Intravenous Nutritional Therapy (ivnt) is a treatment method, which uses vitamins and minerals and administers these directly into the bloodstream. IVNT can be more effective than taking supplements orally for correcting intracellular nutrient deficiencies. The intravenous method targets nutrients to where they are most needed, because this method bypasses the need for nutrients having to be absorbed through the gut, especially if the person is deficient in hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, or perhaps gut related problems that prevents absorption of vital nutirents. The IV route allows for a higher concentration of nutrients to be delivered to the tissues than does oral supplementation.
There are several advantages of giving the body nutrients by the intravenous method –
- By injecting substances directly into the bloodstream the body is able to eliminate any alteration in the nutrients, which may occur from the actions of digestive enzymes, thus having direct cellular nutrition.
- The amount of nutrients in the blood can reach much higher, more therapeutic levels faster than is possible by absorbing nutrients through the Gastrointestinal system. This bypasses any intestinal malabsorption.
- It has immediate therapeutic effects to ones cell to address the specific conditions one is presenting with.
- INVT will alleviate nutritional deficiencies.
The substances used in IVMT are vitamins and minerals, which are normal nutrients that the body needs for basic physiological functions. The nutrients most commonly injected using IV Therapy are a mix of calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, and C, folic acid, glutathione, and biotin.
IV nutritional therapy can provide enormous health benefits depending on the condition(s) being treated, the specific protocol(s) used, the number of treatments and the overall health of the patient being treated. In many respects, IV nutritional therapy is a preventive aging measure since it improves the nutritional content inside of the cells. Some of the specific benefits that patients may experience include –
- Increased energy,
- An overall sense of well being,
- Improved sports performance,
- Improved healing and recovery from sports “wear and tear” or even surgical procedures
- Enhanced immune support, and
- Stress relief
IV therapy is so powerful that many patients report many of these benefits within hours of receiving the treatment. Some conditions including chronic diseases like Fibromyalgia require periodic treatments in order to maintain the benefits.
IV therapy may be used to treat a vast amount of medical conditions. The most common of these are –
- Acute strain or injury
- Acute viral illness
- Allergic rhinitis
- Aging
- Asthma
- Chronic fatigue
- Chronic sinusitis
- Coronary artery disease (hypertension)
- Depression
- Detoxification (including heavy metals)
- Fibromyalgia
- Hepatitis
- Herpes outbreaks
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Malnutrition
- Migraines
- Muscle spasm
- Parkinson’s disease
- Upper respiratory infection
IV Nutritional Therapy and Cancer – Nutrition is a key in recovery, especially with cancer, because chemotherapy and radiation treatments suck the nutrients right out of the patient. This is why patients undergoing chemo look so ill as if their bodies are literally starved of nutrition while simultaneously loaded with toxins and metabolic waste. It provides requisite nutrients to patients intravenously, thereby bypassing a nonfunctional GI tract. The IVNT formulation provides energy, fluid, and various medications via peripheral or central venous access to the cancer patients. It is recommended for patients who may become or are malnourished and are not candidates for enteral nutrition. Parenteral nutrition should not be used routinely in patients with an intact GI tract. It is associated with more infectious complications, does not preserve GI tract function, and is more expensive than enteral nutrition.
Types of IV Therapy
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that is made by the body and is found in every cell, where it helps turn glucose into energy. Antioxidants are substances that attack “free radicals,” waste products created when the body turns food into energy. Free radicals cause harmful chemical reactions that can damage cells in the body, making it harder for the body to fight off infections. They also damage organs and tissues. Unlike other antioxidants, which work only in water (such as vitamin C) or fatty tissues (such as vitamin E), alpha-lipoic acid is both fat- and water-soluble. That means it can work throughout the body. In addition, antioxidants are depleted as they attack free radicals, but evidence suggests alpha-lipoic acid may help regenerate these other antioxidants and make them active again.
It is used for diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, cardiac autonomic neuropathy, retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Alpha-lipoic acid is also used orally for dementia, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), HIV/AIDS, cancer, liver disease, Wilson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, peripheral arterial disease (PAD), intermittent claudication, Lyme disease, and lactic acidosis caused by inborn errors of metabolism.
Chelation therapy is used to remove heavy metals from the blood stream reducing free radical damage that can cause arteriosclerosis. For this, ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA, an amino acid) is administered intravenously. The acid binds with heavy metals such as iron, lead, and calcium, and flushes them out of the blood via urine. Chelation therapy reduces the occurrence of arteriosclerosis and, therefore, is effective in preventing heart attacks, strokes, senility, and cancers.
Vitamin C has proven to effectively treat many conditions including Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. IV Vitamin C has a much greater effect on immune enhancement than the conventional oral Vitamin C administration. In addition, high levels of Vitamin C in the blood cause production of hydrogen peroxide, a known toxin to cancer cells.
Hydrogen peroxide in the body leads to the release of single oxygen molecules in the cells and bloodstream. The single oxygen molecule can destroy anaerobic viruses and bacteria, kill cancer cells, or oxidize toxins and make them easier for the liver and kidneys to process.
Myers’ Cocktail is a mix of vitamins and minerals, developed by John Myers, and are used to enhance your immune system, treat fatigue, help with allergies, and reduce the symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Asthma. The cocktail is administered intravenously, thus bypassing problems with digestion and providing a temporary energy production boost in your body.
Methylcobalamin is a cobalamin (MeB12) used in peripheral neuropathy, diabetic neuropathy etc. It is a form of vitamin B12. This vitamer is one of two active coenzymes used by B-12 dependent enzymes in the body, and is specifically the B-12 form used by 5-methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase (MTR), also known as methionine synthase.
Intravenous magnesium sulfate is indicated for immediate control of life-threatening convulsions in the treatment of severe toxemias (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia) of pregnancy and in the treatment of acute nephritis in children. Magnesium sulfate (magnesium sulfate (magnesium sulfate injection) injection) is indicated for replacement therapy in magnesium deficiency, especially in acute hypomagnesemia accompanied by signs of tetany similar to those of hypocalcemia.
Anti-Fungal IV – Many patients suffer from the“yeast syndrome”, as described by William Crook, M.D., in his best selling book. Fungus can develop and contribute to a myriad of health problems including diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivities, allergies, asthma, depression/anxiety to name a few. The ABC’S care considered to be the major triggers for this disorder—Antibiotics, Birth Control Pills, Cortisone (Prednisone), and Sugar found in the typical American diet. IV anti-fungal drips are used to inactivate fungus and improve immune function.
Migraine IV – For millions of Americans, migraine headaches can be disabling often leading to countless medications often replete with side effects. The Migraine IV “cocktail”utilizes concentrations of magnesium, riboflavin, and other key nutrients to relieve acute episodes of migraine and prevent future occurrences.
Hypertension IV – High blood pressure is often associated with mineral deficiencies and heavy metal burden. Intravenous nutritional therapy can rapidly lower blood pressure, and when used in conjunction with other lifestyle measures can reduce heart disease risk.