Travelan
What is Travelan®?
Travelan® is an over the counter immune supplement that can be taken to reduce the risk of diarrhoea and reduce the symptoms of minor gastrointestinal disorders1. Travelan® helps to support a healthy digestive system by supporting the gut’s immune defences, whether you are travelling or at home.
Diarrhoea and digestive upsets can occur for a variety of reasons, including:
- Increased stress levels.
- Change in routine, diet and/or exercise habits.
- Eating poorly prepared or stored food.
- Consuming takeaway foods or pre-prepared meals transported in uncontrolled temperatures.
- The consumption of contaminated food or water infected with pathogenic bacteria which attack the intestines and release diarrhoea-causing toxins.3
Travelan® is designed to target and neutralize pathogenic bacteria and the toxins they produce in your gastrointestinal tract before they can make you sick.1
In Australia, Travelan® is a listed medicine in the Australian Register for Therapeutic Goods (AUST L 106709) and is specifically indicated to reduce the risk of Travellers’ Diarrhoea, reduce the symptoms of minor gastro-intestinal disorders and is an antimicrobial.7 In Canada, Travelan® is a licensed natural health product (NPN 80046016)) and is also indicated to reduce the risk of Travellers’ Diarrhoea 8. In the U.S. Travelan® is sold as a dietary supplement to support digestive health and gastrointestinal tract protection. Learn more at www.travelan.com.
How does Travelan® support digestive health and the gut microbiotia?
The human gastrointestinal (GI) tract is home to an enormous and complex community of commensal bacteria10. This gut microbial community (microbiota) provides many essential health benefits including digestion, the production of essential nutrients, detoxification, protection against pathogens and regulation of the immune system10.
Stress, poor dietary choices, poorly prepared or stored food, takeaway foods or pre-prepared foods transported in uncontrolled temperatures, pathogenic bacteria and virus infections can alter these gut microbial communities and in some cases may cause immune dysregulation and disease11.
Travelan® may assist in maintaining the delicate balance of the gut microbiota in times of stress or weakened immunity by eliminating invading pathogens.
Travelan® is a highly purified preparation of highly specific antibodies which target pathogenic bacteria and the toxins they produce. It does not react with or alter the normal microbial community of a healthy gastrointestinal tract, unlike antibiotics2 and will not lead to antibiotic resistance, an increasing concern world-wide.9
How does Travelan® work?
Travelan®’s active ingredient is hyperimmune bovine colostrum powder, a natural and rich source of antibodies that bind to Enterotoxigenic E. coli and other diarrhoea causing bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. Travelan® helps to stop these bacteria from attaching to the intestinal wall and neutralises their ability cause diarrhoea, digestive upset and other associated symptoms1.
The hyperimmune colostrum in Travelan® is developed under Immuron's proprietary technology to create high titres of antibodies to a range of E. coli bacteria. This makes Travelan® unique in its high levels of antibodies and sets it apart from normal bovine colostrum.
What is Travellers’ Diarrhoea?
Up to 70% of people who travel suffer from travellers’ diarrhoea, according to the Centre for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC)3. Travellers' Diarrhhoa (also known as Bali Belly or Montezuma's Revenge) is a digestive tract disorder that is commonly caused by pathogenic bacteria and the toxins they produce.
Travellers’ Diarrhoea is characterised by fever, belly cramps and profuse watery diarrhoea that can last for several days and lead to severe dehydration. Travellers’ Diarrhoea develops as a result of ingesting contaminated food and/or water and is common amongst travellers when visiting countries where they have no naturally developed immunity. Infection with Enterotoxigenic E. coli is the most common cause of Travellers’ Diarrhoea3.
When do I take Travelan®?
Take one Travelan® caplet before every meal. Additional caplets may be taken when increased protection is required, i.e when snacking between meals or if circumstances suggest and increased risk of infection. This may be when travelling abroad to high risk destinations for Travellers' Diarrhoea such as South East Asia, Central and South America, Africa. the Middle East and India. In this instance Travelan® should be used as an adjunct to normal travel hygiene practises such as 'boil it, cook it, peel it'. Travellers' Diarrhoea can really ruin the enjoyment of your holiday or the effectiveness of a business trip. The devastating lost of your valuable time, money and memories can be disastrous. Travelan can also be taken at home when you are at greater risk of stomach upset and diarrhoea due to increased stress, change of diet, exercise routines and sleep.
Has Travelan® been clinically tested?
Yes. Travelan® has undergone clinical testing in randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials.
Clinical trials show Travelan® confers protection of up to 90% against infection with the major strain of E. coli that causes Travellers’ Diarrhoea1. In addition, these trials showed a significant reduction in abdominal cramps and stomach pain compared to those who did not receive Travelan®. There were no reported treatment-related side effects.
In addition recent research programs performed by the US Department of Defence 5,6 demonstrated that the antibodies in Travelan® may be cross-reactive to an even broader range of bacteria than just E. coli. Studies suggest Travelan® antibodies are able to bind to and react with Campylobacter, Shigella, Vibrio, Cholera and Salmonella.2,5,6
Where can I buy Travelan®?
Travelan® is available to purchase from Pharmacies around Australia and Canada. In the USA Travelan® can be purchased from Amazon and Passport Health Travel Clinics. Travelan® can also be purchased online. Learn more at www.travelan.com
As featured on Chemist Warehouse
1. Otto, W., et al., Randomized control trials using a tablet formulation of hyperimmune bovine colostrum to prevent diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in volunteers. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology, 2011. 46(7-8): p. 862-868.
2. Sears, K.T., et al., Bioactive Immune Components of Anti-Diarrheagenic Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum Products. Clin Vaccine Immunol, 2017. 24(8).
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC Yellow Book 2020, Health Information for International Travel. 2019: Oxford University Press.
4. US Department of Defense (WRAIR), US Defense Reports Broad Travelan Reactivity to 180 Pathogenic Bacteria including Camylobacter and Shigella. 2018, Immuron Limited.
5. US Department of Defense (WRAIR), US Defense Reports Immuron's Travelan demonstrates broad reactivity to Vibrio cholera strains from Southeast Asia indicating broad potential for prevention of traveler's diarrhea. 2019, Immuron Limited.
6. Ruamsap N, I.D., Imerbsin R, Kanellos J, Crawford J.M, Swierczewski B.E, Kaminski R.W, Passive immunotherapeutic of Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum (HBC) to prevent Shigellosis in a Non-Human Primate model, in Vaccines for Enteric Diseases Conference. 2019: Switzerland.
7. Australian Government Department of Health, ARTG Entry: Travelan. 2004.
8. Government of Canada, Product Information - Travelan. 2018.
9. World Health Organization (WHO). Antibiotic resistance. 2018 [cited December 2019]; Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antibiotic-resistance.
10. Wu & Wu, The role of gut microbiota in immune homeostasis and autoimmunity, Gut Microbes, v.3(1); 2012 Jan 1, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3337124/
11. Conlan & Bird, The Impact of Diet and Lifestyle on Gut Microbiota and Human Health, Nutrients, 2015 Jan; 7(1): 17–44, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4303825/
