Pros and Cons of Vitamin IV Therapy

Vitamin IV Therapy is a term that has been roaming around social media for quite a while. Perhaps, you have seen this shared by celebrities like Adele, Chrissy Teigen, and other stars that associate this to health and beauty. But before we take any side, we need to drill down to the basics of this and understand what has gotten everyone excited about it.

For starters, companies advertise Vitamin IV therapy to supplement nutrition in the body through IV injection. If a hospital ever admitted you and hooked you up to an IV drip, it is precisely how Vitamin IV therapy looks. The only difference is the fluid contents injected into your body.

Providers formulate fluids using a variety of methods and dosages. It depends on the service provider and the products that they claim to offer. In some cases, vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin A, Vitamin E, C, or Magnesium are delivered in high doses, forcing the body to absorb quickly. 

In this article, we will tackle the pros and cons of Vitamin IV therapy.

What happens to the body with vitamin IV therapy

Although IV drips seem like a new trending term, it has been around for ages, issued by medical professionals for treating sick patients. The first IV vitamin drop was developed in the 1970s by Dr. John Myers. Today, the practice has been extended to healthy individuals and conducted by a few service companies.

So what does happen to the body when infused with a Vitamin IV drip? Well, your body receives a higher concentration of such vitamins and minerals as compared to oral intake. It bypasses the need for the stomach to digest and break it down since the fluid provides the nutrients in the purest form.

As we know, our body’s cells deteriorate over time. If we factor age, genetics, metabolism, and lifestyle – our body can feel pretty beat up. And this is just the natural way of life. For cells to regain wellness, they need some nutrients. Thus, this is how providers market Vitamin IV therapy. Practitioners in the area believe that infused vitamin treatment can help alleviate some health complaints. Although it cannot be fully proven, it is a methodology put in practice,

Typically, the administration of Vitamin IV therapy lasts from 20 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the individual’s needs. These nutrients are pumped through the vein and directly into the bloodstream, much like receiving any medical injection. The chemical composition of fluids can vary upon the targeted procedure.

The Advantages of Vitamin IV Therapy

Despite the controversy around the topic, let’s discuss some of the vitamin IV therapy benefits. 

1. Faster nutrient absorption

IV supplements are bioavailable. This means that the substance property can immediately enter the body’s bloodstream circulation. If we compare to taking nutrients orally that, we can picture that it gets chewed on the mouth, goes down to the stomach, and is broken down by our acids to a level that the body can absorb. It takes a few more energy to be able to get these nutrients.

Natural food products like fruits are typically rich in vitamins and nutrients. However, in most cases, it can only offer a specific percentage that the body can absorb. To have a better picture of this, you would need to have to eat a heaping full of them to be able to meet the expected level that your body needs. This is where supplements come in. And in this case, they are more concentrated and have more certainty of being absorbed by the body.

2. Custom to individual needs

As we have mentioned, the fluid composition of a supplement can vary per individual. It depends on the needs of the body and what the clients and professional practitioners think that the body needs. Most of the companies that provide IV therapies that already target a specific area. Some providers market IVS to boost the immune system, fight fatigue and weariness, skin revival, and many others. 

Whichever product you choose, the administration is typically the same. A provider makes IV inserts, and the session can last up to an hour-long. Companies only use trained professionals to make the procedure.

3. The body is kept hydrated

IV supplements do not just come in strange liquid compositions. They also include salt solutions that carry the nutrients. With such a solution, your body remains hydrated, boosting your electrolytes. If you think about it, how many glasses of water do you take a day? Are you diligent in monitoring your water intake?

Some probably do, while others don’t. The advantage with IV drips is that it keeps your body with the right amount of moisture content that you can easily tackle with daily activities. 

4. Address health issues

Although many factors affect our health, there are claims that IV therapy help addresses some health complaints. Most of which are associated with short-term goals that enable individuals to take on tasks with more energy. One example is fatigue and weariness. In general, feeling tired with instincts that you are about to get ill. 

With Vitamin IV therapy, it claims to help boost your immune system now that it is possible to get more vitamin C in the body. They help make the body feel more revived and energized so that the cold or flu does not continue. Since the supplements are bioavailable, they are fast-acting.

5. Beauty and aging

This is one of the most claimed features of the product. It is in this market that the product strives and becomes more popular. Some claim that Vitamin IV therapy and fluid composition help target areas that are associated with youth and beauty. Take, for example, the skin. As we age, so does our skin cells. So, when companies discovered how glutathione contributes to youthful, radiant skin – most people got onboard.

Glutathione is known to be an antioxidant that helps them prevent further damage to cellular components. You’d find it in different living organisms, such as plants, animals, fungi, and more. This component is extracted and composed in a more concentrated manner so that it can be infused in the body. And with this, it claims to fight off free radicals in our body that contribute to wrinkles and other signs of aging.

The Disadvantages of Vitamin IV therapy

With any other induced solution, there are still uncertainties that can harm our bodies. Below we discuss some of the Vitamin IV Therapy side effects and areas that bring a worry to consumers.

1. Danger levels and mismanagement

We have heard the saying that too much of something is also too bad. And the same concept applies to Vitamin IV therapy. Although it seems that they are all healthy substances, we need to factor that higher dosage may also be too much for the body to handle. Each of us has a unique biochemistry that processes any intake in the body. Our nutritional needs and treatment plans are equally unique. However, if miscalculated, IV supplements can quickly turn sour and dangerous.

This is where a doctor and physician diagnosis are necessary to be able to run the procedure. Lab diagnosis needs to be as accurate, and your doctors need to be aware of your health arrangements. Your nutrient deficiencies need to be appropriately determined to get the right dosage for Vitamin IV therapy.

2. Areas for uncertainties

We have mentioned that IV drip has been in practice for many decades. And we will reiterate that it was initially meant for treating sick people. Moreover, the fluid composition that is meant for treatment is highly calculated by doctors and medical professionals.

And with Vitamin IV therapy, this does not fall as an official medical treatment plan. These are supplements that neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has reviewed nor have any strong scientific evidence for relieving health conditions. With such uncertainties, they are not advised for a long-term solution that should replace a good lifestyle and eating habits.

It is still recommended that proper medical consults are involved in determining whether these procedures are necessary for the individual.

3. Inconsistent quality

As many service providers claim to offer Vitamin IV therapy, it is prone that the experience is not equally the same. What is worse is if the distributor is not a trusted brand that can put you in a severe health risk. The field of Vitamin IV therapy is already questionable. And this means that practitioners are put under scrutiny. Mind you, that the cost for such procedures does not come cheap. All of this is placed on a high price point that not many can avail, which is why it is in the niche market. Thus, it is necessary first to verify if you indeed require the dosage. And the second is to test the service providers where you choose to avail them.

4. The placebo effect

The placebo effect is highly associated with a mental mindset. In a competitive state, most individuals would learn to fight off what they are feeling by just changing their mindset. In effect, your brain lets you generate a psychological benefit that is called the placebo effect. To better understand this, a crude example is when we drink alcoholic beverages, and yet we fight the sensation of feeling drunk. It is only after a few more bottles before we get drowsy. This points out that even if our body is telling us one way, our mind can set it differently without the need to take any further drug or medication.

When it comes to Vitamin IV therapy, there is a chance that it can have a placebo effect. By wanting the substance to make you feel more youthful, your mindset may perhaps have had a huge factor as well. Your belief may solely cause improvement in your health.

5. Collapsing of the veins

Our bodies are not used to getting poked with needles. Sometimes, even one-time medical blood extractions can cause bruising and internal blood clots on our veins. Imagine the gravity of this situation when you engage with Vitamin IV Therapy, especially with more frequency in facing a needle in your body. Although we have many veins in our body, it is not built to withstand constant brutal activities. If a vein gets ruptured, it can collapse, and that would mean that it is ineffective to insert the substance in the same place. One found to have to find another vein that can carry the load. And there are only limited veins that are exposed and wide enough to be stabbed.

Conclusion

Each of us will have a different perspective when it comes to Vitamin IV Therapy. Some may view it in a positive light, while others will be more critical about its health risks. Both views are logical and valid. It could be a new field that may have promising opportunities, or perhaps the opposite – arguing that there is a reason why some things need to be processed naturally by our body.

Despite the opposing views, we also have to respect what each would decide on merely because of our individuality. There are a lot of uncertainties in this field, and this is not just the first one. Many other areas undergo the same difficulty to reach a proven, trusted, and reputable state.

In summary, the purpose of the article – was simply to contribute added information for readers who are exploring the topic. Whether you took a positive or negative standpoint, we hope that this article has helped convinced, corrected, and strengthened your view on the matter. We shall leave it up to you.