Micro-nutrients are essential for your body
Our bodies are amazing machines! Every day they produce skin, muscle, and bone. They churn out billions of blood cells required to carry nutrients and oxygen to the remote organs and tissues, and it sends nerve signals darting along thousands of miles of brain and nerve pathways. It also brews chemical messengers that deliver instructions from one organ to another in order to help sustain your life.
In return, your body requires you to supply it with some raw materials. Over 30 vitamins, minerals, and dietary components that your body needs but cannot manufacture on its own in sufficient amounts are among these requirements.
Vitamins and minerals are essential nutrients—because without them acting in concert, to shore up bones, heal wounds, bolster your immune system, convert food into energy and repair cellular damage, we would surely die!
Diseases caused by vitamin deficiency
Often called micronutrients, vitamins and minerals are only needed in tiny amounts, but without those small quantities, illness is virtually guaranteed. A few examples of diseases resulting from vitamin deficiencies are:
Scurvy. Most commonly recognized as a disease suffered by sailors in the 17th and 18th century, due to their restricted access to fresh fruit and vegetables on voyages that often took months or even years to complete. It is still prevalent in the developed world despite ready access to fresh fruit, vegetables, and dietary supplements. A 1994 study carried out by the National Center for Health Statistics showed over 10% of participants where Vitamin C deficient.
Blindness. While seldom encountered in developed countries, it is not unheard of in developing countries for vitamin A deficiency patients to cause a loss of eyesight.
Rickets. Too little vitamin D can result in an illness known as rickets, and this leads to soft, weak bones, often resulting in skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. The U.S. has supplemented milk with vitamin D since the 1930s in part to combat rickets.
Just as a lack of critical micronutrients can cause substantial harm to your body, getting sufficient quantities can provide a considerable benefit. Examples of these benefits are;
· Strong bones, A combination of vitamin D, vitamin K, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus help protect your bones against fractures,
· Prevents congenital disabilities, Taking folic acid supplements early in pregnancy helps prevent brain and congenital spinal anomalies in newborns,
· Healthy teeth, Fluoride not only helps bone formation but also protects against dental cavities.
Micronutrient deficiency [MND]
MNDs are not uncommon, affecting an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. While micronutrients are essential to sustain a healthy life. Widespread global micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) exist, pregnant women and their children under five years are at the highest risk.
Iron, iodine, folate, vitamin A, and zinc deficiencies are the most widespread MNDs, and all these MNDs are frequent contributors to stunted growth, intellectual impairments, perinatal complications, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. Prevention of MNDs is critical, and while this has traditionally has been accomplished through supplementation, fortification, and food-based approaches, including diversification, this may no longer be enough!
The depletion of nutrients in food sources
The growing global population has meant farmers have been forced to focus on higher-yield varieties of produce. Several studies of crops (fruit, vegetable, and grain) have demonstrated a decline in nutritional value related to these changes in cultivated varieties, with some high-yielding plants being less nutritious than traditional varieties. Several other issues are involved, like farming methods (including the extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides), as well as food processing and preparation. In a 2004 study, the Department of Agriculture evaluated data for 43 garden crops from 1950 to 1999. The researchers found statistically reliable declines for six nutrients — protein, calcium, potassium, iron and vitamins B2, and C.
They also pointed out that while less effective, fresh fruits and vegetables were still nutritionally valuable and suggested the remedy was to eat more vegetables and fruits. But with the ever-increasing costs involved plus the risks posed by artificial pesticides etc. this is not a valid suggestion.
Food safety in Thailand!
The wide use of pesticides raises concerns about the health risks associated with pesticide exposure. For developing countries, like Thailand, pesticide monitoring program (in vegetables and fruits) and also the maximum residue limits (MRL) regulation have not been entirely implemented. As a result of the survey, pesticides detected in the samples either from local markets or supermarkets were similar. The incidence of detected pesticides was 100% (local markets) and 99% (supermarkets)
For example
Chinese kale; 98% (local markets) and 100% (supermarkets)
Pakchoi; and 99% (local markets) and 97% (supermarkets)
Pesticides can cause short-term adverse health effects, called acute effects, such as stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and death. Of more concern are the chronic adverse effects that can occur months or even years after initial exposure.
While possibly less prevalent in developed countries bear in mind much of the fresh produce sold in developed countries, especially in supermarkets and processed foods, is obtained from developing countries like Thailand.
Intravenous Therapy increase absorption of micronutrient.
The first IV vitamin drips were formulated and administered by Dr. John Myers in the 1970s.
His research led to the well-known Myers’ Cocktail.
Yes, despite what detractors may say, this is not a crazy new fad; it has been in use for almost 50 years!
Points to remember
Generally, infusions take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.
You should only get IV infusions from a licensed medical professional, who will typically administer and observe the infusion in their surgery.
While you’re receiving an IV vitamin drip, your body is obtaining a more significant boost of the vitamins themselves. For example, a vitamin that’s taken by mouth is limited on how much can be absorbed (generally around 50 percent). If the vitamin is given through an IV, however, it has a much higher percentage of absorption (100 percent).
This increase allows the nutrients to be absorbed quickly and directly into the bloodstream, thus producing higher levels of the micronutrients in your body than if you got them from food or supplements. The difference is caused by several factors that affect our body’s ability to absorb nutrients in the stomach. Factors include age, metabolism, health status, genetics, interactions with other products we consume, and the physical and chemical makeup of the nutritional supplement or food. Higher levels of the vitamins and minerals in your bloodstream allow for a higher uptake of these nutrients into cells, which theoretically will use the nutrients to maintain health and fight illness.
Factors That Negatively Affect Nutrient Absorption
Medication: Certain medications can bind with nutrients, which inhibits their absorption. For example, antacids can impact the absorption of B12, while the indiscriminate “carpet-bombing” approach of antibiotics can destroy “good” bacteria just as readily as “bad” bacteria in the digestive system. These “good” bacteria play an essential role in the digestion and absorption of vitamins and minerals. Use of drugs such as anticonvulsants or Phenobarbital for epilepsy, antacids, anti-inflammatory drugs, and laxatives can interfere with calcium and vitamin D absorption, which negatively affects bone metabolism.
Age: As you age, your digestive tract becomes less efficient at extracting and absorbing nutrients from the supplements you take and the food you eat.
Alcohol: Alcohol affects the absorption of nutrients in many ways. If present, when the medication is taken, alcohol may encourage the rapid breakdown of pills and capsules before they can reach the small intestine where absorption occurs. It can also interfere with healthy digestion by damaging cells in the stomach and intestine and interfering with the release of essential digestive enzymes. It also acts as a diuretic, which promotes the excretion of stored minerals such as calcium and magnesium.
Caffeine: Similar to alcohol, caffeine is a diuretic which can cause your body to lose essential vitamins and minerals. A plant compound found in caffeine (tannins) can also inhibit the absorption of B-vitamins, calcium, iron, and magnesium. You should drink decaffeinated beverages or, at the very least, limit yourself to less than two cups of coffee or tea daily.
Stress: The constant pressures of daily life can damage your body, depleting nutrient stores and reducing your body’s digestive efficiency. If you’re feeling worn out, make sure you’re getting enough antioxidants (vitamins A, E and C), B-vitamins, fiber and minerals (chromium, copper, iron, zinc and magnesium), as the absorption or retention of these nutrients can be decreased during times of stress.
Vitamin Drip Bar IV on demand.
Vitamin infusions are being used to treat a wide variety of health concerns, for example.
Myers’ cocktail: A solution of water-soluble vitamins and minerals, is a common approach for treating fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) among medical practitioners specializing in complementary and alternative treatment. Clinically significant improvements have been noted, in particular, the treatment group experienced significantly improved depression, pain, tender points, and quality of life directly following treatment.
Intravenous high dose vitamin C for cancer therapy: Vitamin C supports many critical biological functions through its action as an electron donor. Many studies have consistently shown that patients with cancer have lower mean plasma vitamin C status than healthy, and a large proportion of them present with hypovitaminosis C. Severity of the disease also appears to impact on vitamin C status with the percentage of lymphoma patients with hypovitaminosis C being significantly elevated for those with the high-burden disease. Anti-cancer mechanisms proposed for vitamin C is based on its so-called ‘pro-oxidant’ activity. In vitro studies have shown that the addition of high (millimolar) concentrations of vitamin C to cell culture media exhibits differential cytotoxicity toward various cancer cell lines. The differential sensitivity of cancer cell lines to vitamin C-generated hydrogen peroxide may reflect their endogenous catalase content. [7]
Hangover drip: Heavy alcohol drinkers are frequently deficient in one or more vitamins. The deficiencies commonly involve folate, vitamin B thiamine, and vitamin A. Although inadequate dietary intake is a significant cause of this vitamin deficiency, other possible mechanisms may also be involved. Alcoholism can affect the absorption, storage, metabolism, and activation of many of these vitamins. Potential factors that cause alterations in the intake, storage, and metabolism of these vitamins.
Jet lag: is caused by your body not being able to adjust to the change of time zones as rapidly as modern travel allows you to traverse them. Dehydration can make jet lag symptoms worse. Intravenous Fluid replacement helps your body better cope with the dehydration after air travel.
Sports performance: During intense physical activity, our bodies use up macronutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) very quickly. While these are easy to replace—just eat more—the co-factors (little helpers) and micronutrients that convert food into energy (in the form of ATP) can be a bit tricky to re-acquire. That’s to say nothing of the dehydration, soreness, and fatigue you fight when you train hard. The good news is that with a little help, you can recover extremely quickly even after the most intense athletic events with the IV was designed to help you do that.
Safety guaranteed by our Board-Certified doctor
Safety is paramount for us. Dr. Chontirot takes care of every case personally, from the medical history interview for screening, medication preparation, and administration of the IV drip. Sterile techniques are everything here. Every drip is fresh and new. The drips that we use are imported. We are detail-oriented to make sure that you get the best efficacy along with safety.
Overdosage: It is well established that vitamins and minerals can be harmful in excess, especially fat-soluble vitamins (excess vitamins are stored rather than being excreted like water-soluble vitamins). It is known that large amounts of vitamin A can cause liver and bone damage, and vitamin E, at very high dosages, may interfere with the absorption of other vitamins.
Careful Medical History Check: The doctor administering the vitamin drip must take time to gather a thorough medical history. This precaution is necessary because, as we all know, it is possible to have “too much of a good thing!” Stringent guidelines are in place for the number of dietary supplements people should take and as IV vitamin drips are more efficient, this is even more important when getting drip therapy.
Sterile technique: There is a risk of infection with IV vitamin therapy. Any time your skin is broken, it creates a path into your bloodstream that bypasses your body’s primary defense mechanism: your skin. Although the risk of infection is very low, it’s essential you only receive treatment from a licensed professional who will perform the therapy in a manner that further reduces this risk and ensure you have a healthy IV vitamin infusion.
Detail-oriented: There are numerous other risks when receiving an IV drip. Air bubbles could cause strokes; improperly inserting the needle could cause blood clots or vein irritation/inflammation; too high a drip rate could cause fluid overload; but as has been stressed repeatedly, ensuring you are being treated by a skilled, licensed medical professional makes these concerns almost negligible.
by Dr. Chontirot Srikasedsarakul
Dr. Chontirot Srikasedsarakul is a specialist in Genomics, Dermatology and Aesthetics. She has received qualifications from numerous educational institutions like Stanford University, U.S.A.; the University of Queensland, Australia; Chulalongkorn University, Thailand and the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine.
