{"id":58184,"date":"2017-05-01T11:15:57","date_gmt":"2017-05-01T15:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=58184"},"modified":"2021-08-26T13:58:58","modified_gmt":"2021-08-26T17:58:58","slug":"iv-vitamin-therapy-wellness-trend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/iv-vitamin-therapy-wellness-trend\/","title":{"rendered":"IV Vitamin Therapy: Inside the Celeb Wellness Trend"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"IV
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Short of eating a perfect diet, a daily multivitamin<\/a> is often touted as the next best thing \u2014 if only remembering to take it was as simple as it sounds. But what if there was an easier, more effective way to get essential vitamins and nutrients<\/a> into your body?<\/p>\n

Well, you\u2019ll first need to roll up your sleeves. Intravenous (IV) vitamin therapy may not be for the faint of heart, but celebrities like Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Cara Delevingne are going under the needle to soak in its so-called health and beauty benefits. Instead of oral pills, liquid vitamin infusions are delivered directly into your vein through an IV drip.\u00a0The cost: $100 to $250 per prick.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> Your New Hangover Cure: An IV Treatment?<\/a><\/p>\n

And while the IV solution isn\u2019t new, the menu of IV cocktails is ever-expanding, with solutions promising everything from anti-aging and increased libido to immunity support<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0hangover relief<\/a>. But do these treatments really work? And, more importantly, are they safe? Here\u2019s what you should know before the needle goes in.<\/p>\n

IV Vitamin Therapy: Wellness in the Bag?<\/h2>\n

Vitamin drip therapy has been used for decades, particularly though not exclusively by natural health professionals. But you\u2019ve likely been hearing about it a lot more recently with the rise of hydration therapy centers, or \u201changover clinics<\/a>,\u201d where patients seeking immediate relief after a night of heavy partying can get pumped with an IV drip full of fluids and medication.<\/p>\n

\u201cInjecting vitamins into blood via IV bypasses digestion, allowing for 100 percent absorption.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Now, in addition to hangover drips, specialized clinics or medical spas \u2014 like Drip Doctors<\/a>, which has locations in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, VitaSquad<\/a> in Miami and IVme<\/a> in Chicago \u2014\u00a0have menus of highly concentrated vitamin infusions promising other wellness benefits. Each \u201ccocktail\u201d contains different combinations of vitamins, minerals and amino acids<\/a> formulated for different goals. Think: boosting energy and immunity, illuminating hair, skin and nails, improving sexual function, maximizing athletic performance and recovery, promoting weight loss, reducing stress and even overcoming jet lag<\/a>.<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong>\u00a0Collagen: The Super Supplement People Are Putting in Coffee<\/a><\/p>\n

But what\u2019s the science behind the therapy? According to Dr. Anthony Ho, DO, an emergency medicine physician in Los Angeles and cofounder\/medical director of Drip Doctors, \u201cStress, lack of sleep, poor diet, alcohol, smoking [can all] contribute to chronic inflammation in your body, which can have negative effects on your health and appearance. That may eventually lead to premature aging, depression, allergies, diabetes, heart disease, even cancer,\u201d says Dr. Ho. \u201cThe best way to reduce and prevent inflammation and restore optimal health is with vitamins and minerals.\u201d<\/p>\n

But why not just take vitamins orally?<\/p>\n

According to Dr. Ho, drips are simply more effective. \u201cWhen you swallow a vitamin, you only absorb 20 to 30 percent of the nutrients after it goes through your digestive tract. So by the time it gets to your bloodstream, it\u2019s a lot less potent,\u201d he says. \u201cInjecting vitamins into blood via IV bypasses digestion, allowing for 100 percent absorption.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Vitamin
Photo: Pond5<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Is There a Catch?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Vitamins make us look and feel better, and as Dr. Ho and other proponents of IV vitamin therapy maintain, injecting them leads to higher absorption than swallowing. Yet, other medical professionals believe vitamin drips are at best, ineffective and at worst, unsafe.<\/p>\n

\u201cIVs always carry a risk of bruising, clotting, bleeding or infection.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dr. Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, an assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, says there is no research-backed evidence that exceeding the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) is beneficial for the vast of majority of people in this country who don\u2019t suffer true vitamin deficiencies. (RDAs refer to the estimated amounts of vitamins and minerals per day considered necessary for the maintenance of good health by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council\/National Academy of Sciences.)<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Will Apple Cider Vinegar Really Help You Lose Weight?<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cRDAs are there for a reason,\u201d Dr. Dasgupta said. \u201cThese guidelines take into account what the body needs and what percentage is absorbed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moreover, he warns that the risks of vitamin infusions, though small, do not outweigh the benefits. \u201cIVs always carry a risk of bruising, clotting, bleeding or infection,\u201d he says. Also, in rare cases, some people \u2014 particularly those on certain medications or with allergies<\/a> \u2014 can have severe health consequences from receiving too-high doses of supplements including cardiac arrest and anaphylactic shock.<\/p>\n

So Should You Mainline Your Vitamins?<\/h3>\n

As with many medical decisions, the issue of whether or not you should try IV vitamin therapy may not be so black and white.<\/p>\n

True, there are risks and a lack of evidence about its effectiveness, but it might not be entirely without merit. Anecdotally, some patients report that regular vitamin drips help with chronic pain, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, migraines and nutrient-absorption disorders. If your medical practitioner gives you the go-ahead (and you don\u2019t mind needles), then maybe give it a try.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>8 Incredible Wellness Elixirs to Start Your Day<\/a><\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re generally healthy and are looking for an extra boost, Dr. Dasgupta recommends first trying to determine what part of your lifestyle is causing you not to feel your best. \u201cCheck for underlying disease, eat a balanced diet<\/a>\u00a0and don\u2019t underestimate the power of sleep<\/a>,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Resolving the root cause, rather than getting hooked up regularly to an IV drip, is better for your health long-term, not to mention your wallet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Should you mainline your vitamins? Experts weigh in on the IV therapy trend that promises everything from anti-aging to immunity support. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":103,"featured_media":58206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7,11],"tags":[41,51,224,71,341,388,215],"class_list":["post-58184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","category-health-hacks","tag-diets","tag-food-choices","tag-illness","tag-nutrition","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition","tag-vitamins"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/103"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}