The Science Behind IV Hydration: Why It’s More Effective Than Drinking Water

Yes, water (and electrolytes) always end up at the same place, but both in life and in the body, the journey can make or break your experience. In the same way you wouldn’t cram the family into a broken-down jalopy to drive across the country, standard hydration doesn’t quite measure up to IV hydration when the body really needs fluids.

But how exactly does this all work, and what’s the difference? Does IV hydration really help that much more than just drinking water and/or electrolyte drinks? Read on for a comprehensive guide on everything IV hydration, brought to you by our team at Flow IV Infusion Therapy. 

IV Hydration vs Drinking Water: Is There Really a Difference?

The short answer is this: Yes, IV hydration is significantly more effective in certain respects than drinking water. Namely, it hydrates the body much more rapidly than drinking water by bypassing the digestive system.

When you take a drink of water, it moves down your esophagus, through the stomach, and into the small intestine. Here, it is absorbed into the bloodstream with the help of enterocytes (from the Greek words for “stomach” + “cell”). You can think of the water’s journey like that of a wholesale product first being shipped to a warehouse (small intestine) before it is then distributed throughout the body through the bloodstream to various tissues and other areas.

Alternatively, when you undergo an IV hydration treatment, the product takes the highway right past the warehouse, going straight to distribution via the bloodstream. This saves your body a considerable amount of time, which is crucial when you need to recover and/or rehydrate. But speed isn’t the only advantage to IV hydration. 

Additional Benefits to IV Hydration

• Medical-grade formulations: Our team at Flow IV Infusion Therapy offers a full suite of carefully concentrated and balanced IV formulations that allow you to specifically target your hydration-related issue far more effectively than water and/or standard electrolyte drinks can. For example, our Nature’s Defense IV drip is fortified with multiple B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, high-dose vitamin C, and other well-evidenced immune boosters to help you fight and/or prevent illness. Have a look at the rest of our drips to find exactly what you need.
  

• Bioavailability: This is the fancy medical term denoting how much of an ingested substance actually makes it to its final destination in the body. Some orally ingested supplements, for example, may lose as much as 50% (or even more) of their original content as they are processed through the digestive system. The same effect (though less extreme) applies to drinking water. In other words, IV therapy not only delivers the product faster, but with none of it falling off the truck on the way.
  

• Easier on the stomach: While this advantage relates most often to hospital care, you don’t have to be in the hospital to be a bit sensitive to a strong shot of micronutrients (vitamins can hit hard on an empty stomach!). If this sounds like you, IV therapy will give you the boost you need without the discomfort, as it leaves the digestive component out of it.
  

• Treatment that comes to you: Flow IV Infusion Therapy offers mobile IV treatment services for added convenience and comfort. We will come directly to your home or office, where we will set up your treatment, administer the drip, and provide the same top-quality care as we do in the clinic. 

Are There Downsides to IV Hydration?

Though IV hydration is safe and well-tolerated, like any treatment, it is not completely without the potential for side effects. 

For example, no matter what’s in the IV bag, the act of hooking up an IV line may cause mild to moderate discomfort, redness, and/or swelling at the insertion site. Less common effects include allergic reactions or infections. Alternatively, overhydration can cause electrolyte imbalances to swing the other way (instead of not enough of a certain electrolyte, you suddenly have too much). Serious side effects, including blood clots and infection, are very rare, but technically possible.

The good news is that the already low risk of side effects associated with IV therapy can be mitigated further by several factors, including:

• Adequate preparation (confirming allergies and medications, etc.)
• Treatment quality (sterile techniques, provider skill, etc.)
• Careful monitoring of the IV site after treatment
• Following post-treatment guidelines around fluid intake

Minimizing the risk of side effects as much as possible requires a collaborative effort between patient and provider. This is why, in addition to always following industry-leading standards of safety and effectiveness, our team at Flow IV Infusion Therapy educates every patient on proper pre- and post-treatment practices. 

Choose Flow IV for Elevated Hydration

Whether you’re recovering from a tough workout, a fun night out, or simply need to catch up on your hydration, Flow IV Therapy proudly serves Southeast and Southwest Florida with a comprehensive suite of nutrient-dense IV concoctions fit for all comers. Our team of in-house pharmacists, paramedics, and doctors offers both mobile IV treatment and in-clinic IV therapy services, abiding only by the strictest standards of quality and safety with every treatment.

And if you’re completely new to IV therapy, our friendly and knowledgeable team will walk you through the ins and outs of IV infusion treatment, answering any questions you have while partnering with you to customize the ultimate treatment plan. Take a proactive approach to your health and wellness today and contact Flow IV Infusion Therapy to get the boost you need to feel great and continue performing your best.