June 1, 2023
Share :

Chances are you’ve heard or seen someone on social media talking about the benefits of intravenous therapy. 

It’s no longer a thing quietly whispered about among the inner circle of biohackers and longevity seekers.  

However, just because you saw a picture of someone relaxing in a chair with bright-colored vitamins dripped into their body doesn’t mean you should ask questions.

Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll discover: 

What is IV Therapy? 

Intravenous (IV) therapy is the process of administering fluids and/or nutrients into a vein so that they can directly enter the bloodstream. Fluids can be administered on their own to rehydrate the body, or they can be given with the addition of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids to allow for 100% absorption of these nutrients.

Why Choose IV Vitamin Therapy? 

With over-the-counter supplements and multivitamins readily available online, you might be wondering why you should choose IV nutrient therapy.  

One of the primary reasons to consider IV therapy has to do with something called bioavailability. This is just a fancy way of referring to the extent and rate at which something enters into your bloodstream, thereby accessing its intended site of action. 

Oral supplements (and medications for that matter) have a lower bioavailability than most IV nutrient drips because they must first pass through your digestive system. Unfortunately, things like age, activity level, illness, malabsorption issues, medication, stress, and gastrointestinal surgery can influence how well your body can absorb what you ingest. 

If you’ve taken our nutrient screening assessment, you also know many of the foods we eat today contain far fewer nutrients than they had just a few decades ago – meaning there are fewer vitamins and minerals to absorb in the first place.

Regardless of the whole nutrient density thing, the ingredients in an IV vitamin infusion are 100% absorbed by your body because they are administered directly into your bloodstream.  And because they bypass your digestive tract, the ingredients are more readily used by the cells in your body too. 

Best of all, IV infusions can be customized to your personalized needs and overall health and wellness goals.  

What Are the Benefits of IV Nutrition? 

As you just learned, IV treatments are administered directly into your bloodstream and circumvent the digestive system. 

That means they are perfect for individuals who have difficulty ingesting fluids or medications due to illness or severe nausea. IV therapy can also benefit individuals with malabsorption issues (e.g., celiac or Crohn’s disease), helping to ensure that vitamins are maintained at levels required for optimal health. 

Beyond the replacement of your body’s essential nutrients, there are a number of other potential benefits of IV infusion therapy one should consider.

Supports Healthy Aging

The body needs a certain level of vitamins and minerals to function at its best. But as you know, the demands of daily life can make it difficult to get these. Personalized IV vitamin treatments can deliver nutrients that the body can readily use to support healthy aging and prevent chronic medical conditions.

And as an added benefit, the right combination of vitamins and antioxidants such as vitamin C and glutathione can help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, mend the damage caused by UV rays, and remove free radicals that contribute to tissue damage throughout your body. 

Enhances Athletic Performance 

Regardless of how you choose to test your physical limits, exercise quickly depletes your body’s nutrient stores and generates free radicals that can limit recovery time. IV vitamin therapy quickly adds back what your body needs to keep going.

Things like targeted amino acids can decrease muscle loss and muscle aches and improve metabolic efficiency, while the extra rehydration helps you recover at a much faster rate… And the quicker you can recover, the quicker you can set new personal records. 

Promotes & Maintains Weight Loss

Despite our best efforts, some of us struggle to maintain a healthy weight. Luckily there are IV nutrients that we can use to hack our metabolism and skip the endless calorie counting. Some of the key supplements we use at VYVE to aid in the weight loss process include carnitine, chromium, alpha-lipoic acid, and lipotropic injections. 

Combats Toxins & Oxidative Stress

Besides providing your body with essential nutrients, IV therapy can also help combat unwanted toxins and free radicals that damage your cells and DNA. 

Additionally, IV therapy can support your body’s natural detoxification processes that happen in the liver. One of the best nutrients to help combat toxins and oxidative stress is IV glutathione. 

Promotes Relaxation of Your Body & Mind

It can be tough to relax in today’s fast-paced world. And even though there are medications to help ease stress and anxiety, most of us would rather not become dependent on these pills. Magnesium supplementation along with other key amino acids and b-vitamins (e.g., vitamin B12) can be the perfect way to maintain your inner zen no matter what life throws your way. 

Boosts Immune Health & Prevents Illness

It goes without saying these days, but even those with perfect health can fall prey to pathogens that invade our bodies. Of course, mix in factors such as stress, and lack of sleep, and our natural immune defenses are weakened. 

High doses of nutrients such as zinc and vitamin C are just a few of the ways you can boost your immune system and prevent illness so you continue doing the things you love most. Because no one really wants to pop another 5-day course of antibiotics and wreck their gut health unless it’s actually needed, right? 

Alleviates and Prevents Headaches

Nothing stops you dead in your tracks like a throbbing headache. Beyond the pain and nausea, an intense headache can keep you from working, caring for your family, or spending time doing the things you love most. 

IV therapy can provide immediate relief from headaches with ingredients like magnesium, calcium, riboflavin, and N-acetyl-cysteine. More importantly, treatments can have long-term effects (sometimes lasting a full month) that can help those who suffer from chronic headaches.

Potential Side Effects of IV Nutrient Therapy 

Despite their many potential benefits, IV vitamin dips should be done under the supervision of a trained medical team. If they are not formulated and administered properly, IV drips can result in a number of preventable side effects. 

Ideally, the IV clinic you visit is run by medical doctors with advanced training in Integrative and Functional Medicine. This will ensure you are getting the best and safest treatments available. A board-certified integrative medicine physician will also be able to discuss how IV therapy fits into your overall plan for optimal health and wellness.

We know it probably goes without saying… But make sure to do your homework when searching for the “best IV clinic near me.”

Final Thoughts

IV therapy treatment can benefit many individuals. Whether it’s providing the essential nutrients they need, helping improve their energy levels and performance by addressing issues such as dehydration, or simply making people feel better. 

The list we discussed only scratches the surface of what personalized IV therapy can do for your body and overall well-being. Every day, we are discovering additional health benefits associated with intravenous nutrition therapy. 

To Life Enhanced, 

Dr. Will Haas, MD, MBA