Fighting off a nasty headache after your cousin’s wedding? Stomach virus have you feeling fatigued? Gearing up for tomorrow’s half-marathon? Many of us might be tempted to pop into an “IV bar” to seek relief from minor ailments or to prep for an upcoming event.
Direct-access infusion businesses offer intravenous (IV) solutions without a medical visit or doctor’s prescription, often touting wide-ranging health and wellness benefits. From cities big and small to ski towns and party destinations, IV bars are popping up in more locations. This raises the question, ‘Does non-medically necessary IV therapy work and is it safe?’
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Fad or Fact? A series exploring current health-related trends through the scientific lenses of our CU Anschutz experts. |
We asked Travis Nemkov, PhD, assistant research professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, to weigh in. His lab focuses on metabolism, the chemical processes that occur in our bodies to keep us alive and functioning. This work includes studying how things get into the bloodstream and what happens once it’s in there.