a conversation with your GP.”

She notes that it isn’t suitable for everyone and can interact with some medications, but, if suitable, a one-off dose can be helpful. It doesn’t need to build up in your system over weeks.

Another way to support your circadian rhythm is with Dr David Jack’s new AM+PM supplement system, which was specifically developed to work in line with the body’s circadian rhythm. The AM formula blends antioxidants, vitamins and cellular nutrients to support energy production, while PM focuses on relaxation and recovery, combining ashwagandha, L-tryptophan and magnesium. 

It’s not just jet lag that interferes with our sleep, though. “The ‘first night’ effect sees your brain stay on alert in an unfamiliar environment, because it’s scanning for safety. Magnesium glycinate can be useful when taken an hour before bed, as it supports GABA activity in the brain – one of the nervous system’s main calming pathways.” Try Bare Biology’s magnesium bisglycinate, £34.99 for 180 capsules.

“L-theanine is also worth knowing about,” Charlotte says. “It’s an amino acid found in green tea that brings a calm, relaxed state without sedation. It’s really useful if you tend to feel wired but tired after a long day of travel.”

Supplements can help with your holiday sleep, but they work best as part of a wider strategy, she says. “Morning light in your eyes to set the circadian rhythm, keeping alcohol low on the flight, staying hydrated and – my favourite tip – eating in line with the new time zone makes just as much difference as anything you can take.”