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Clinically proven to help PREVENT traveler’s diarrhea before it starts!1*

Commonly Asked Questions

FAQs

Traveler’s diarrhea and travel risk

How do you get traveler’s diarrhea?
Traveler’s diarrhea happens when you suddenly have watery, loose, or soft stools. It can also come with stomach cramps, vomiting, nausea, and fever. The main cause is E. coli, a bacteria found in drinks, ice cubes, fruits, veggies, utensils, and places with poor hygiene. You can get it from street stalls or even nice restaurants.
Where is traveler’s diarrhea most common?
The chance of traveler’s diarrhea may be higher in parts of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia, especially where food handling, sanitation, refrigeration or water treatment may vary. Risk can differ within the same country and by season, so always check current destination-specific guidance.
Can I get traveler’s diarrhea at a resort or upscale restaurant?
Yes. Exposure is not limited to street food. Contamination can occur wherever food, water, ice, produce, utensils or food-preparation surfaces are not handled safely.
What is Montezuma’s Revenge?
Montezuma’s Revenge is a common nickname for traveler’s diarrhea associated with travel in Mexico. Delhi Belly and Tourist Trots are other nicknames used in different places. These names generally describe the same travel-related digestive illness.
Should I check every stop on a cruise or multi-country trip?
Yes. Food and water conditions, seasonal patterns and access to medical care can change from one stop to the next. Review official guidance for every destination on your itinerary.

How Travelan® works

How does Travelan® work?
When you take one Travelan® caplet before a meal, its antibodies lie in wait in your digestive system. If you eat or drink something with harmful bacteria, like E. coli, the antibodies attach to the bacteria. This blocks the bacteria from sticking to your intestines, neutralizing them before they can cause diarrhea.
How does Travelan® work differently than other colostrum supplements?
Colostrum has some bacteria-fighting and immune-supporting properties. However, Travelan® also contains a high concentration of special antibodies against E. coli. These antibodies target the main bacteria that can cause diarrhea.
How does Travelan® compare to other supplements such as probiotics and enzymes that promote maintaining digestive health?
  • Enzymes: Can help with digestion, but they don’t specifically fight harmful bacteria.
  • Probiotics: Using probiotics to prevent diarrhea is debated because there aren’t enough well-controlled studies to prove their effectiveness.
  • Travelan® works in several ways to keep your gut healthy:
    • Bovine colostrum (from cow’s milk) has properties that fight bacteria.
    • The antibodies in Travelan® target the main bacteria that cause diarrhea.
    • Some parts of bovine colostrum may help reduce inflammation.
    • Other components in it may also support gut health.
Is Travelan® an antibiotic?

No. Travelan® is a drug-free dietary supplement made with antibody-rich bovine colostrum. It is not an antibiotic.

Taking Travelan®

When should I take Travelan®?

Take Travelan® as directed on the product label before meals when traveling. Pack it before you leave so it is available when you need it.

Is Travelan® taken before or after symptoms start?

Travelan® is taken before meals to help protect against traveler’s diarrhea.* It is not intended to treat diarrhea after symptoms begin.

What should I do if I forget to take Travelan® before my meal?

Take soon after eating or drinking, although it may not work as well. You can take extra caplets for added protection, like when snacking between meals or if circumstances suggest an increased risk of infection.

Can Travelan® be used to help cure diarrhea following onset or speed up recovery process?

Travelan® cannot “cure” diarrhea, but it can help you recover faster and make the symptoms less severe, keeping your gut healthier. In clinical trials, Travelan® was shown to significantly reduce how bad the symptoms are if you get traveler’s diarrhea.

Can you take other supplements/medications with Travelan®?

Travelan® is not known to cause any interactions with other medications. It works in the digestive system without being absorbed into the body. However, if you have questions about how it might affect specific medications, it’s best to talk to your doctor.

Can Travelan® be used for domestic travel?

Travelan® may be taken when there is concern about exposure to diarrhea-causing bacteria, whether traveling internationally or within the United States. Always follow the product label.

Does Travelan® replace food and water precautions?

No. Travelan® should be used along with good hygiene and careful food and water choices while traveling.

Ingredients and product information

What is the main ingredient of Travelan®?

The medicinal ingredient in Travelan® is select bovine colostrum powder (200mg) enriched with anti-E.coli antibodies. Travelan® is anti-microbial. It is not an antibiotic and will not cause antibiotic resistance.

Travelan® contains cow’s milk protein and lactose, so people with an allergy to bovine protein or lactose intolerance are advised not to take it.

The non-medicinal ingredients of Travelan® include croscarmellose, sodium, glucose, magnesium stearate, microcrystalline cellulose and colloidal silicon dioxide.

Does Travelan® contain any artificial colorings?

Travelan® does not contain colorings, flavorings or artificial coatings.

Does Travelan® contain dairy?

Yes. Travelan® contains cow’s milk proteins and lactose. Review the product label before taking Travelan®.

Does Travelan® contain glucose?

Each caplet has 50mg of glucose.

Does Travelan® contain gluten?

Travelan® is gluten free.

Suitability and safety

Is Travelan® suitable for children?

Travelan® is suitable for ages 12 months and up. The caplets can be easily broken in half or crushed into a powder for easier administration.

Is Travelan® suitable for pregnant women?

Travelan® is not indicated for use by pregnant women and has not been tested in pregnant women.

Does Travelan® contain any lactose?

Yes, Travelan® contains cow’s milk proteins and lactose. It has less than 10% lactose, much lower than skim milk powder. Each caplet has 12mg of lactose, so three caplets a day provide 36mg, which is below symptom-causing levels. However, those with a milk allergy may still react.

Science and research

What Is a Controlled Human Infection Model (CHIM) Study?

A Controlled Human Infection Model, or CHIM, is a type of clinical study in which carefully screened adult volunteers are exposed to a specific pathogen under controlled conditions and close medical supervision. This allows researchers to directly compare outcomes between participants receiving the active product and those receiving a placebo.

The Travelan® studies used three important methods designed to reduce bias:

  • Randomized: Participants were randomly assigned to the active or placebo group.
  • Double-blind: Neither the participants nor the researchers knew who received the active formulation until the results were analyzed.
  • Placebo-controlled: Results from participants receiving the active formulation were compared with results from participants receiving an inactive placebo.
What is the difference between clinical and laboratory research?

Clinical research evaluates a product in human participants. Laboratory research examines its ingredients or biological activity under controlled test conditions. Laboratory findings can help explain how a product may work, but they do not prove that the same outcome will occur in people.

What is ETEC?

ETEC stands for Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli. ETEC is a type of E. coli and a common bacterial cause of traveler’s diarrhea.

How do the antibodies in Travelan® work?

Travelan® is made from select bovine colostrum enriched with antibodies that support digestive health and promote immune defense. When Travelan® is taken before a meal, these antibodies are ready to work in the digestive system. If food or water contains ETEC, the antibodies bind to the bacteria and the toxins they produce. This helps neutralize them and prevent them from attaching to the intestinal wall.*

Has Travelan® been studied against bacteria other than ETEC?

Laboratory studies found that antibodies in Travelan® reacted with Shigella, Campylobacter and Vibrio cholerae.7 These are early laboratory findings and do not establish clinical protection against these bacteria.