Episode #49: IV Nutrient Therapy

We’re back from our December break with a hot-topic episode: a deep look into the research on IV nutrient therapy and whether you should partake in the currently hot trend.

Guest host Amanda Jones and Victoria discuss:

* The history of IV therapy, including its start in conventional medicine and the connection to orthomolecular medicine

* The role of Linus Pauling and Dr. John Myers (more on him here) in promoting the popularity of ingesting large doses of nutrients and the Myers’ IV Cocktail

* The IV torch was passed to Dr. Alan Gaby (author of Nutritional Medicine), who continued the tradition and research of IV nutrient therapy

* Who might benefit most from IV therapy, and possible concerns when nutrients are used as drugs

* Amanda’s experience with IV magnesium therapy during labor when she had pre-eclampsia

* How IV nutrients made their way into spa/aesthetic/influencer culture, and the way these nutrients are spoken about in a way that sounds “medical-y” but won’t attract the ire of the FDA

* Are IV spas safe? Amanda and Victoria discuss possible risks

* Some concerns include a lack of randomized research, the possibility of the placebo effect, contaminants such as heavy metals or microplastics (we found multiple studies on this 😬), bypassing the stomach and first pass metabolism, individual reactions to the nutrients (such as heart arrhythmias), vitamin and antioxidant overload, medication interactions, allergic reactions, etc.

* Situations when the possible benefits of IV nutrients likely outweigh the risks

* The conflation of aesthetics and looking a certain way with being healthy