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You may want to rethink that pre-flight cup of coffee
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Airline professionals recommend that you wait until you have reached your destination to gulp down your favorite brew. (Shutterstock/File)
For coffee lovers and frequent morning flyers alike, a pit stop at the transit area coffee shop is a necessary pre-flight ritual.
Considering the myriad health benefits caffeine can provide, including keeping dementia at bay, it might seem justifiable. However, airline professionals recommend that you wait until you have reached your destination to gulp down your favorite brew.
According to the Reader’s Digest, drinking coffee dehydrates your body, which could lead to nausea and headaches while flying. Given that airplane cabins are typically cold and dry, this could negatively impact your skin and immune system.
Read also: Five things not to do on an airplane to reduce germ exposure
Your seemingly harmless java could make you feel jittery at high altitudes. Because coffee is a mild diuretic, side effects include heartburn and digestive problems.
Remember that the effects of caffeine on your body wears off after five to six hours, so a cup of coffee a few hours before your flight may not be safe.
Given flight delays, long queues and expected jet lag, even a short flight can be extremely tiring. Yet, given the unexpected effects caffeine can have when you’re in the air, your exhausting journey still doesn’t warrant a pre-flight cup of joe. (afr/kes)
