This page gathers research papers, articles, and external resources related to how food choices influence mood, energy, digestion, and regulation while travelling.
Sources here inform Nomadic Balance content on eating patterns, gut health, and supporting the nervous system on the road.
If you are interested in this research, please visit our Food & Mood guides to discover how these sources relate to the world of travel.
This research underpins the wider Nomadic Balance approach; explore the main site to see how it is applied in practice.
Sources
The Gut Microbiota and Immune Balance
Explains how the microorganisms living in the gut help train the immune system and regulate inflammation, shaping how the body responds to infections and stressors.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.011
Nutrition and Immune Resilience
Reviews how adequate intake of key nutrients (including vitamins A, C, D, E, zinc, and selenium) supports normal immune function and resilience against viral infections.
🔗https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12041181
Fermented Foods and Microbiota Health
Summarises evidence showing how fermented foods may support gut microbial diversity and immune signalling beyond their basic nutritional value.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copbio.2016.11.010
Vitamin D and Respiratory Infection Risk
A large systematic review and meta-analysis showing that vitamin D supplementation can reduce the risk of acute respiratory tract infections, particularly in individuals with low baseline levels.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.i6583
Polyphenols and Inflammation Regulation
Reviews how plant-based polyphenols (found in foods like berries, olive oil, tea, and cocoa) can modulate immune responses and reduce chronic inflammation.
🔗https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10111618
Psychological Regulation and Wellbeing
An editorial overview highlighting emerging research on how regulation processes (emotional, cognitive, and physiological) shape stress, health, and overall wellbeing.
🔗https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1471084
Food Allergy, Anxiety, and Quality of Life
Reviews research showing how food allergies can affect mental health, daily functioning, and social participation, with a focus on anxiety and adaptive coping strategies.
🔗 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-023-01121-x
Mild Dehydration and Mood Changes
Demonstrates that even mild dehydration can negatively affect mood, attention, and irritability, with implications for high-demand or stimulating environments such as travel.
🔗https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.142000
Fluid and Electrolyte Needs for Training, Competition, and Recovery
This review outlines how hydration and electrolyte balance support physical and cognitive performance. It highlights the importance of maintaining fluid levels to prevent fatigue, reduced concentration, and performance decline.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2011.614269
Carbohydrates and Mood: A Meta-Analysis
This meta-analysis found no consistent evidence for a short-term “sugar rush” and instead identified that high carbohydrate intake can be associated with increased fatigue and reduced alertness shortly after consumption.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.03.016
Hydration for Recreational Sport and Physical Activity
This review explains how hydration influences thermoregulation and physical performance. It also highlights how factors such as alcohol consumption can impair fluid balance and increase the risk of dehydration.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2012.00523.x
Spending as Social and Affective Coping (SSAC): Measure Development and Initial Validation
This study introduces and validates the concept of spending as a form of emotional and social coping.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019878488
Economic Predictors of the Subjective Experience of Financial Stress
A behavioural finance study supporting the view that financial stress is shaped by context and psychological interpretation, not earnings alone.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbef.2024.100933
Financial Stress and Depression in Adults: A Systematic Review
A systematic review showing consistent associations between subjective financial stress and depressive symptoms across adult populations.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264041
Uncertainty, Safety, and the Stress Response
Explores how the human nervous system defaults to heightened vigilance under uncertainty, and why perceived safety is central to reducing anxiety and chronic stress responses.
🔗https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2016.04.012