5 Reasons to Add Intravenous Therapy to Your Wellness Routine

If you are a health conscious and active individual, you know the value of a good supplementation regime. We can all agree that in our modern-life, it’s very difficult to obtain all the nutrients our bodies require to function optimally, through diet alone. Yet even with a well-balanced diet and high-quality supplementation, most of the population is still nutrient-depleted.

It’s one thing to have enough nutrients in your body to survive, it’s another thing to have enough to thrive; to function optimally, to feel energetic, prevent illness, sleep soundly, recover quickly from strenuous workouts, and even party like a Rockstar Saturday night and still be able to accomplish your Sunday to-do list.

So why not just take oral supplements to combat nutrient deficiencies and optimize our health? Intravenous therapy offers nutrient administration directly to your bloodstream and can achieve very high blood concentrations.

Having high serum levels of nutrients creates a concentration gradient, that forces nutrients into our cells via the semi-permeable cell wall (flashback: grade school biology). When our cells have all the nutrients they need, they can function at their best.

Imagine trying to set up a tent without poles. It could be done, but it would take a lot more time and energy. Similarly, when our cells do not have all the nutrients they need to perform their duties, they find a way, but it takes a lot more energy.

Although nutritional IV therapy is often used to treat a variety of medical health conditions, (including migraines, asthma, chronic fatigue and allergies), here are 5 reasons an otherwise healthy, active individual, could greatly benefit from a delivery of nutrients straight to their bloodstream:

1. Digestive Issues

Problems with digestion are becoming more and more common. According to the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology, approximately 5 million Canadians have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). IBS is just one of many digestive issues – all of which affect absorption of nutrients. With IV therapy, you skip the GI tract all together.

2. Elevated Stress Levels

We can all agree that chronic stress wreaks havoc on our bodies. Producing excess amounts of cortisol (stress hormone) requires increased amounts of nutrients, especially vitamin C, vitamin B5 and magnesium. Oral supplementation of these nutrients is one tactic that can be done to increase our resistance to stress, but for a lot of busy professionals, taking therapeutic doses of oral supplements is another thing on their long to-do list that often gets forgotten.

3. Parental Responsibilities

Those of you with children are likely quite familiar with being exposed to germs on a regular basis, and there often being someone in your household who is under the weather. Even if you do not have kids, but are around a lot of sick people, receiving an immune-boosting IV can help fight off illness and prevent you from catching whatever is going around. Research has shown that high plasma levels of vitamin C have a strong antiviral effect, and as mentioned, obtaining these blood levels is not possible through diet or oral supplementation.

4. Loving the Party Life

Being social often involves alcohol consumption in varying amounts. There are healthier options when it comes to beverages, however they all require B-vitamins, specifically Thiamine (vitamin B1), for metabolization. Alcohol is also dehydrating and can leave us feeling very unwell and incapable of accomplishing much the day after a night out. IV therapy for curing hangovers is becoming very popular in big cities across North America, yet few people realize that Calgary offers this service.

5. Serious Sport and Leisure Participation

Although exercise is something we should all be incorporating into our lives daily, hard training is another stress on our body that depletes nutrients. Physical activity also produces free radicals that we know can be quite damaging if we are not providing elevated levels of antioxidant support.

So, if you want to feel your absolute best, prevent and treat illness, hangovers, mood swings and jet lag, intravenous therapy should become a part of your wellness routine.

For more information on intravenous therapy and the mixes provided by Dr. Milliquet at ProActive Health Group, please go to proactivehealthgroup.ca/intravenous-therapy/

References:

Blanchard J, Tozer TN, Rowland M. Pharmacokinetic perspectives on megadoses of ascorbic acid. Am J Clin Nutr 1997;66:1165-1171

Brody S, Preut R, Schommer K, Schürmeyer TH. A randomized controlled trial of high dose ascorbic acid for reduction of blood pressure, cortisol, and subjective responses to psychological stress. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2002 Jan;159(3):319-24. Epub 2001 Nov 20.

Fedorak RN, Vanner SJ, Paterson WG, Bridges RJ. Canadian Digestive Health Foundation Public Impact Series 3: Irritable bowel syndrome in Canada. Incidence, prevalence, and direct and indirect economic impact. Can J Gastroenterol 2012;26(5):252-256.

Onuki M, Suzawa A. Effect of pantethine on the function of the adrenal cortex. 2. Clinical experience using pantethine in cases under steroid hormone treatment. Horumon To Rinsho 1970;18:937-940.

Seelig MS. Consequences of magnesium deficiency on the enhancement of stress reactions; preventive and therapeutic implications (a review). J Am Coll Nutr. 1994 Oct;13(5):429-46.