Intravenous therapy is used by naturopathic physicians to prescribe and administer certain nutrients.  Accessing the bloodstream directly allows nutrients to bypass absorption by the digestive tract, which can sometimes be compromised by various illnesses.  It is a way of ensuring complete absorption of nutrients, which is valuable when specific or large doses of these nutrients are required.

Absorption

Absorption of vitamins intravenously differs from getting them in food or in a supplement.  When we ingest nutrients, those nutrients have to be absorbed by the cells lining the intestines in order to reach our bloodstream.  Once in the bloodstream, they can be delivered all over the body to the cells and tissues that need them. However, if the cells in the intestine are unable to absorb nutrients efficiently, a person may not feel any benefit from the nutrients.  When nutrients are administered intravenously, the precise amount prescribed gets delivered to the bloodstream, ensuring more efficient delivery of these nutrients to the body's cells and tissues.

Nutrient Deficiencies

Certain nutrients may be deficient in the body due to impaired digestive function which limits absorption of nutrients from food.  Or there may be an increased demand for certain nutrients like the rapid usage by the body's cells of Vitamin C during a cold or flu.  Some specific conditions respond well to high doses of certain nutrients like the use of high-dose intravenous Vitamin C in the treatment of cancer. Naturopathic physicians are trained in the safe administration of intravenous therapies and are licensed to prescribe intravenous nutrients.