9 IV Additives You Can Find in an IV Bag
30 Dec 2022
At first glance, an IV bag doesn’t seem like something that can boost your health. But in reality, several carefully selected IV fluids can work together to support your health and your body.
These ingredients get absorbed directly into the bloodstream without passing through the gastrointestinal tract (like pills do). This means they are absorbed quickly and efficiently. (In medical terms, their bioavailability is 100% when administered intravenously.)
Normal Saline is the base solution used in all of Vegas IV's hydration therapy packages. The combination of other ingredients will depend on your goal for your IV therapy.
Here are the nine most common components in our IV fluids.
Normal Saline
Saline is a combination of water and salt; normal saline is its most common variation (0.9%, or 9 grams of salt per liter). Its primary role is hydrating the body while also delivering other ingredients straight into the bloodstream for quick absorption.
Medications
In cases of nausea and vomiting, pain and fever there are certain medications which can be added to relieve these symptoms. IV infusion delivers these medications directly into the bloodstream for quick relief.
Ketorolac
Ketorolac, also known as Toradol, is a pain reliever often recommended for the short-term treatment of moderate and severe pain. It is classified as a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), which can also decrease inflammation, fever, and help prevent blood clots.
Ondansetron
Ondansetron, which you may know under the brand name Zofran, is an anti-nausea and anti-vomiting medication. It prevents nausea and vomiting by blocking the chemicals that provoke these symptoms.
Vitamins
Vitamins are a well-known group of micronutrients. Each of them plays a specific role in the functioning of your body. Most of them can’t be synthesized by internal organs in sufficient amounts (except for vitamin D), so you need to replenish their reserves with food or other sources.
Some vitamins are water-soluble: they often get destroyed or washed out when we store or cook food. Both B-complex vitamins and vitamin C are water-soluble. Other vitamins are fat-soluble, meaning they dissolve in the intestinal tract and can be stored longer in the body.
B Complex
B complex is an umbrella term for a group of eight water-soluble vitamins you can find added to an IV bag:
B1 (thiamine) helps your body transform food into energy by triggering specific chemical reactions. It also plays a role in sugar formation.
B2 (riboflavin) serves as an antioxidant and helps convert nutrients into energy and metabolize vitamin B6.
B3 (niacin) acts as an antioxidant and helps extract energy from glucose.
B5 (pantothenic acid), apart from transforming nutrients into energy, helps your body produce hormones and cholesterol.
B6 (pyridoxine) plays its part in amino acid and energy metabolism and helps in the formation of both red and white blood cells.
B7 (biotin) is essential for metabolizing amino acids, forming glucose, and synthesizing fatty acids.
B9 (folate) is necessary for red and white blood cell formation, as well as DNA synthesis, cell growth, and amino acid metabolism.
B12 (cobalamin) is crucial for neurological processes and brain functioning, as well as the formation of red blood cells, metabolizing fat and protein, and DNA formation.
Extra B complex vitamins can benefit you if you’re pregnant or lactating, over 50 years old (you may not be able to absorb B12 properly as you age), or a vegetarian or vegan (B12 is found only in animal products).
Some studies also suggest that an extra intake of the B complex vitamins can boost cognitive functions, reduce stress, and mitigate depression and anxiety symptoms.
Vitamin C
This vitamin is one of the essential antioxidants in the human body that protect it from oxidative stress. Without vitamin C, your body also would be unable to produce collagen, a protein central to connective tissue formation.
Vitamin C is a crucial player in your immune system as well. Immune cells contain high levels of this particular micronutrient and use it whenever an infection occurs.
Due to its role in the immune system, scientists have tested vitamin C’s immunity-boosting potential. One study showed promising results in reducing the length and severity of common colds with regular vitamin C intakes.
Amino Acids
Amino acids are a group of chemical compounds necessary for protein formation. These acids are essential for building proteins, hormones, and neurotransmitters.
A human body needs 20 various amino acids to function properly. Nine of them are essential and they can’t be synthesized by our bodies and have to come from external sources.
Each amino acid has a specific role in your body. For instance, serotonin (also called the happiness hormone) requires the amino acid tryptophan for synthesis—and this hormone regulates our mood, behavior, and sleep. Also, additional valine, leucine, and isoleucine intake can boost physical performance and reduce fatigue. Amino acid supplements can also facilitate recovery after surgery or injuries.
Electrolytes
These chemicals serve as electric impulse transmitters. They are vital for regulating various bodily functions: heart and neurological functions, muscle contraction, hydration, pH level regulation, and others.
Here are just some of the electrolytes crucial for humans:
Calcium
Chloride
Magnesium
Phosphate
Potassium
Sodium
Your body naturally loses electrolytes when sweating. As your body doesn’t produce them, you must regularly replenish your electrolyte reserves. An unhealthy diet, dehydration, and kidney illnesses are other typical causes of electrolyte imbalance.
Other Common Ingredients
An IV bag can contain other ingredients besides medications, vitamins, amino acids, and electrolytes. Other common IV additives include zinc, glutathione, L-carnitine, and taurine.
Zinc
Zinc is a chemical element essential for your body: it’s an antioxidant vital for immune function, DNA synthesis, wound healing, and protein synthesis. Zinc can’t be produced or stored by a human body; therefore, you need to replenish it with external sources like food.
This metal has the potential to reduce the duration of the common cold by as much as a third, according to one study, and promote an immune response in older adults. It’s also important for people recovering from wounds, as it can speed up the recovery.
Glutathione
Glutathione is an antioxidant that can also help reduce cell damage in the liver and reduce respiratory disease symptoms.
While your body naturally synthesizes glutathione, supplementing it can be beneficial, especially for those at risk for glutathione deficiency: older adults, those under long-term stress, with poor nutrition, or under the influence of environmental toxins.
Whether you’re looking to mitigate cold and flu symptoms, boost your workout performance or recover from a hangover, we at VegasIV have an IV package for you. Each of our seven IV therapy packages is a carefully put-together cocktail of all the right ingredients to achieve the desired effect.
Book an appointment, and our trained nurses will come to you and administer the best package for you in the comfort of your home or hotel room.
References and further reading
Here you will find a list of references and further reading materials that can help you learn more about the IV additives. These resources provide additional information and perspectives that can help you gain a deeper understanding of the subject. We hope you find these materials useful.
1. A review of ketorolac as a prehospital analgesic - ResearchGate.net
2. Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug - Wikipedia
3. Ondansetron - Drugs.com
4. Chapter 6 - Vitamins - ScienceDirect
5. Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) - National Library of Medicine
6. Riboflavin and health: A review of recent human research - National Library of Medicine
7. Niacin - National Library of Medicine
8. Pantothenic acid - National Library of Medicine
9. Pyridoxine - National Library of Medicine
10. Biotin - National Library of Medicine
11. Folic Acid - National Library of Medicine
12. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) - National Library of Medicine
13. Vitamin B-12 and Perinatal Health - National Library of Medicine
14. Vitamin B12 and older adults - National Library of Medicine
15. Vitamin B12 among Vegetarians - National Library of Medicine
16. Effects of high-dose B vitamin complex with vitamin C and minerals on subjective mood and performance in healthy males - National Library of Medicine
17. The Effect of Methylated Vitamin B Complex on Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Quality of Life in Adults with Depression - National Library of Medicine
18. Vitamin C as an antioxidant: evaluation of its role in disease prevention - National Library of Medicine
19. Effect of vitamin C and its derivatives on collagen synthesis and cross-linking by normal human fibroblasts - National Library of Medicine
20. Immune-enhancing role of vitamin C and zinc and effect on clinical conditions - National Library of Medicine
21. Vitamin C for Preventing and Treating the Common Cold - National Library of Medicine
22. Serotonin synthesis, release and reuptake in terminals: a mathematical model - National Library of Medicine
23. The effects of acute branched-chain amino acid supplementation on recovery from a single bout of hypertrophy exercise in resistance-trained athletes - National Library of Medicine
24. The Effect of Amino Acids on Wound Healing: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on Arginine and Glutamine - National Library of Medicine
25. Amino Acid Supplementation Is Associated with Reduced Mortality and Complications Following Acute Fracture Fixation: Results of a Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial - National Library of Medicine
26. The antioxidant properties of zinc - National Library of Medicine
27. Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage - National Library of Medicine
28. The immune system and the impact of zinc during aging - National Library of Medicine
29. The effects of zinc supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial - National Library of Medicine
30. The Antioxidant Role of Glutathione and N-Acetyl-Cysteine Supplements and Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress - National Library of Medicine
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