BENEFITS OF FASTING WHILE FLYING
Written by: Grace Umeadi
Published on: March 9, 2025
Boarding the next flight with a nice and full stomach from the big meal you just had sounds really cozy? Maybe. But it turns out that a satisfied stomach is not the best thing once you are up in the air, especially for long hours. Alberta, a 37-year-old mother of two might not have fully understood this when she told her TikTok live steamers of her flight woes. “I don't know, I always feel a little bloated whenever I fly…even on business class, my son told me I gotta stop eating so much before boarding.” It'd surely be easier to convince Alberta to fly lighter next time, maybe even fast. For some solid reasons, fasting while flying is more beneficial than many people understand.
It's All in the Digestion
Fact is, once you understand the dynamics between flying and digestion, the topic isn't so mysterious after all. The average commercial flight cruises at 30,000 to 40,000 feet above the ground. At this altitude, air pressure decreases significantly. This causes your stomach gas to expand at an above normal rate, leaving you a little bloated.
“But we can't control what happens inside our stomachs can we?” Turns out we just can in this case. The less food the stomach is digesting, the less gas it produces in the first place. A fact dear Alberta may not have known. Anyway, fasting or boarding with a lighter stomach helps avert bloating. Think of it as relieving the gut of its duties for a few hours for the greater good.
Averting Digestive Disturbances
At 9 to 12,000 meters flying height, the body's rate of digestion is just not the same. Decreased air pressure also slows down digestion, a cause which leads to several effects. Constipation and gas are the most common events here. Especially with foods that take longer to digest, going all fast mode is the best route.
Convenience
Let's face it, we all want to avoid that jet lag and “I've been travelling all day feeling after landing”. Fasting is still your best bet in this case. It not only cuts down on your stress level, it also ensures you do not pay too many restroom visits.
Of course fasting doesn't need to be dry. Drinking a lot of water would not only help you go without food but it'll also save you some serious dehydration. According to Dr James P. Bagain, who has studied the effects of air travel on human health, “aeroplane cabins are notoriously dry with levels ranging from 10% and 20%.” One could easily lose 2 litres during a three hour flight.
Summary?
Is no food at all the standard? Not necessarily. Another angle is metabolism. Some foods take longer to digest than others. Avoiding foods that are more difficult to digest is also key. You just do not want to board a flight with lots of pasta and red meat making the digestion frenzy in your guts. You'd be surprised how much more energetic you can be with intermittent fasting or even lighter food.
