Here’s the nonsense KOLs and Insta-wellness quacks keep pushing: Stick a needle in your arm, drip in some overpriced vitamins, and you’ll be reborn. Toxins gone. Skin flawless. Energy through the roof. Hangover? Poof. Immunity? Boosted. You’ll practically glow in the dark.
They call it “wellness.” I call it the Juicero of medicine—flashy, expensive, and completely pointless once you use your brain.
Reality Check: Iv Vitamin Therapy Is Mostly Expensive Urine And Even More Expensive Placebo
Let’s be clear: IV therapy has legit medical uses—malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, chemo support. But that’s not what’s going on in most of these clinics. This is wellness theatre with a £3,000 ticket price.
Let’s dismantle the fantasy:
Most people feel better after IV drips because they’re dehydrated. You could get the same perk from water, salt, and maybe a Berocca. You don’t need to mainline magnesium like you’re prepping for an MMA fight.
- NHS England: “Ineffective and potentially harmful”
- ASA: Still waiting for evidence on fertility, immunity, fat-burning, jet lag, moon alignment, etc.
- Cedars-Sinai: “Mostly harmless, mostly placebo… people are paying to pee”
- The Conversation: “Do vitamin drips work? Evidence says no—eat
food instead”
Even the infamous “Myers Cocktail”—the OG blend—has almost no high-quality evidence behind it. It’s like the multivitamin version of a mojito. Looks nice, feels nice, does sod all for your mitochondrial integrity.
Truth Bomb: It’s Not Medical Innovation. It’s Just Clever Marketing For Tired Rich People
So who’s pushing this?
- Celebs with a hangover. Gwyneth Paltrow drips after yoga and kale. Because nothing says health like selling false hope in glass vials.
- IV Bars in shopping centres. Where the sterile technique is as questionable as their marketing copy.
- Wellness influencers. Who wouldn’t know a B12 deficiency from a broken iPhone charger.
Here’s What You Tell Patients Instead
- Want better skin? Drink water, eat real food, sleep properly.
- Low energy? Get your iron, thyroid, and B12 checked. Fix what’s broken— don’t randomly flood your bloodstream like a nightclub fog machine.
- Feeling “run down”? Maybe cut the alcohol, not inject the antidote.
- Immune support? Evidence says moderate exercise and good sleep beat IV glutathione every time
Bottom Line: You’re Not A Walking Deficiency. You’re Being Marketed To
This industry isn’t about fixing deficiencies. It’s about creating perceived ones. You’re not broken. But if they convince you that your cells are “starving,” then boom—they’ve got a customer for life.
This is the detox-industrial complex. And they don’t want you drinking water. They want you hooked up, zoned out, and bleeding £250 per visit while watching Netflix in a leather recliner.
So What Should Practitioners Do?
If you run a clinic and you’re tempted to add IV drips for “wellness,” ask yourself:
- Is there a clinical indication?
- Can I back up the claims?
- Would I put my own mother on this drip?
Final Word
IV vitamin drips won’t detox you. But they might cleanse your bank account. Do your patients a favour—educate, don’t exploit.
References (Explicitly Cited):
- BBC News – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-47803286
- ASA Rulings – https://www.asa.org.uk/advice-online/healthcare-intravenous- nutritional-therapy.html
- The Conversation – https://theconversation.com/do-vitamin-drips-really- work-the-evidence-says-no-so-save-your-money-and-eat-real-food-116823
- NursingNotes – https://nursingnotes.co.uk/news/party-drips-ineffective- potentially-harmful/
- Cedars-Sinai – https://www.cedars-sinai.org/blog/iv-vitamin-therapy.html
- WebMD – https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/iv-vitamin- therapy-does-it-work
- Harvard Health – https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/drip-bar-should-you- get-an-iv-on-demand-2018092814899
- Mayo Clinic – https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/living-well/iv-vitamin-therapy- understanding-the-lack-of-proven-benefit-and-potential-risks-of-this-health- fad/
