Before traveling to Mexico, what vitamins/supplements should you take to boost your immunity?

4 Comments

1. Exe says:

   May 20, 2010 at 1:26 am

   im mexican, i lived in mexico my whole life, and as this i tell you dont come to mexico please, at least to any border state, there are cities that are warzones for the drug war, some in tamaulipas have blockades by the cartels, you may try tourist beach in the south but thats it, oh and answering your question, just eat at restaurants or fast food franchises, other than that may get you sick cuz you have been taken away your immune system by the pharmacology industry in the states, cuz they wanna sell you their medicines. but i will not recommend coming to mexico at all, at least in the following months.
2. marci knows best says:

   May 20, 2010 at 1:26 am

   I suppose Acidophiles wouldn’t hurt. Mostly you need to use common sense when you eat. You know .to drink bottled water and brush your teeth with it.

   First, most restaurants wash the fruits and veggies. If you go into the restaurants where middle class Mexicans eat, the food is going to be safe because they don’t want their customers to get sick. I am frankly more careful about what I eat at tourist places because they are less likely to see you as a return customer. At questionable places avoid fresh fruits and veggies. Cooking kills the bacteria. I live in Mexico, and traveled here a lot before that.I haven’t had a problem in years, and I eat at places you probably wouldn’t dream of eating.

   If you are likely to buy fresh produce at a market, bring along a plastic zip-lock bag and get some iodine drops. Follow the directions on the bottle. So many drops per so many liters of water. It is usually 10 – 15 minutes of soaking to clean the food.

   Have a great time!
3. Kenito says:

   May 20, 2010 at 1:26 am

   Kathleen,

   Some people get "traveler’s diarrhea" just because they drink different water, eat different foods, and travel. So don’t assume it is because you went to Mexico.

   I live in Mexico, and used to travel back and forth every few weeks. Sometimes I experienced some discomfort… other times none. I don’t believe there is anything you can do to prevent catching a bug other than being as healthy as possible and sensitive to your body’s rhythms. Protect yourself with whatever you want… and acidophilus, etc. won’t hurt. I eat as much yogurt as possible….

   Just watch what you eat… eat everything in moderation. FYI, a lot of the spicy foods in Latin America help the locals avoid what you want to avoid… but everyone is different. So, it is not easy to give generalized advice.

   BTW… I brush my teeth with the local water… cook with the local water… and in many ways ignore most of the most common advice everyone gives in this regard. The only time I actually caught a bacteria was eating smoked salmon at a nice restaurant in Mexico City, not the taco stands in Baja! So you never know… I choose not to live my life fretting over such things. I am careful, but I am willing to experiment, but with common sense. I encourage you to do the same. Eat things you are most comfortable eating, and follow the lead of the locals.

   Regarding the other comments… I have not been impacted by the drug cartel violence, and I live 20 miles from the US border in Tijuana. I don’t know where you are going… but in my area there has not been a single case of drug cartel violence involving an innocent tourist or foreign resident. In every case, there was some involvement with drugs, drug users, or drug dealers. That does not mean that all crime has been eliminated… but the facts rarely resemble the headlines in the states.

   Enjoy your trip!

   ~K
4. Melissa says:

   May 20, 2010 at 1:26 am

   i never take any vitamins and i go each yr. u might get diarrhea the first couple of days, but then it;s like nothing.