Do Vitamin IVs Actually Work?
IV vitamin infusions are all the rage. With everyone from celebrities to average citizens getting hooked up to a saline drip dosed with extra vitamins, often for hundreds of dollars a pop! And different vitamin combinations are supposed to boost immunity, cure a hangover, burn fat, reduce stress, and help overcome jetlag. But is it safe? And should otherwise-healthy people be getting vitamin IV drips? Dr. David Katz, from the Yale School of Public Health, says “no.”
First of all, people getting a vitamin IV tend to feel better because they expect to feel better. It’s the good old “placebo effect.”
Plus, if you’re dehydrated – which 75% of us are – an IV drip can make you feel better by boosting blood volume. But you’d get identical results just by drinking more water.
And there are definite drawbacks. For example, Dr. Katz says with any needle puncture, you raise your risk of developing a bacterial infection, like MRSA.
Plus, he says when you normally ingest vitamins with food or liquid, your gastrointestinal system defends against potential allergens and filters out toxins. But when you bypass the stomach and intestines, you also bypass your body’s crucial safeguards, which puts you at risk for toxic overdose and serious allergic reactions. Just so you know.
