Driptide: IV Nutritional Therapy is All the Rage
To IV or not to IV…
Many of you might have heard of this wildly popular phenomenon of IV nutritional drips. So what are they exactly, and how can they be beneficial to you?
IV nutritional drips are a method of delivering vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and amino acids directly into the bloodstream, offering superior absorption over oral supplements because they bypass the gastrointestinal tract, where you can lose up to 70 percent of what you are taking in orally. This can also be helpful for clients who experience digestive issues because they are sensitive to oral vitamins and minerals. IV therapy allows nutrients to flood the bloodstream and go directly to the cells where they are needed and have been shown to kick-start the metabolism, break down fat and help the body process vitamins and nutrients more effectively.
Vitamin drips, which provide nutrients via a small IV needle placed directly into the client’s vein, can be used proactively to maintain wellness, and also to treat acute and chronic conditions. The process can take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the vitamin solution being injected. During the infusion, clients are encouraged to relax and may read, listen to music, or meditate.
World War I and II ushered in the modern era of IV therapy. However, it was only in the past several decades that we’ve seen the most exciting advances. In the 1960s, a Johns Hopkins physician named Dr. John Myers formulated a special “cocktail” of key vitamins and micronutrients administered through a slow intravenous infusion to help address a number of ailments and conditions. He treated patients with IV nutrient therapies for 25 years. The popular Myers’ Cocktail consists of magnesium, calcium, various B vitamins and vitamin C. Since then, thousands of patients nationwide have received this cocktail and have felt great benefits.
Every person has unique biochemical and metabolic needs, and everyone’s gut absorbs nutrients differently – so telling a patient to go to GNC and throw down some vitamins just doesn’t do the trick. Some people need more Vitamin C and some need less. Some people are deficient in B vitamins and some have too much folate and B12. At our practice, the Anti-Aging & Longevity Center of Philadelphia, we routinely check levels of micronutrients via a complete personalized micronutrient profile, as there is no reason to guess who is and isn’t high in which micronutrient – the specialized blood test gives us that information. In most cases, it’s quite difficult to look at someone and predict this accurately. However, there are clear instances where opting for IV nutrient therapy will predictably improve how a patient feels and the patient’s recovery from certain conditions.
So, when is it a good idea to IV?
These days, IV nutritional therapy isn’t just for battlefield trauma cases and hospital patients. Executives and pro athletes, celebrities and soccer moms, weekend warriors, and pre- and postsurgical patients are all using IV nutrient treatments to feel their absolute best, recover faster from injuries and surgeries, remove heavy metals, boost their immune system, and even to cure a hangover or dehydration from too much time in the sun. Patients with autoimmune diseases and allergies can benefit from IV therapies with glutathione, referred to as “the mother of all antioxidants.” In addition, special concoctions of IV nutrients can adjunctively be utilized to nourish the body during cancer treatment, and help reduce the side effects of chemo and radiation therapy.
As with all medical therapies, it is essential to speak with the physician where you are receiving your IV nutrients to have a proper pre-drip evaluation to see if this is an appropriate therapy for you. This evaluation will also help the physician create the right formula for your IV nutrient therapy.
