Which Is Better: Vitamin Supplements or IV Therapy?
Enter any pharmacy or natural-foods store, and you’ll see shelves upon shelves of vitamin and mineral supplements. From vitamin A to zinc, there are pills that contain every essential element for the human body. However, not everyone responds well to pills, and you might be spending a lot of money on supplements that don’t provide the full benefits. Here’s the truth about vitamin supplements — and why IV therapy might be the better choice for you.
How Do Vitamin Supplements Work?
To realize the problems with vitamin supplements, you must first understand how those pills interact with your body. When you swallow a pill, your digestive tract begins breaking it down, just as it would for food. This process isn’t perfect, though. Depending on the strength or weakness of your stomach acid, gut microbial levels, and overall hydration level, your body might destroy the pill before you reap the benefits — or simply pass it to your liver or urinary tract as unwanted nutrients. Some supplements may cause intestinal distress for these very reasons.
Also, most vitamins are water-soluble, which means that they can’t cross the “blood barrier.” Your digestive tract is lined with a layer of cells called “colonocytes,” and these cells have phospholipid membranes that water cannot cross. (Think of how oil and water do not mix.) In order for your body to absorb the vitamins, it must use transporter proteins. This is problematic because your body only has so many of these proteins, and their function can be impacted by genetics, alcohol consumption, and other factors.
In a nutshell, taking vitamin supplements is a gamble. The bioavailability of the vitamins in the pills, i.e. how well your body can absorb them, can vary widely. It’s worth noting that if you are ill or stressed, your absorption levels will likely drop — preventing you from benefiting from the vitamins you’re taking to solve those problems.
How Does IV Therapy Work?
To maximize the impact of vitamin supplements, you need to avoid the obstacles they will encounter in your gut. This way, there is much less potential for them to be lost or destroyed in the digestive tract. Intravenous (IV) therapy makes vitamins immediately available for your body’s use. It involves a nutrient-rich solution that is administered directly into your bloodstream, allowing your cells to quickly access and use the vitamins.
IV therapy isn’t just for vitamins; it can also include amino acids, minerals, and antioxidants. Because the solution is absorbed in virtually no time, IV therapy is an excellent way to provide near-immediate relief for pain, stress, fatigue, dehydration, and digestive issues. It is emerging as a way to treat patients who suffer from leaky gut syndrome, eating disorders, and overall vitamin deficiency, among other issues.
This treatment, also called IV infusion therapy, typically takes about 20 to 60 minutes of a continual dose. Your body will exhibit much higher concentrations of the desired nutrients than you would obtain from a pill supplement. Plus, the liquid vitamin solution is mixed, prepared, and administered by a medical professional who fine-tunes it to your needs.
Do I Really Need Extra Vitamins?
Even if you’re not experiencing an illness or chronic health condition, you can still benefit from IV vitamin therapy. Consider this: many Americans are deficient in at least one vitamin. Our diets tend to contain a lot of processed food, as well as produce that is grown in nutrient-poor soil. And just as we struggle to absorb vitamins from pill supplements, we might also fail to obtain sufficient nutrients from the good food that we do eat, due to stress, alcohol, genetics, or other factors.
There are many options for IV solutions, and each one can be customized for what ails you. For example, a mixture of electrolytes, magnesium, and B vitamins can help you recover from exercise. Vitamin C, combined with zinc and glutathione, boosts your immune system. These substances can all be difficult to obtain from food, especially for those who do not eat a lot of red meat, seafood, whole grains, or tropical fruits.
In short, everyone can benefit from extra vitamins. However, attempting to create your own mix using pill supplements can be tricky. Not only is it expensive to collect all the nutrients you need, but you could be underdosing or overdosing yourself. And as mentioned above, your body could fail to absorb the supplements you do take.
Start Your Wellness Journey With Benessair
No matter your unique genetics, health issues, and lifestyle, there is an IV solution that’s perfect for your needs. The near-instant results and personalized dosing can help you feel better, healthier, and more energetic. You will better absorb the nutrients and avoid wasted money or digestive issues that come with pills.
At Benessair Health, we’re pleased to offer a variety of Vitamin Infusion Therapy options for common health complaints, as well as hyperbaric treatments, genetic testing, and other wellness and concierge medical services to help you live your best life. Start your wellness journey now and book your IV vitamin therapy session today.