AN expert has revealed why you should never eat the meals on a flight – but not for the reason you might expect.
Plane food gets a bad rap for being tasteless and bland.
But there is another reason you shouldn't eat it, especially on long flights.
A number of experts have said that not eating on the plane, or fasting, can hugely reduce the effects of jet lag.
Teacher Jebediah, who often travels between Vietnam and the US, explained how the trick saved him from ever getting jet lag on long flights.
He told Wealth of Geeks: "My rule is to never eat on the flight, but always before at the airport of departure.
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"I fast on the first flight, eating at the midway airport stopover.
"I fast again on the next flight too, then eat again at the usual mealtime at my destination."
Along with taking melatonin, he said the mix of this and eating at those times means it works "every time" to avoid jet lag, something he admits he used to always get.
Fasting as a way to reduce the effects of jet lag has even been used by celebs, the CIA and US Army.
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Originally called the Argonne Anti-Jet-Lag-Diet, the trick – used by the CIA, involved switching between fasting and feating when travelling.
A newer method, created by Harvard and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, has simplified the trick.
Lead researcher Dr Clifford Saper said: "Because the body's clock can only shift a small amount each day, it takes the average person about a week to adjust to the new time zone."
The hunger caused by fasting then "overrides" the biological clock, which can reduce jet lag.
There are lots of other ways to avoid jet lag, according to frequent travellers and experts.
One woman swears by avoiding caffeine before flying.
And a recent study revealed the three foods you should eat that can help reduce jet lag.
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