What does health optimization mean? It can be considered as an umbrella term for how you feel physically and mentally. It also includes healthy tools that suit your needs for fostering daily energy levels, cognitive function, physical exertions, and such. In our IV therapy Toronto practice, it’s not uncommon for patients to opt into intravenous therapy to maintain optimal functioning. 

If you’re grappling with a lack of energy, muscle weakness, and poor mental clarity right now, this article may inspire you to make health changes. For example, did you know that you can get a tailored treatment plan to help target your health goals? At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC), we customize therapies for addressing the root of your chief health concerns. Some of our patients find that custom health care can target their biological needs – this play may include individualized doses of nutrients or the rehydration of fluids after an athletic performance. 

A tailored treatment plan from us may include intravenous therapy, which can be prescribed as an adjuvant tool for supporting levels of vitamins, energy production, brain function, and more. Here, we explain how tailored intravenous drips may support health optimization for both physical and mental wellness.  

How Vitamin IV Therapy May Support Health Optimization

First, you should know that IV therapy drips are not designed to be ingested; rather, they avoid the digestive tract. This is because an intravenous tube is inserted into your vein, allowing a nutritional formula to enter your bloodstream for immediate use. 

Because digestion isn’t needed for IV therapy, some people with certain health conditions get regular intravenous drips to avoid digestive discomforts (i.e. upset stomach). In addition to oral supplementation, additional functional medicine treatments and healthy living, vitamin IV therapy may help foster optimal health in these ways:

• • Provides effective rehydration after fluid loss: We lose fluids daily, so regular rehydration maximizes bodily functions. Optimal hydration lubricates your joints, supports immune function, modifies body temperature, removes toxins, and carries nutrients to different parts of the body. Hydration is especially vital for athletes: “Sweat loss with exercise disrupts the fluid balance, and fluid losses ≥2% can alter performance,” confirms a study from Nutrients. If you lose more fluids than what you consume, your cellular functioning can decline, causing poor energy levels and weakness. An intravenous treatment delivers electrolytes rapidly into your bloodstream, offering a complete rehydration of fluids. It’s also suitable for recovering from flu symptoms (i.e. diarrhea, vomiting). 
  • May promote muscle recovery from intense physical performances:  When you’re physically active at a sports practice or tournament, levels of vitamins in the body can diminish quickly; this is because physical exertions use up your nutrient stores, including vitamin C and B vitamins. Though rehydration is vital for muscle recovery, so is the replenishment of nutrients! A custom-made IV drip with natural ingredients can help prevent muscle soreness brought on by nutrient losses; an IV treatment may tentatively prevent chronic inflammation and boost collagen production, too, to help you physically recover. We encourage you to read our previous post on foods that fight inflammation and IV therapy solutions.
  • Also contributes to relieving vitamin and mineral deficiencies: Nutrient deficiencies can result from the onset of autoimmune conditions and/or from an unbalanced diet. If you’re struggling with taking oral supplements regularly, or if capsules are causing digestive issues, IV therapy can help “top up” your nutrient levels. Sometimes doses of nutrients are sacrificed with oral route due to the digestive process; IV therapy can be used to “promise” your body in getting a full absorption of vitamins. 
  • May offer aid for a hangover symptom: After a bout of partying with alcohol, you may get headaches, excessive thirst, nausea, and other hangover symptoms. These symptoms are linked to fluid and nutrient losses from alcohol. Intravenous rehydration can help accelerate your process of recovery by replenishing fluid intake. As we explained previously, a nutritional drip can rapidly restock your body’s amounts of nutrients, and this may also apply to nutritional deficits from alcohol beverages. This is helpful, as  ongoing consumption of alcoholic beverages can constrain your absorption of key nutrients, such as folic acid, zinc and vitamin B12, confirms the University of California San Diego. 

Therapeutic doses of IV nutrients can open the door to new health opportunities, especially for reaching optimal health. IV nutrient therapy is available in our IV Lounge for new and existing patients. Check out our personalized service of treatments – details about our private downtown clinic are outlined below. 

Visiting the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre’s IV Lounge

Beneficial effects from treatments can manifest differently between patients, and we acknowledge this! By adhering to the integrative functional medicine model, we can address individual patient needs by customizing a wide range of therapies, such as Western and naturopathic medicine, holistic nutrition, acupuncture, hormone replacement therapies, injection treatments and intravenous therapy. 

The reason we integrate functional medicine treatments is to offer diverse avenues for health optimization and symptom relief. Think of your TFMC treatment plan as an armoire of individualized therapies! We can design strategies for various health conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune diseases, food sensitivities, whole-body inflammation, fatty liver disease, active cancer diagnosis, hormonal imbalances, and more. All treatments, including our IV therapy drips, are tailored with functional medicine principles. 

Our IV Lounge is where we administer booster shots and IV nutrient therapy drips. These are dosed for your particular health issues, such as alleviating mineral deficiencies, promoting tissue repair, or improving cellular health. In our IV Lounge, we freshly compound your custom-made IV drip with an array of natural ingredients, such as alpha lipoic acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin A, vitamin E, a medley of amino acids with glutamic acid, NAD+, glutathione, major minerals and trace minerals, folic acid, and other optimal nutrients. IV therapy drips are never pre-mixed; we only compound them in-house! Along with regular oral supplementation, healthy living, and other treatment modalities, vitamin IV therapy can promote wellness improvements.  

Sometimes it takes baby steps to reach health improvements – and that’s okay! You may relate to this article if you struggle with maintaining optimal health. Let’s introduce you to our personalized approach to wellness by simply clicking here – ask us for your initial visit for IV therapy in Toronto. 

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. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

 

References

Barnish, M., Sheikh, M., & Scholey, A. (2023). Nutrient Therapy for the Improvement of Fatigue Symptoms. Nutrients, 15(9), 2154. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15092154

Butts, M., Sundaram, V. L., Murughiyan, U., Borthakur, A., & Singh, S. (2023). The Influence of Alcohol Consumption on Intestinal Nutrient Absorption: A Comprehensive Review. Nutrients, 15(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15071571

“How Alcohol Affects Nutrition and Endurance” by Gina Firth, M.A., L.M.H.C, N.C.C, Director, Alcohol and Drug Education and Luis G. Manzo, Ph. D, Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services, University Counseling Center University of Notre Dame, published by University of California San Diego. 

Jéquier E, Constant F. Water as an essential nutrient: the physiological basis of hydration. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2010 Feb;64(2):115-23. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2009.111. Epub 2009 Sep 2. PMID: 19724292.

Kaufman, M., Nguyen, C., Shetty, M., Oppezzo, M., Barrack, M., & Fredericson, M. (2023). Popular Dietary Trends’ Impact on Athletic Performance: A Critical Analysis Review. Nutrients, 15(16). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15163511

Massey PB. Reduction of fibromyalgia symptoms through intravenous nutrient therapy: results of a pilot clinical trial. Altern Ther Health Med. 2007 May-Jun;13(3):32-4. PMID: 17515022.

McNeil-Masuka J, Boyer TJ. Insensible Fluid Loss. [Updated 2023 Jul 25]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544219/

Wang, F., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhou, Y., Li, S., & Li, H. (2016). Natural Products for the Prevention and Treatment of Hangover and Alcohol Use Disorder. Molecules, 21(1), 64. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules21010064