A small but growing number of Canadians have found a new way to take their daily vitamins -- through an intravenous drip. Most people who take vitamins to boost their health or stave off diseases usually swallow a combination of pills or tablets containing vitamins B, C or D. But proponents of IV vitamin therapy say getting their vitamin fix through an infusion directly into their bloodstream gives them a higher dose and better results. Matthew George, a busy 30-year-old entrepreneur who frequently travels for his work, goes to a Toronto clinic for his vitamin "pick me up" -- a cocktail of vitamins and minerals delivered intravenously. "I started to take them more often and then I kind of got hooked, I guess you could say it that way," he said. The so-called "vitamin drips" have been touted as a way of delivering nutrients to help patients fight diseases, cope with stress or just simply stay healthy. Fans of the therapy claim it can be used as a preventive measure against aging, or to improve performance at sports, or to create a greater sense of well being.
Tim Gallant said he started getting regular infusions to speed the healing of a stubborn burn. "Two days in I started to feel a lot better. My energy levels were up and I started thinking about what was different and it was vitamin IV," Gallant said. The vitamin IV is a trend that started in Asia, spread to California and is now increasingly being offered in Canada. In Vancouver, Tanya Robertson is a convert. She's been going to a local clinic every month for more than three years for her vitamin drip. "The next day in the morning I feel great, I feel a huge amount of energy." IV delivers vitamins faster, experts say Naturopathic practitioners like John Dempster say vitamins in pill form have to be digested, distributing the nutrients and active ingredients through the digestive system. That means not all of them get absorbed by the body. "(Vitamin infusions are) fast. It's direct delivery, it goes directly into the bloodstream and you bypass intestinal absorption."
In medical circles it's called parenteral nutrition -- some studies suggest direct doses of some nutrients can help fight some diseases and nutritional deficiencies. But some doctors call this increasingly popular therapy "quackery." Others, like Dr. David Jenkins of the University of Toronto's Department of Nutritional Sciences, see no real benefits from the direct-to-the-bloodstream vitamins. But he also doesn't see the harm in it either. "It's no substitution for a healthy lifestyle," he said. "But if it has some advantage because people sit there and they feel psychologically and spiritually better and then they go out and practice healthier practices, well then who knows? This could have been a useful placebo effect." Dempster said each patient's "cocktail" is mixed according to blood tests that show what vitamins and nutrients their body is lacking. "Infusions can include the usual Vitamin C, D, B6 and B12 … along with other nutrients like Coenzyme Q10, Glutamine and Glutathione."
The cost runs from $30 to $100 dollars per treatment and Dempster says he's seen plenty of anecdotal and clinical evidence that it works. "It's effective, it works well, it is safe and it helps people recover quick compared to regular vitamin therapy." His clinic has treated patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and other diseases where fatigue becomes pervasive. Justin Lafreniere, a naturopathic doctor practicing in Vancouver, would like to see more mainstream medical research looking at the benefits of intravenous vitamin therapy. "From a clinical point of view I do see an improvement in some patients, but not all," he said. "Definitely I would love to see more research on it." With a report by CTV medical specialist Avis FavaroAll site navigation as a Select menu Print FriendlyIntravenous Vitamin Injections | Cosmos Clinic Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide & Gold Coast Recovering from illness or just feeling rundown? A Vitamin Injection can speed the healing process and boost your immune system….
Some quick facts about IV Vitamins We inject a powerful vitamin cocktail directly into your blood stream through a cannula. Vitamins are used to boost the immune system. They help the body to recover from inflammations, infections, thrombosis, fatigue and post surgical healing. It can be done as a sole procedure or during the recovery period after a liposuction procedure. Patients can resume immediately normal activities. Cost varies between $120 and $500 depending on your needs. What are the benefits of Vitamin Infusions? Vitamin Infusions are a powerful immune system booster with anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-histamine properties. Vitamins helps the body recover from inflammation, thrombosis, infection, fatigue and with post surgical healing. They play a role in heart and brain functions as well as our bodies immune system. Increasing your vitamin intake by eating more of certain foods or by taking oral supplements can lead to a healthier lifestyle, however not all of the required vitamins and minerals actually penetrate into the blood.
More importantly there may not be enough of the essential nutrients that are needed during illness, high stress or for a person who is recovering post surgery. A Vitamin Injection can go directly into your blood stream where all of the nutrients can be readily absorbed by your body to speed up the healing process. During the recovery period from a liposuction procedure at Cosmos Clinic, we can provide our patients with the extra Vitamin C and additional nutrients their bodies need to speed up the healing process. How does Intravenous Vitamin Therapy work? The powerful cocktail of recovery vitamins are delivered straight into your blood stream using the Intravenous Therapy (IV) delivery method. There is no downtime and you are able to resume your normal activities right away. Which Vitamins are included in the drip? At Cosmos Clinic we source our intravenous vitamins injectables from Biological Therapies; an Australian owned company fully licenced with the TGA (Australian Goods Administration) to manufacture and provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality sterile injectable products.
We are able to tailor your treatment to meet your individual your needs and can offer a wide range of vitamin combinations including the following cocktails: Vitamin C (15-30g) – Useful for repair of tissue and boosts the immune system Vitamin B + Vitamin B12 – Useful to boost energy Strong Antioxidant– Powerful antioxidant Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) – Great liver detoxifier Vitamin D3 – Given once a year for healthy cell repair How do you feel after an intravenous drip? You may feel a warm feeling throughout your body as you have the intravenous drip. Some people may develop flu-like systems for a few hours after the treatment. Are Vitamin Injections popular? Intravenous Vitamin Therapy is fast becoming one of the biggest health trends in both the celebrity and main stream worlds. The desire to live the healthiest life possible has lead to everyone from The Real Housewives, Madonna, Rhianna, Cindy Crawford and Simon Cowell to reveal they use vitamin infusion injections to maintain their a-list looks and the hectic demands of being a celebrity.