You Don’t Need To Be Sick To Get An IV!
category: Health Optimization
IV therapy (Intravenous therapy) is a technique used to deliver vitamins, minerals, amino acids, or antioxidants directly into your body via your vein. IV therapy is common practice when sick or in the hospital, but it can also be used to help optimize your overall health and well-being.
IV therapy is a more superior route of administration as opposed to getting your nutrients through oral supplements or food. While it’s not a substitute for eating well, it’s a great addition. Unfortunately, our food is not as nutrient dense as it once was due to soil depletion along with harmful pesticides and herbicides sprayed on crops. Even if you eat sustainable and organic food for EVERY meal (we all have that one friend), you’re still not getting the same quality of fruits and vegetables from a nutritional standpoint as our ancestors once did. To add more fuel to the fire, most people have gut or microbiome issues and are unable to absorb nutrients efficiently, whether it’s malabsorption, leaky gut, or inflammatory conditions. Oral supplements are extremely beneficial to fill gaps in the diet, but don’t guarantee 100% absorption, especially when not taking a quality product. With IV therapy, the nutrients bypass the gut, so your GI tract doesn’t require any breakdown work. Intravenous administration allows your cells to be immediately saturated with nutrients so your body can start using them right away, resulting in you feeling better faster. It’s so quick acting, sometimes you can even taste the vitamins once the IV starts to drip!
Therapeutic dosing
Depending on the vitamin/mineral, delivering higher doses can sometimes be challenging in an oral form. For example, magnesium. Magnesium is documented to have great effect on vascular smoothing, muscle relaxation, and relieving headaches; however, there is no way to get the optimal amount orally to achieve results without GI disturbances. Magnesium is known for its effect in laxatives. If you have ever taken an over-the-counter laxative, you know it’s not a walk in the park and taking too much magnesium orally would bring back memories of your evening spent running back and forth to the bathroom. If you’re looking to supplement high doses of this mineral, you’ll need it supplied through an IV to avoid the uncomfortable side effect through GI absorption.
Hydration
Our bodies are made up of 60% water. As mentioned, very few people drink the daily recommended amount of water necessary to refuel our bodies and function properly. Because so much of us is made of water, it is critical for the healthy function of every one of our cells. Some functions include lubricating your joints, regulating internal body temperature, transporting protein and carbohydrates, and eliminating waste. Symptoms of dehydration are not rare for most of us. Headache, dry mouth, fatigue, to a name a few, all can be associated with not drinking enough water. Fluid is the foundation of IV drips and is delivered through a bag of IV fluid solution, usually 500-1000ml containing electrolytes to help restore your body’s hydration more efficiently than you can accomplish by just drinking water. Most people aren’t reaching that volume in an entire day let alone in 30 minutes!
Being properly hydrated is essential for various events whether you’re preparing for your next Spartan Race or a bachelor party in Vegas, you may need some extra fluids for occasions that dehydrate you. Did you know that being dehydrated also effects your skin? Is your skin looking dull, scaly, or more saggy than usual? These characteristics can be a sign that you’re not getting enough water and an IV helps restore fluid balance immediately.
Travel
Going on vacation? IVs are an excellent resource to include on your to-do list before going out of town. Traveling to different geographical locations or even being in an airport can expose you to various pathogens. If your immune system is down, you’re putting yourself at risk for contracting a virus that could devastate your 10-day trip in Mexico. Throw in a time change, lack of sleep, alcohol and eating outside your normal routine, you’re probably not going to feel so hot in your new fedora. Getting an IV before and after a trip is the fastest way to boost your immune system and to protect yourself from getting sick.
There are a multitude of reasons and/or conditions that are beneficial for seeking out IV therapy:
- Micronutrient deficiencies
- Chronic illnesses such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lyme Disease, cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson Disease.
- Fibromyalgia
- Psoriasis, eczema
- Migraines
- GI infections, Crohn’s disease
- Inflammation
It’s a therapeutic experience! At Victory Men’s Health, we sit down with you when you arrive to determine which IV cocktail is most appropriate for your symptoms and goals if you haven’t already decided. Stuck between two choices? Drips can be combined/customized! Once your bag is primed and lined, you’ll be ushered to a zero-gravity massage chair in our IV lounge to sit back (literally), relax and enjoy your drip. The Himalayan salt wall provides a calming ambiance and purifies the circulating air helping reduce stress, increase energy, and boost mood. You’ll forget what you’re here for! Have a friend, family member or significant other looking to join? The more the merrier!
Micronutrient testing is a great tool to find out exactly what IV drips are best for you. To learn more about vitamin supplementation, micronutrient deficiencies, testing and more, listen to our podcast or contact one of the medical professionals at any of our locations.
To schedule an IV:
O’Fallon, IL 618.632.9000 info@victorymenshealth.com
Town and Country, MO 314.833.9000 moinfo@victorymenshealth.com
Winghaven, MO 636.229.9000 winghaven@victorymenshealth.com
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