Voyage: Herbal Remedy for Jet Lag

Lavender. Photo: Jill Wellington from Pexels

Voyage is a jet lag remedy I could have really used during the years when I was crazy enough to travel from New York to Hawaii and then straight to Jamaica! 

Voyage is an herbal jet lag remedy formulated by clinical herbalist Kilu Horecki, who is trained in western herbalism and Chinese traditional and Ayurvedic medicine.  The claim is that Voyage helps when you’re traveling across multiple time zones. In addition to helping your body cope with the usual symptoms of jet lag, it also helps with altitude and travel sickness, calms anxiety, boosts the immune system and protects against food poisoning. 

Photo: Courtesy of Kilu

Voyage contains a proprietary blend of “organic and wildcrafted botanical ingredients,” some of which include:

Albizzia, a plant native to China. The flowers, stems and bark are used to make medicine. It is taken for anxiety, depression and insomnia, and to improve mood. Albizzia has calming, sleep-inducing properties.

Andrographis is native to south Asian countries, including India and Sri Lanka. The leaf and stem is used to make medicine, usually to treat colds and flu and digestive issues. According to WebMD, it might prevent influenza viruses from binding to cells in the body.

Astragalus has been used for years in traditional Chinese medicine. It is anti-inflammatory and boosts the immune system to protect against bacteria, germs and viruses, and has been used for fatigue, allergies and the common cold. 

Rhodiola roots are considered adaptogens that help the body adapt to stress (and travel is definitely stressful these days). It is used to help the body resist physical, chemical and environmental stressors. 

Cordyceps, often used in fitness-related products, helps reduce fatigue, boost strength and fight inflammation. 

Voyage also contains lavender, which is well-known for its stress-relieving, calming and relaxation properties and is used to help one sleep.  

Albizzia flowers. Photo: ftanuki from Pixabay

My Experience

You are instructed to start using Voyage one to two days before your departure date, with two squeezes in the morning and two squeezes at noon (or early afternoon) to a glass of water. Upon arrival you continue with the morning and early afternoon dosages until you feel adjusted to the time zone. Then you restart one to two days before traveling back home.

I started using Voyage as instructed, two days before I was going to travel to Spain. I felt like it made me feel a little drowsy the first time I used it (possibly due to albizzia, which can cause drowsiness). That’s not a bad thing, considering the fact that I’m often anxious before traveling and don’t sleep well the night before. This particular trip to Spain was the optimum test, since I missed my connecting flight upon arrival to Madrid and had to spend the entire day at the airport. I was unable to sleep on the flight, but I didn’t feel bad at the airport, which is unusual. I was able to sleep a bit at the airport and didn’t feel groggy when I woke up. 

Upon arrival in Bilbao that evening, I still felt fine. That evening I was able to get to sleep without any issues (yet another problem I have when trying to sleep in a new environment.) I continued using Voyage for a couple of days, with the same dosage in the morning and early afternoon. You’re supposed to do this until you feel adjusted to the time zone, but I adjusted remarkably fast and didn’t have to use it more than a day. I only experienced normal tiredness since we spent a lot of time doing tours. I was not miserable, nor did I want to fall asleep during dinner, which is something that often happens when I’ve had to change time zones. Two days before returning to New York, I took Voyage as instructed. As I recall, I adjusted to the eastern time zone, quickly. I was impressed. Voyage definitely worked for me.

Photo: Courtesy of Kilu

Warnings

As with all herbal remedies, I suggest that you speak with your doctor before using, especially if you are on medications, as certain herbs interact with prescription drugs. The website warns against using Voyage if you are pregnant or nursing. While checking out the ingredients, I read that andrographis and rhodiola stimulate the immune system, which, according to some in the medical field, might be an issue for those with autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. (Horecki, who does extensive research into all of the ingredients used in his herbal formulations, including scientific studies, informed me that in spite of being immune stimulants, those ingredients will not make autoimmune conditions worse and might actually improve the efficacy of the immune system.)  

Voyage is $25 (1 oz bottle).  For more information and to purchase Voyage, visit thekilu.com.