Flush Your Veins With Health

Trypanophobia. Ever heard of it? Didn’t think so. It’s a fear of needles, one that I’ve had since I was five years old and tricked into visiting the doctor (which translated into an unexpected, world-shattering booster shot). So when I heard that the new health and longevity trend is to get pricked on purpose—I had to investigate.Would you believe that people are rolling up their sleeves to receive high dose vitamin infusions directly into their veins?IV vitamin therapy is said to do everything from boost your glow (Madonna and Rihanna are fans) to increase energy levels. It’s aimed at helping the body function optimally by flooding it with vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that nourish on a cellular level.Over the last few years, intravenous vitamin therapy has become increasingly common in spas, doctors’ offices and, now, house-call services. The idea is to jump-start immunity and help recover from morning-after malaise, dehydration, stomach bugs, food poisoning, jet lag, you name it—as well as to fight aging’s effects, or even a lackluster libido.All that’s required is a vein, an hour, and a few hundred dollars.In Rihanna’s words, “All I see is signs, all I see is dolla’ signs.”Trendy and controversial—especially because there is no hard evidence supporting what administrators claim, but those brave enough to drip say they undoubtedly feel amazing, and sometimes, that’s simply enough.A bit of a history lesson—intravenous therapy was first put into practice in 1831 during a cholera epidemic. Dr. Latta observed that cholera victims lost a huge proportion of water content from their blood. So he dreamt up a theory that a salt solution could essentially replace blood and boom 184 years later, we’re signing up for vitamin cocktails after a night of too many cocktails.A healthy lifestyle is always the best way to receive nutrients—through an organic diet of whole foods, exercise, sleep, and low stress levels (and high happiness levels). But if you’re too busy to digest a supplement and you’re sick of feeling under the weather, this nutrient service delivered directly into the bloodstream may be for you. I mean—I want to turbocharge my energy! Trypanophobia—what’s that again? Never heard of it!Places we love to go for some IV therapy: Hydration Room with two locations in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, Sweatheory in LA, and Shine Natural Medicine in San Diego.