I’m not even going to break this down too much. IV or “drip” therapy is just 2 categories:

1) Completely necessary because you are very sick. Did you know? Where possible, doctors prefer to use oral medications, hydration, nutrition first if we can – IVs aren’t our first choice! We have a saying: “if the gut works, use it.” Sometimes medications and fluids do have to be given by IV. But in that case, you are getting home or hospital treatment under care of a medical team who do not directly profit from evidence-based prescribed treatment.

2) Profiteering nutribabble: there is little to no evidence for promising all those ridiculous things from immune boosting to energy boosting to weight loss to making your hair grow.

Time for a FactCheck

A drip:

Cannot #detox (scientifically impossible)

Cannot make you #loseweight

Cannot make you fitter

Cannot grow your hair or nails

Cannot #boostimmunity

Cannot fix any problem related to poor diet or substance misuse

Vitamins in excess of your body’s needs do not make you healthier. Excess vitamins that your body can excrete – like #VitaminC – just become expensive pee. Those excess vitamins that your body can’t get rid off can actually cause toxicity in some cases.

Remember that the recognised qualification to provide nutritional consultation in Ireland is CORU and INDI registered dietitians. #trustindi If you are worried about vitamin deficiency, especially B12 or D, always touch base with your GP for regulated – and usually much cheaper – blood tests.

But you’ve heard that drip therapy can help you recover from a hangover? In some cases, it can make you feel better, faster but it does NOT in any way undo the damage done by excess drink. For the only all-natural and 100% effective hang-over cure? Stick to low risk drinking (maximum consumption in one evening should not be more than 6 units of alcohol. Learn more Drinkaware ) For a deep dive on the science of hangovers – with some serious urban mythbusting – check out last week’s post.

If you are wondering why this area isn’t better regulated to protect consumers… it’s a good question.