We live in a nutrient-depleted world. Despite working hard to make health-promoting choices, it is difficult to achieve optimal levels of the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients our bodies need. Unfortunately we live in an age of chronic stress, ubiquitous environmental toxins, and nutrient-depleted soil and food. This leads to nagging symptoms and chronic health conditions. Thankfully, intravenous (IV) therapy can offer individualized nutrition that is administered right into the blood stream.
Recently, IV therapy has become widely utilized in functional and integrative medicine clinics along with being a topic of conversation within the health and wellness circles. In the 1960’s, Dr. John Meyers understood the importance of utilizing intravenous administration of vitamins and minerals. He is well-known for his “Meyer’s cocktail” that offered his patients numerous health benefits. Since that time, the variations of the Meyer’s cocktail have been by many doctors in practice.
Perhaps you are wondering if you could benefit from IV therapy and what health results you may gain from it. We hope to answer some of these questions for you in this post.
What is IV Vitamin Infusion Therapy?
Eating a nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory diet is very helpful for overall health and wellness, right down to the cellular level. We emphasize the healing, medicinal power of food in our practice. When we make poor food choices and consume inflammatory, processed foods, the body can become inflamed and depleted. This hinders the body at the cellular level by starving them of the nutrients needed to function optimally.
The quality of our foods are greatly impacted by the health and vibrance of our soils. In today’s world, modern agricultural methods have ravaged and depleted our soils. Industrial treatments have drastically reduced the vitamin and mineral content from the soils. This directly impacts the foods we eat as they do not have valuable nutrients in the soil to draw upon. The end result is a nutrient-poor crop. Research shows that various vitamins and minerals have been depleted from our soils. Furthermore, there is an increasingly widespread use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), pesticides and herbicides in our food supply which greatly hinder the health of those who consume them.
One way to combat the lack of nutrition in the food system is by taking supplements to our nutrient status. While supplements do offer many benefits, sometimes their absorption can be hindered. Various factors including gut integrity, some chronic illnesses, age, poor quality supplements, and the dose can all impact the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
Conversely, with IV therapy, there is no need to be concerned about whether or not the body is absorbing the nutrients. With intravenous administration, the digestive system is avoided and the nutrients are able to be delivered directly into the bloodstream. This allows for much greater absorption than oral and intramuscular administration. IV nutritional therapy allows for high levels of vitamins and minerals in the blood that will ensure the nutrients are taken in by cells that may be depleted.
What are the Benefits of IV Nutrition Therapy?
There are many therapeutic benefits of giving nutrients and compounds intravenously. We like to tailor our IVs to meet the patient’s needs. Whether you are an athlete wanting to boost performance, someone suffering from autoimmunity or chronic illness, or just want to fortify your health, IV nutrition therapy has a place in your healthcare!
Some of the benefits Patients Experience Are:
Boosting energy
Supporting immune function
Combating autoimmunity and chronic illness
Anti-aging
Decreasing pain and inflammation
Boosting metabolism
Detoxification
Reducing stress
Improving sleep
Mental clarity
Glowing, hydrated skin
Supporting athletic performance
Providing electrolytes
Eliminating hangovers
Initiating an overall feeling of well-being
What are Common Nutrients in Your IVs?
Common nutrients and compounds found in nutritional IVs include:
Alpha lipoid acid (ALA)
Amino acids
Biotin (B7)
Calcium
Colloidal silver
Copper
EDTA
Folate (B9)
Glutathione
Hydrogen peroxide
Iron
Magnesium
Manganese
Methylcobalamin (B12)
Molybdenum
N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
Ozone
Pantothenic acid
Phosphatidylcholine
Potassium
Pyridoxine (B6)
Thiamine (B1)
There are many different compounds that can be used in IV nutritional therapy and innumerable therapeutic combinations to administer. We wanted to highlight a few here.
Vitamin C
The scientific literature is saturated with studies noting the health benefits of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant and immune system stimulator. It is used for coronary artery disease, autoimmune conditions, fibromyalgia, cancer, detoxification, cancer, acute pancreatitis, and bacterial and viral infections.
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that is helpful for many aspects of health including creation of red blood cells, metabolizing food, maintenance of central nervous system, supporting neurological function, promoting feelings of well-being, reducing anxiety and depression, boosting energy, and supporting immune function. Various forms can be used in IV therapy including methylcobalamin, hydroxycobalamin, adenosylcobalamin, and cyanocobalamin.
Glutathione
Known as the body’s master antioxidant, glutathione has been shown to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other oxidative stress in the body. It also helps to regenerate other antioxidants, vitamin C and vitamin E. Glutathione is beneficial for a multitude of health concerns including allergies, asthma, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, Alzheimers disease, Parkinson’s disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, impaired liver function and many other chronic conditions. Glutathione is also prized from its anti-aging benefits.
NAD
Short for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, NAD is derived from vitamin B3 or niacin and is an essential coenzyme we cannot live without. It enables mitochondrial function and maintains cellular repair and resiliency. Low NAD is associated with several conditions including anxiety, depression, Parkinson’s disease, migraines, fibromyalgia, and many others. Unfortunately, NAD declines with aging so it is touted for its anti-aging benefits. Additionally, it has the profound ability to restore cellular energy, increase energy, receive mood disturbances, pain, and even addiction.
Magnesium
Most of our population is deficient in magnesium. It is used in many IV nutritional therapies, but has been found to be particularly helpful for those with asthma, arrhythmias, and migraines.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
ALA is a potent antioxidant that helps to dampen inflammation and oxidative stress. It is a fatty acid found in the mitochondria; the powerhouse of the cell. It has been helpful in conditions such as heart disease, liver disease, diabetes, stroke, and neurological decline.
Silver Nanoparticles
Silver nanoparticles are useful in fighting various acute and chronic infections. Silver nanoparticles have been found to be antiseptic to over 650 compounds including viruses, bacteria, yeast, and parasites. It is used for those with Lyme disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, pharyngitis, urinary tract infections, upper respiratory infections candida and fungal infections, and cancer.
