IV Vitamin Therapy
We all know that staying hydrated is key to the health of not only our skin but bodies as a whole. It is widely advised that drinking at least a 1 litre a day to maintain hydration levels is essential. The reality is for the skin to reap the hydration benefits you need to be consuming much more than this. 2-3 litres is more like the amount we should be drinking to ensure our skin is supple from within.
When we think about hydration for the skin, it is important to understand the process that it will take to reach the underlying layers of our dermis.
When drinking, water travels down the esophagus, and lands in the stomach, here, the process of water absorption to the bloodstream begins. A majority of water absorption into the bloodstream occurs after the water passes through the stomach into the small intestine. The small intestine efficiently absorbs water into the cell membrane and bloodstream. From here, water will travel to cells across the body, providing them with the hydration to perform daily functions efficiently. Once absorbed into the body, water aids several vital functions. It needs to filter toxins via the kidneys, provide hydration to brain cells and cushion your joints amongst other important functions, as well as hydrating our skin cells.
In the name of research, I decided to try the Myer’s Cocktail derived its name from the late John Myer, MD. The cocktail is an IV therapy comprises Magnesium, Vitamin C, Vitamin B12, and other minerals. It was designed to increases the levels of nutrients in the blood to facilitate the transport of essential nutrients to the cells.
IV Vitamin Therapy has been around for many years and claims to replenish our bodies with all the essential vitamins and minerals. By delivering them directly, we get maximum absorption allowing the nutrients to flood your body and nourish itself at a cellular level. Before recommending this, I wanted to see for myself if Intravenous (IV) Vitamin Drips lived up to the hype.
In the clinic:
The process was reasonably quick, taking around an hour in total. Afterwards, I felt no immediate pick me up. The clinic says it is normal to feel a little more tired than usual after the infusion, but after an uninterrupted night sleep, you should feel rejuvenated in the morning.
So did I feel more rejuvenated in the morning?
No more than usual when getting up at 6:30 am for yoga.
Did I see all the claimed benefits?
Overall I felt my skin was no more glowy than usual. I did feel a little more clear-headed and maybe slightly more energy for the first week, but nothing to write home about.
Overall thoughts?
If you already have a healthy diet and keep your fluids up, then you will most likely have a similar experience to mine. There was not a huge amount of difference to how I normally feel.
Would I do it again?
I am open to trying it again. However, I feel it would be much more beneficial after having a severe cold. I generally struggle to keep my fluids up during this time and have little to no appetite. I also feel it would be great to do this after an ultralong haul flight. In a 10-hour flight, the average woman can lose 1.6 litres of water, with men losing about 25% more. In reality, on these flights, I never drink enough to replace these fluids lost.
I have also read that it works wonders after a night of overindulgence (aka drinking too much). I would be tempted to try it out as my hangovers (seldom as they are) are vengeful.
Key point:
- If you feel like you are lacking vital nutrients it is best to go see a doctor who will run the full tests on what your body is missing.
My tips for increasing your water intake:
If your water intake target is 3L per day, plan for 500ml - 1L when you wake up and 500ml with each of 3 meals. That accounts for 2- 2.5 L. Sip the remaining 500ml - 1 L throughout the day at about 125 ml/hour. If you sip water throughout the day, you won’t need to go to the toilet so frequently. Your body will use water more efficiently if you don’t drink large volumes at one time.
If you drink water outlined above, your body should adapt to the new intake volume in a few days.
Carlia. x