For me, nutrition is more than just the thing that brought me to Naturopathic Medicine: nutrition is everything about our health. Without the proper nutrients these bodies of ours simply stop working correctly and illness creeps in.
What You Need to Know About IV Nutrient Therapy
I so desperately wish we could trust our food supply to provide all the essential nutrition we need, but if you’re like most of the patient’s we see, eating a healthy, balanced, organic diet all of the time just isn’t possible.
Nutrients administered intravenously look like a big syringe or an IV bag filled with mostly sterile water or saline and then filled with an array of micronutrients such as B-vitamins, vitamin C, minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc, and maybe anti-oxidants like alpha-lipoic acid or glutathione.The nutrients are painlessly administered directly into a vein in your arm and are either quickly pushed from the syringe by your doctor or dripped from the bag over a longer period of time.
Nutrients can be mixed and matched to make a customized formula for you, and there are traditional formulations used for specific conditions as well. A well-known IV push formula is called the “Myer’s Cocktail” and is a simple 30 ml formula used for general restoration. Dr. Alan Gaby says, “Everyone over 50 should receive a Myer’s Cocktail once a month!”
“Immune Pushes” are 60 ml and an enhanced “Myer’s Cocktail” specific for boosting immune function. An IV push may take as little as 15-20 minutes to administer, while the larger IV drips may take 30-120 minutes.
IV Drips are more complex formulas with larger quantities of nutrients that act more specifically and deeply for those with chronic illnesses.
IV nutrient therapy works by by-passing your gut, where your nutrient absorption occurs when you eat food or take supplements. If your gut health has been compromised by your health conditions then it’s likely you don’t absorb the nutrients you need to fully heal. IV nutrients go straight to your body’s cells bathing them with nutrients and forcing them to take them up for use.
5 Reasons You Should Get IV Nutrient Therapy
1. You feel run-down and want a quick energy boost.
The “Myer’s Cocktail” is formulated specifically for this reason: to give your body a quick, deep nutritional boost to keep your generally healthy body fired-up for daily living. This 30 ml combination of B-vitamins, vitamin C, Calcium/Magnesium and other minerals works quickly and acts deeply to keep you feeling your best.
IV drip formulas can also be used for general wellness and health maintenance if you’ve got the extra time to receive a drip.
2. You feel like you are coming down with a cold or flu, or you are recovering from an acute illness.
The “IV Immune Push/Drip” is used to help your body ward off impending illness or to help you get over your illness more quickly. Extra vitamin C and other specific immune-enhancing nutrients are used to aid your body in fighting off our most common viral and bacterial infections.
3. You have digestive/gut issues that have resulted in compromised absorption of micronutrients.
If your gut function has been compromised due to SIBO, IBD or IBS, chronic infections like candida, or from food allergies and inflammation it is likely your nutrient absorption has been compromised as well. “Going in through the back door” and by-passing your gut with IV nutrients is a powerful way to get your body healthy, sooner.
4. You have a chronic immune condition such as EBV, cancer or autoimmunity.
Anyone with a chronic illness can benefit from regular IV nutrient therapy. Your immune system may require additional nutrients to function properly and fight off chronic viruses such as Epstein-Barr, HSV, HPV and more. Other chronic conditions such as cancer, Parkinson’s, autoimmune and other degenerative diseases respond favorably to IV therapy as well. Talk with your naturopathic physician about which IV therapy may be best for you.
5. You are training for and/or recovering from an athletic event.
As an athlete you expect a great deal out of your body and its performance. And despite your best intentions to eat well your body will become depleted and run-down from intense training and performance. IV therapy is a great tool to keep your fit body in optimal condition.