Nutritional IVs are becoming very popular – especially for helping support your IMMUNE SYSTEM and overall health. For an explanation of nutritional IVs and why they might be recommended, keep reading!
Why Would Someone Need a Nutritional IV?
Proper nutrition is a critical component of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, not everyone consumes the right foods in the right amounts. Furthermore, our food supplies have been tainted with pesticides and other chemicals, making them a source of toxic exposure. A nutritional IV is a quick and easy way to give your body the boost it needs, without exposure to harmful toxins, and without having to take a handful of pills.
Nutritional IVs can be used to address deficiencies, inflammation, anti-aging, and immunity. Incorporating nutritional IVs periodically can help jump-start your body to heal from the inside, out. They are commonly used in offices who provide Regenerative Medicine (RM), Regenerative Cellular Therapy (RCT), Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments, and other advanced healing procedures. It just makes sense to do a little extra to protect these investments!
Types of Nutritional IVs:
There are many types of nutritional IVs that can be administered depending on the situation. Some of them are pre-mixed, and others can be custom-created for you by your medical provider. We’ll review 6 common nutritional IVs below:
Vitamin C: High doses of IV vitamin C have been used for decades by doctors to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer. It has been used for over 70 years without a single reported significant adverse event. IV vitamin C also boosts immunity, and increases collagen production and tissue repair. This Liquid Vitamin C IV is contraindicated for patients with an iron overload disease (ie: hemochromatosis), G6PD deficiency, renal insufficiency, renal failure, or those on dialysis.
The IV includes vitamin C, magnesium, sodium bicarbonate, B-5, B-6, B-12, and a B-complex.
Myers’ Cocktail: This IV treatment works by increasing the blood concentration of several essential vitamins and minerals, beyond what can be achieved when supplementing orally. It includes magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, selenium, B-12, B-6, B-5, B-complex, and vitamin C. For many people, their digestive system is compromised by illness, medication, toxins, age, etc. This decreases the ability of their body to absorb nutrients. By putting these vitamins and minerals into the blood in high concentrations, they can easily enter cells and be put to use! For this reason, it is ideal for patients with Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, pernicious anemia, small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), and more.
The Myers’ Cocktail has been used to help patients with fibromyalgia, migraine headaches, chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle spasm, sinusitis, allergies, and more to feel more energy for days or weeks. Symptoms may decrease, and immune function may increase. The IV takes about 30 – 45 minutes to infuse, and side effects are extremely rare. (If a patient has a side effect, it is typically injection site irritation.) Some patients may experience a flushing from the magnesium or the taste of the vitamins in their mouth.
A common protocol is to do the Myers’ Cocktail 1-2 times per week, and benefits are usually felt by the 4th IV.
Chelation: A chelation IV uses disodium or calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) mixed with minerals and vitamins. These minerals and compounds can bind to heavy metals and other molecules which are then excreted in the urine or stool to detoxify the body. Chelation therapy has been used to treat lead poisoning, cardiovascular conditions, neurological issue, and hypercalcemia, to name a few, but it is not approved by the FDA to treat any disease.
A chelation IV takes 1-4 hours to administer via slow IV drip. Depending on the health goals, it can be performed 1-3 times per week for 20 or more sessions. Some patients report feeling more energy, improved cholesterol levels, weight loss, better blood pressure, and less pain.
The IV contains EDTA, magnesium chloride, B-5, B-6, B-12, and a B-complex. It can also include lidocaine to reduce any stinging sensation. Side effects can include headaches, nausea, low blood sugar, low blood pressure, or an allergic reaction. It can reduce the effectiveness of certain blood thinners, and may lower blood sugar, especially if given with insulin.
Oxidative IV: An oxidative IV uses hydrogen peroxide to treat common infections such as colds, flus, and sinus infections. Hydrogen peroxide is produced naturally in our bodies as part of our immune defense, and an IV infusion helps boost our levels to fight infection. This can stimulate production of immune cells, fight pathogens, increase oxygenation of blood and tissues, stimulates substances to fight tumors and infections, fights free radicals, and stimulates the production of cellular energy.
The IV includes sodium chloride, hydrogen peroxide, sodium bicarbonate, magnesium chloride, and potassium chloride.
Glutathione: Glutathione is one of the most powerful anti-oxidants we’re aware of. It’s also called GSH and is produced by the liver. Glutathione helps us regenerate vitamins C and E, is anti-inflammatory, and it transports mercury out of the brain. Glutathione is also thought to play a role in the immune system, in cancer prevention, and in anti-aging. It may also help reduce blemishes and brighten the skin. There is no known toxicity level or side effects.
This IV includes glutathione, B-12, B-5, B-6, and sodium chloride. It can be given via “IV push” once a week.
NAD+ Infusion: NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a form of Vitamin B3. Infusions can help those with mental health issues, alcohol cravings, and opioid addictions. NAD+ increases cellular energy production (ATP), detoxifies the brain, and is a powerful anti-oxidant.
It’s often recommended to achieve optimal results from Regenerative Cellular Therapy (for example, stem cell treatment) and exosomes. The IVs are given for 3-5 days prior to the RCT. Each IV is delivered slowly, to increase patient comfort, and can take 2-4 hours. Supplementation with trimethyl glycine can also reduce any discomfort.