Intravenous nutrition

Intravenous nutrition

A variety of different intravenous solutions can be used, depending upon an individual’s specific health condition.

by Dr. Fred G. Arnold — 

Intravenous nutrition involves vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that are delivered directly into the bloodstream. Probably the most popular intravenous nutrition is the Meyers’ cocktail, named after John Meyers, M.D., who used intravenous injections to treat his patients for a variety of health conditions.

Why is intravenous nutrition needed?

Various reasons exist as to why someone might need intravenous nutrition. It has been said that our soil no longer has the nutrient value it did in the past, and the foods we eat are depleted of the nutrients we need to be healthy. Furthermore, as we get older, our digestive system tends not to work as effectively as it did when we were younger. And if our foods are not being broken down into an absorbable form, they are not getting absorbed into the bloodstream.

Lastly, many medications deplete the body of valuable nutrients, which can lead to other health conditions. For example, the medication metformin, used to treat type 2 diabetes, depletes the body of vitamin B12. This depletion can increase homocysteine in the body, which is a cardiac risk factor.

Benefits of intravenous nutrition

Alan Gaby, M.D., describes the benefits of the Meyers’ cocktail as helping both acute and chronic problems; bypassing ineffective absorption in the gastrointestinal tract; enhancing the healing process; promoting greater health and the ability to absorb nutrients; and promoting the use of oral nutrients.

Conditions treated with intravenous nutrition

Gaby lists many acute and chronic health conditions that benefit from intravenous nutrition: blood pressure, fatigue, depression, mental clarity, asthma, migraines, infections, fibromyalgia, muscle spasm, chronic sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, seasonal allergic rhinitis, cardiovascular disease and many others.

What is in a Meyers’ cocktail? 

The Meyers’ cocktail is a mixture of B vitamins, vitamin C and minerals. It can be used in the treatment of a wide range of health conditions and symptoms, and for optimizing well-being.

Other intravenous solutions

A variety of different intravenous solutions can be used, depending upon an individual’s specific health condition. In his book, Primal Panacea, Thomas Levy, M.D., J.D., writes about the benefits of high-dose vitamin C given intravenously for the treatment of the following: osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, herpes, viral infections and cardiovascular conditions. Other specialized intravenous solutions can be used to treat the following conditions: heavy metal toxicity, macular degeneration, tissue and wound healing and Parkinson’s disease.

Testing for nutrient deficiencies

Nutrient deficiencies can be determined with specialized testing. Two specialized tests that our office uses are a micronutrient test by SpectraCell Laboratories, Inc., that measures nutrient deficiencies in the white blood cells and the NutraEval® test by Genova Diagnostics, a very comprehensive nutritional evaluation to identify clinical imbalances that may inhibit optimal health. Current blood work is recommended when treating with intravenous nutrition so it can be compared with future blood work after a course of treatment.

Summary

Intravenous nutrition is an effective way to replace nutrients in the body that may be depleted and to improve a variety of different health conditions. The Meyers’ cocktail is probably the most recognized intravenous nutrition; however, many other intravenous mixtures can be customized to individual health conditions. Targeted nutrient testing is available to determine specific deficiencies.

References

1. Osborne, Virginia, N.D., Intravenous Nutritional Therapy for Physicians. Phoenix, Ariz., 2006.

2. Gaby, Alan, M.D., Intravenous Nutrient Therapy: “The ‘Myers’ Cocktail,” Altern Med Review, 2002. Oct; 7(5):389-403.

3. Levy, Thomas E., M.D., J.D., Primal Panacea, MedFox Publishing, 2011.

Fred G. Arnold, D.C., N.M.D., has more than 20 years of clinical experience and specializes in pain rehabilitation services. He is a Diplomate of the American Academy of Health Care Providers, Fellow of American Academy of Ozonotherapy, member of American Academy of Pain Management and is one of the few physicians in the nation with both a naturopathic medical degree and chiropractic degree. 602-292-2978 or prolotherapyphoenix.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 33, Number 4, August/September 2014.