How vitamin therapy can improve your absorption by up to 99.9%
Beauty trends come and go but one that seems to be sticking around and ever so popular is vitamin therapy. Vitamin therapy was originally a thing of the 80's where stars in Hollywood and cities alike, would hook up to a drip or go for regular infusions as a health kick. Many physicians are now recognising the beneficial uses of anti-oxidant and other vitamins for a wide variety of conditions, often as a complementary therapy to accompany medication or other treatments.
It was during a recent visit to renowned doctor, Dr Bianca Estelle's clinic in Marylebone that she told me, "vitamin delivery via IV-therapy, allows you to absorb 99.9% of vitamins, delivering them straight into your bloodstream for maximum impact, compared to 8% absorption that oral, tablet forms deliver. Founder of Nosh Vitamins, Geeta Sidhu- Robb adds, "when you take a tablet it has to go through your stomach before it's absorbed and your absorption rate is dependent on your gut health, your deficiencies and how well your hormones are balanced. Through an IV, nutritional value is added straight into your blood stream, allowing your body to absorb instantly with optimum efficacy.
It's important to note that vitamin therapy comes in two forms- intravenous drips and intravenous injections otherwise known as a vitamin push. The methods are quite different but both effective ways to absorb vitamins more readily.
Intravenous Drip Therapy
Drip therapies can vary. Most common infusions are Vitamins B, C and D- types that we are usually low in or have great health benefits in greater amounts. Some clinics offer bespoke infusions according to your individual body-make-up and other personal health issues. "At Nosh Detox, we advise bespoke infusions to ensure our customers get the most from the treatment," says Sidhu-Robb. "We create individual formulas made up of the best ingredients, which are EU compliant and mix them into an IV bag. The client receives it via IV tubing and a small needle into their vein, usually into their arm."
"We are severely vitamin and mineral deficient because of so many issues such as bad diet, stress and the type of foods we consume," advises Shidu-Robb. "Our food is grown with too many chemicals, it's harvested before its ripe, and therefore has low nutritional value despite what the ingredient label says. As we also live with so much stress, our gut health is sub-optimal meaning we absorb less than we should. So, the help of a drip can give you the health-kick your body craves.
Depending on the infusion type, treatments usually take around 30-60 minutes.
Book at www.noshdetox.com Prices from ￡150
Intravenous Injection Therapy
"An 'IV-push’ treatment is where concentrated syringes of potent vitamin solution are pushed through your vain into the bloodstream and activated by drinking plenty of water, post treatment, for optimum absorption," advises Estelle. "It avoids any strain on organs such as the liver or stomach and allows high quantities of vitamins to be absorbed that are simply not possible via oral consumption," says Estelle.
Living in the Western world, we’re also exposed to carcinogenic environments and where many of us turn to supplementation and don't feel the results, IV therapy is a way to ensure the vitamins you’re receiving are effective and improving your overall health. Estelle adds, "this is dependent on what vitamins are regularly being consumed via IV therapy but as a rule, clients can expect an improved immune system, so less colds/illness, increased energy levels and improved/diminished fatigue". "Vitamin D is particularly great for helping with brittle bones and preventing conditions such as osteoporosis and arthritis. Vitamin C is known to help with the production of collagen levels, which is great way to aid smart-ageing and if that's not enough, Vitamin C also helps with acne thanks to its antibacterial properties," says Estelle.
Book at www.vitamininjections.co.uk Prices from ￡50
How many treatments do you need for it to be effective?
"Everyone feels it immediately, after one treatment you will feel revitalised but in order for it to impact your general health, regular treatments are recommended. The more deficient you are, the longer it takes to have a lasting effect but after three or four injections you should start to see an improvement," says Estelle.
Pregnant women should consult their GP before trying and it's also advised for all patients to check if they are allergic to any specific vitamins or minerals.
How it can boost your skincare regime
Vitamin therapy works super well in conjunction with topical-skincare application. So much so, in some cases, it can replace it. "It depends which treatment you’re having and how regularly but some clients report that they no longer require certain products such as acne treatments as their vitamin absorption is greater and more effective through a drip or injection," advises Estelle.
Always consult your GP before trying any medical vitamin therapies.
