If you think you’re lacking vitamins, you should know that IV therapy Toronto patients have an effective way to correct deficiencies.

Our bodies must consume specific vitamin and mineral doses in order to reach optimal functioning. This can be done through a healthy diet and/or supplementation. But unfortunately, many Canadians have nutrient deficiencies.

This is a surprising detail, especially since we live in a first-world country! But after understanding the reasons why deficiencies occur, it’s clear why some Canadians could be missing nutrients:

• Agricultural practices focus on the size and quantity of fruits and vegetables; pesticides are emphasized rather than nutritional value.
• Misusing antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals could cause nutrients to deplete in the human body.
• Some people are not informed of nutrition guidelines. For example, older adults need additional nutrients in comparison to adults in their twenties.
• Foods made for convenience may contain preservatives, which hinder health-promoting factors.
• Canadians might not have enough sun exposure. This impacts vitamin D levels in the body because the skin must absorb vitamin D from the sun.

IV therapy and intramuscular shots are treatments that could improve vitamin and mineral deficiencies with beneficial effects. Aside from that, certain types of IV therapy such as the intravenous glutathione drip may also fight inflammation related disorders. In this post, we explain which of the nutrients that Canadians are commonly lacking. Then, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre explains why IV therapy may be one of the suitable solutions for relieving these shortcomings.

Functional Medicine Approach to Nutrient Deficiencies

When there’s a deficiency in micronutrients – vitamins and minerals that the body needs – this can trigger various symptoms (i.e. excessive fatigue, weakened immune function, and cognitive reductions).

Additionally, “[m]icronutrient inadequacies may also have important implications for long-term health and increase one’s risk for chronic diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and age-related eye disease,” writes Oregon State University.

According to Health Canada’s report “Do Canadian Adults Meet Their Nutrient Requirements Through Food Intake Alone?”, Canadian adults have insufficient amounts of vitamin A, vitamin D, magnesium and calcium.  The following table highlights these nutrients and why they’re important to the human body for optimal functioning.

Nutrient	What It Does
Vitamin A	Promotes immune function, cellular functioning, and blood cell production; supports bone health and encourages skin vitality. Deficiency symptoms could show up as alopecia, weakened immunity, diarrhea, and skin irritations (i.e. excessive dryness).
Vitamin D	Helps strengthen the immune system; promotes the absorption of nutrients (i.e. calcium) and supports both bone and cell health. Fractures have been linked to low vitamin D levels; other deficiency indicators may include depression, slow healing from an injury, bone loss, recurrent infections.
Magnesium	Supports muscle health and nerve functioning; helps synthesize nucleic acid for optimizing cell health. Low magnesium intake could contribute to osteoporosis and high blood pressure.
Calcium	Heavily supports bones and teeth. Many people are surprised to learn that calcium can also regulate heart health and your nerves, while encouraging the contraction of muscles. Symptoms of deficiency include a decrease in energy levels, brain fog, muscle cramping, tingling, osteoporosis, rickets in kids.

These nutrients are truly important for functioning on a daily basis and for long-term health. Are you wondering if you’re experiencing nutrient deficiencies? To find out, speak to a Toronto functional medicine provider to address your individual symptoms and health goals. Because functional medicine focuses on your personal health condition, you may be advised to change your diet and/or take new supplements, intramuscular shots or IV infusion therapies.

How to Get IV Therapy to Correct Deficiencies

Also known as intravenous therapy or IV drip therapy, IV therapy is a suitable treatment for patients who suffer from dysphagia, have a fear of pill swallowing, or experience malabsorption.

IV therapy is a treatment modality that allows for intravenous nutrients to swiftly enter the bloodstream through the vein, avoiding the digestive tract. This allows for the nutrients to be absorbed quickly. Some Toronto patients favor this therapy because it doesn’t cause unwanted side effects (i.e. cramping and diarrhea), which can occur from ingesting tablets or capsules.

Prior to getting an IV therapy drip, make sure you feel at ease with your IV therapist or functional medicine provider. You can do this by having a meet-and-greet initial consultation with one of our clinic’s practitioners. For example, here’s what the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre does for new patients to get intravenous therapy drips:

• A “first time” appointment is mandated with our functional medicine team to discuss your health goals, health status, the combination of ingredients/nutrients that may be needed in your IV drip, and if any functional medicine lab tests are required.
• After the initial appointment and after lab testing results return, we can personalize your intravenous drip. Our IV vitamin drips can come in vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin A, a medley of amino acids, folic acid, glutathione, mistletoe, iodine and other essential nutrients for promoting optimal functioning. (Take note: vitamin D and B12 are available as intramuscular shots at the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre.)

If you think you have vitamin and mineral deficiencies, grab hold of your wellness and reach optimal health with intravenous infusion therapy! Our integrative approach is patient-centered and backed by research – we invite you to meet us for a DISCOVER SESSION on IV vitamin therapies.

Contact the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre for Vitamin IV Therapy

At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre, no two patients are alike. We adhere to the functional medicine model, so patients are cared for as individual entities. With that, patients may require additional lab testing or functional medicine treatments for optimizing hormonal health, brain health, cellular functioning and immune function. We may also recommend functional medicine programs for chief health concerns.

Our functional medicine health professionals can customize treatment plans that range in different modalities (i.e. acupuncture, allopathic medicine, IV therapy, etc.). Next to nutritional deficiencies, IV treatments can be considered for managing chronic and acute health issues, such as: chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune disease, adverse brain chemical changes from heavy metals, age-related diseases, oxidative stress, adrenal fatigue, treatment-resistant depression, and thyroid conditions.

Are you ready to tackle nutritional deficiencies and upgrade your wellness? Let’s go! Click here to contact us to book your IV Therapy Toronto DISCOVERY SESSION.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

References:

“Hidden hunger’: U of T course examines global impacts of diets lacking key micronutrients,” by Chris Sasaki, U of T News, posted January 3, 2022, viewed on May 27, 2022.

“Do Canadian Adults Meet Their Nutrient Requirements Through Food Intake Alone?” Health Canada, modified March 15, 2022.

Donald R. Davis, Melvin D. Epp & Hugh D. Riordan (2004) Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999, Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 23:6, 669-682, DOI: 10.1080/07315724.2004.10719409

“Micronutrient Inadequacies in the US Population: an Overview” written in November 2017 by: Victoria J. Drake, Ph.D., Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Reviewed in March 2018 by: Balz Frei, Ph.D., Former Director, Linus Pauling Institute, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, viewed on May 29, 2022.

Tam E, Keats EC , Rind F, Das JK , Bhutta AZA. Micronutrient Supplementation and Fortification Interventions on Health and Development Outcomes among Children Under-Five in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2020; 12: 289

Thurnham DI, McCabe GP, Northrop-Clewes CA, Nestel P. Effects of subclinical infection on plasma retinol concentrations and assessment of prevalence of vitamin A deficiency: meta-analysis.Lancet. 2003; 362: 2052-2058

Tulchinsky TH. Correction to: micronutrient deficiency conditions: Global Health issues. Public Health Rev. 2017; 38: 25

Xu Han, Shuangning Ding, Jinxin Lu, Yongze Li-Global, regional, and national burdens of common micronutrient deficiencies from 1990 to 2019: A secondary trend analysis based on the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, ARTICLES| VOLUME 44, 101299, FEBRUARY 01, 2022: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101299