What is Intravenous Nutritional Therapy?
Intravenous (IV) nutritional therapy is a method of delivering vitamins, minerals and other vital nutrients to the body directly into the bloodstream. A small intravenous catheter is temporarily placed into a vein, and the nutrients can be administered slowly over a period of time, which is dependent upon the nutrients that are used. For example, some nutrients can be administered over a 5 to 15 minute period; however, most intravenous infusions last approximately 30 to 45 minutes. In effect, IV Nutritional Therapy "feeds" the cells with nutrients and can increase and optimize cellular health. IV therapy is particularly relevant since many vitamin and mineral supplements are not well absorbed by the body.
For some people, barriers exist in the gastrointestinal tract that prevent adequate absorption. But with IV therapy, we can safely deliver large doses of nutrients safely into a vein that would otherwise not be tolerated if administered orally. This is what we mean by "feeding" the cells with nutrients. Vitamins, minerals, amino acids and certain other nutrients can have an incredibly potent drug-like effect when given directly into a vein, but without the side effects of many prescription medications.
All of the nutrients we use are natural and safe to be administered intravenously. IV nutritional therapy may be needed only a few times, or needed periodically for an extended period of time. The benefits and specific protocol is dependent upon the individual patient and the problem(s) being treated.