IV Therapy vs. Oral Supplements: Which One is Better?

Nearly everyone is familiar with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that we typically get from oral routes like food and dietary supplements. Similarly, most know about intravenous (IV) bags and probably associate them with surgery or being in the hospital. But did you know that an IV can be used to deliver vitamins and nutrients directly into the bloodstream? It’s a simple but popular therapy option that offers many benefits and has a lot of people talking. Here, we’ll look at IV therapy and how it compares to getting your nutrients orally.

Both oral and intravenous supplements provide the body with important nutrients, but there are a few significant differences, namely the way they’re administered. 

Vitamins that are commonly given via IV include the B vitamins and vitamin C. Calcium, magnesium, electrolytes, and other extras like amino acids and antioxidants are also commonly added.

You might be thinking that it seems a lot more complicated to get an IV drip than swallow a capsule, so why would anyone do that? The answer is simple: when it comes to hydrating your body and delivering specialized nutrition, IV therapy is flat-out more effective than traditional oral supplementation. The nutrition is delivered faster and your body absorbs a lot more of it. Whether it’s part of your regular wellness routine or an occasional pick-me-up when you’re under the weather and need a boost, IV therapy provides a palpable uptick in your wellbeing.

There’s very little personalization when taking vitamin pills and tablets. You get what’s there. As a result, many people find themselves taking multiple products to get the combination of results they want. IV therapy is the complete opposite. You can select a blend of the nutrients that are right for you based on the benefits they provide and the aspects of your health they address. Moreover, these benefits are delivered in one, single drip. Want to boost your immune system, elevate your energy levels, and feel calmer? It can be done.

One of the biggest benefits of IV therapy is simply how efficient it is. When you consume nutrients orally, they have to go through your digestive system and metabolize before your body can use them. It’s a slow process and the reality is that orally consumed vitamins are around 50% bioavailable at best . Yikes. 

Compare that to the nutrients received via IV therapy, which your body is able to absorb all of since they bypass the laborious and time-consuming digestive process and go right into your bloodstream where they can get to work. The end result is that you feel better faster.

Fluid is the foundation of every drip, and, in addition to being a good delivery system, it has the added benefit of hydrating your body much faster and more efficiently than you can accomplish by just drinking water. There are two types of liquid that are generally used: lactated ringers and saline. Saline is a combination of water and salt that’s measured to have the same concentration of salt as in the body. Lactated ringers contain sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium lactate. Most of our drips use lactated ringers, but you can choose based on your preference. 

Intravenous supplement therapy is widely heralded as an extremely effective treatment that can help you overcome inflammation, dehydration, and various fatigue-related ailments. Many people report healthier-looking skin, more energy, a stronger immune system, and just a better overall sense of self and well-being when they make IV therapy part of their wellness routine. It’s even proven successful for providing vital nutrition to people whose digestive systems are sensitive or ravaged by health conditions or aggressive treatments like chemotherapy.

At Bounce Hydration, we created a line of signature drips that help with a variety of conditions including nausea, inflammation, hangovers, and more. We also have a multitude of nutrients to make a custom drip that’s tailored specifically to you. Best of all – we’ll come right to your doorstep with our concierge-style, mobile therapy spa. Call us today and feel your best!

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