If you’re planning to travel this summer, you may be wondering whether complementary health approaches could help you avoid or deal with health issues that might occur during your trip. 

For one common problem—jet lag—the dietary supplement melatonin may help. In research studies, people who took melatonin before air travel across time zones reported having less jet lag than those who took a placebo. 

For other travel-related issues, it’s unclear whether complementary approaches are useful. Researchers have looked at probiotics for traveler’s diarrhea, acupressure for motion sickness, and ginkgo and vitamin E for altitude illness, but there isn’t good evidence that any of these approaches are effective.