Adele, Gwyneth Paltrow, the Kardashians, Harry Styles and Jane Fonda are just a handful of celeb stars that have turned their attention to one of the hottest Hollywood health trends — vitamin IV (intravenous) drips. Over the past couple of years wellness drips have quickly become one of the most sought-after services with devotees praising their ability to improve overall health with the infusion of a variety of minerals and vitamins.
Get A Drip
Could vitamin IV drips be for you though? Whilst on face value there is the consensus among many that the rejuvenating treatments are a luxury reserved for celebrities only, the UK’s leading vitamin drip provider, Get A Drip, have made it their mission to make drips and their host of benefits accessible to the general public, not just for the super wealthy.
Since the business’ inception, more than 35 medical professionals have administered over 40,000 Vitamin Drips and Intramuscular (IM) Booster Shots, and Get A Drip have opened six UK clinics in Boxpark Shoreditch, Westfield Shepherd’s Bush, Westfield Stratford City, Canary Wharf, Junction 6 Dublin and Brown Thomas Dundrum. In fact, Get A Drip now also have four Greater London mobile clinics, meaning home treatments are possible anywhere within the M25.
That said, we spoke to Dr Matthew Calcasola, Chief Medical Officer at Get A Drip to discuss five core benefits of IV Drips and why you should introduce them to your wellness arsenal:
1. Bypasses the gut
Unlike oral supplementation, intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) administration of nutrients bypass the gastrointestinal tract entirely, facilitating the direct delivery of vitamins and minerals into the bloodstream. This means that the bioavailability of nutrients is not hindered by the digestive system, allowing optimum absorption of micronutrients by the body. Receiving micronutrients via IV Drips or IM Booster Shots also circumvents any digestive issues and related malabsorption one might face due to poor gut health, e.g. inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In contrast, a vitamin pill or gummy that is taken orally is subject to being processed and broken down during its journey through the digestive system: significantly limiting how much of the vitamins and minerals can actually be absorbed into the bloodstream and used by the body (a maximum of around 50%).
2. 100% bioavailability
In nutritional terms, bioavailability refers to the proportion of a nutrient that is absorbed and utilised by the body. High bioavailability of vitamins and minerals is key to effective supplementation. This is because without their proper absorption and use, micronutrients simply cannot produce beneficial effects at a significant enough level required for optimum bodily function.Receiving vitamins and minerals via an IV Drip or IM injection means that all nutrients bypass the gut and any absorption issues, making them 100% bioavailable for your body to use and benefit from. This makes IV and IM supplementation the most effective way of receiving essential nutrients.
3. Higher doses of nutrients
The fact that IV-administered nutrients can bypass the gut and benefit from increased renal clearance means that Intravenous Nutritional Therapy (IVNT) can produce high serum concentrations that are not obtainable via oral administration. This is important not only to allow cells to rapidly repair, regain strength and function optimally again, but also because various nutrients only exert their pharmacological effects depending on the concentration of the nutrient.For example, an antiviral effect of vitamin C has been demonstrated at a concentration of 10-15 mg/dL, a level achievable with IV but not oral therapy. Similarly, oral magnesium supplementation results in little or no change in serum magnesium concentrations, whereas IV administration can double or even triple the serum levels.Research has also shown that oral supplements are often full of fillers that are bad for your health, whereas the substances that Get A Drip manufactures and provides contain absolutely no fillers or additives: leaving room for high and pure concentrations of micronutrients for your body to benefit from.
4. No need to take a daily supplementSupplementing your body’s nutritional needs via IV Drips and IM Booster Shots nullifies the need for daily supplementation of the same nutrients that you have obtained via these means. For example, if you have a Get A Drip Vitamin B12 Booster Shot, you do not need to take any daily B12 supplements in addition.For many, this alternative way of obtaining key micronutrients proves to be more cost-effective, efficient and convenient. Instead of having to remind yourself of several different oral supplements that need taking every day, one can simply do this once a month. It’s important to listen to listen to your body in determining your needs, but on average I would recommend having an IV Drip once a month for optimal maintenance.
5. Fast acting and long lasting
IVNT delivers nutrients much faster into your body than oral supplements, as it involves administration of vitamin and mineral-packed fluids directly into the bloodstream through a cannula. This way, there is no need for nutrients to take time traversing the digestive system and being absorbed into the bloodstream through the gut lining before being able to take effect within the body. After ingesting an oral supplement, it can take six to eight hours for it to pass through the stomach and small intestine, where digestive absorption of nutrients occurs.Because IV Drips and IM Booster Shots facilitate the delivery and absorption of higher micronutrient doses, the body can draw from a larger store of vitamins and minerals to benefit from: immediately, and over time. This is particularly true for fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin D, which can last for up to three months in the body’s adipose tissue. Other vitamins, such as Vitamin B12, can remain in the body for up to six months at the doses administered by us at Get A Drip.
For more information about Get A Drip’s products and services, visit www.getadrip.com