Ringer’s Lactate Solution May Be Just What You Need This Holiday

Originally published on phlabs.org

 “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” according to singer Andy Williams, but it’s also a very dehydrating time of the year. Due to holiday parties and extremely hectic schedules from trying to cram in as much as possible in the last few days of 2022, you may find that you are drinking a lot of alcohol and coffee and not getting enough water.

Many people do not even realize they are dehydrated until they feel thirsty. Being dehydrated can lead to poor circulation, hypertension, hunger pangs and overeating, headaches, fatigue, lack of moisture in the skin and more. And, of course, in very severe cases dehydration can lead to death.

Although I am a major advocate for drinking plenty of water throughout the day, I acknowledge that it can be difficult at times.

In mild cases of dehydration, drinking water can help to replenish lost fluids and electrolytes. It is important to drink enough water to meet your body's needs, which can vary depending on factors such as your age, sex, weight and activity level. 

Certain cases of dehydration may require more than just water. This may include the use of intravenous (IV) fluids, such as saline solution or lactated Ringer's solution, which can be administered directly into the bloodstream to replace lost fluids and electrolytes.

Lactated Ringer's Role in Addressing Hydration

Also called Ringer’s lactate solution, and known as sodium lactate solution, this “cocktail” is administered intravenously and is essentially a hydration and electrolyte bomb.  

Ringer’s lactate consists of:

• Sodium

• Chloride

• Potassium

• Calcium

• Lactate (in the form of sodium lactate)

Doctors may use lactated Ringer's solution in a variety of situations, including but not limited to:

• Dehydration: Ringer's solution can be used to treat dehydration by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. It is often used for mild to moderate dehydration, particularly when the patient is unable to drink fluids orally.

• Electrolyte imbalances: Ringer's solution contains electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are important for maintaining the balance of fluids in the body. It can be used to treat electrolyte imbalances caused by conditions such as diarrhea, vomiting or excessive sweating.

• Blood loss: Ringer's solution can be used to replace fluids and electrolytes lost during blood loss.

• Shock: Ringer's solution can be used to treat shock by increasing the volume of fluids in the circulatory system and maintaining blood pressure.

• Surgery: Ringer's solution may be used to maintain hydration before, during and after surgery.

Saline Solution Is Also Used For Hydration 

Saline solution and lactated Ringer's solution are both sterile electrolyte solutions that are used for intravenous (IV) infusion. However, there are some differences between the two solutions:

• Composition: Saline solution is made up of sodium chloride in water, while lactated Ringer's solution contains sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride and sodium lactate in water.

• pH: Saline solution has a neutral pH of around 7, while lactated Ringer's solution has a slightly basic pH of around 7.4.

• Uses: Both saline solution and lactated Ringer's solution can be used to treat dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, but lactated Ringer's solution may be preferred in certain situations due to its slightly higher pH and the presence of lactate, which can be converted to bicarbonate in the body, potentially making it more effective in correcting acidosis.

Both Saline solution and lactated Ringer's solutions are referred to as crystalloid solutions. They are fluids that contain small molecules that can easily pass through the walls of blood vessels.

 The OASIS IV, 500 ml of Lactated Ringer’s Solution may be the perfect “cocktail” for your fluid and electrolyte replenishment. It produces diuresis (increased urination) which may reduce blood pressure. It also acts as an alkalizing agent by reducing acidity in the body.  

People with liver disease and lactic acidosis (having too much lactic acid in the body) need to be especially mindful when it comes to getting Ringer’s solution. pH Drip Lab will go over your health history with you and make sure you receive the appropriate vitamin infusion or injection.

Have a healthy, happy and hydrated holiday!

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult with your doctor or another competent healthcare practitioner to get specific medical advice for your situation.         

Looking For The Fountain Of Youth? You May Find It In NAD+ IV Therapy

Originally published on phlabs.org

At just 25-years-old, it’s as if Justin Bieber has lived multiple lives. Rising to fame so fast as a young child and growing up in the public eye couldn’t have been easy, which some might say is why he battled addiction issues.

Bieber says he is now sober from marijuana, “Lean (Purple Drank)”, pills and other substances, and now, reportedly, part of his health and recovery regimen includes weekly IV infusions of NAD+.

(If you are unfamiliar with infusion therapy, read here).

What is NAD+?

Well, according to David Sinclair, co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School, “NAD+ is the closest we’ve gotten to a fountain of youth.” (Referenced in this Time magazine article).

“It’s one of the most important molecules for life to exist, and without it, you’re dead in 30 seconds.”

Short for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, NAD+ is a coenzyme (a molecule) found in all living cells.

NAD+ is important for the following:

• Energy metabolism

• Proper cell functioning and functioning of the entire body

• Proper functioning of mitochondria - which are, “The parts of cells that turn sugars, fats and proteins that we eat, into forms of chemical energy that the body can use to carry on living,” according to one source.

• Controlling cellular aging and DNA repair (damaged DNA is believed to be the root cause of many diseases, including cancer).

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), NAD+ therapy has been administered in intravenous form since the late 1960s in order to “significantly lessen withdrawal from a variety of drugs and alcohol.”

This may have to do with NAD+’s potential to repair DNA and improve brain function. As you likely already know, abusing drugs and alcohol may cause serious cognitive issues and damage.

But keep in mind the caveat by the FDA.  “Limitation is that recovery tends not to be complete with IV NAD alone.”  

“With addition of specified amino acids complex, recovery is found to be significantly more profound, complete and lasting.”

So in other words, you may need a “cocktail” of NAD+ and other nutrients. 

(The pH Drip Lab specializes in all kinds of nutrient cocktails).

But what about this "fountain of youth that Sinclair mentioned?

Well, NAD+ is important for controlling cellular aging and repairing DNA, but let’s dive into this a bit further.

NAD+ is needed for telomere maintenance.

“Telomeres are the protective caps on the ends of the strands of DNA called chromosomes, which house our genomes. In young humans, telomeres are about 8,000-10,000 nucleotides long,” reports Stanford Medicine. 

As we age, our telomeres shorten. Shorter telomeres have been linked to cardiovascular disease, dementia and even cancer.

Our levels of NAD+ also naturally declines with age, so increasing our levels of NAD+ through IV therapy may help keep our telomeres in better shape.

I think the National Institute of Health (NIH) reports the overall potential benefits perfectly:

“NAD+ levels steadily decline with age, resulting in altered metabolism and increased disease susceptibility. Restoration of NAD+ levels in old or diseased animals can promote health and extend lifespan, prompting a search for safe and efficacious NAD-boosting molecules. Such molecules hold the promise of increasing the body’s resilience, not just to one disease, but to many, thereby extending healthy human lifespan.”

Furthermore, “Mounting evidence has indicated that NAD+ levels decline with age in multiple types of tissues, which include the liver, skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, heart, brain, kidney, pancreas, lungs, spleen, skin, as well as extracellular fluids,” (ScienceDirect).

Studies have provided evidence suggesting that maintaining healthy levels of NAD+ may help with memory, maintaining a healthy weight and having a longer life span. Additional benefits may include reduced symptoms of depression, less stress and chronic fatigue and better skin.

How to get more NAD+ in your life?

NAD+ is not something that we can get from eating healthy foods (such as fruits and vegetables). There are NAD+ supplements in pill form, however, some might say NAD+ IV therapy is more effective because the NAD+ (and other nutrients) are delivered directly into your bloodstream.

I personally recommend IV therapy. I take advantage of IV vitamin drips at the pH Drip Lab on a monthly basis to boost my immune system and address my inevitable nutrient absorption issues with vitamin C. At the pH Drip Lab, we offer all sorts of vitamin “cocktails.” My go-to is the “Pick Me Up Buttercup,” which is an injection of 1,000 mg of vitamin C. I believe this has successfully boosted my immunity, energy and good health.

Whatever your decision, be sure to first consult your doctor or a competent healthcare professional, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have any existing health issues.

Enjoy your healthy life!

Another One to Add to the Coronavirus Arsenal: Vitamin C

It seems like everyone is getting the coronavirus. It was recently announced that Prince Charles, 71, tested positive for COVID-19. This virus does not care about race, gender, age, and economic or social status. We are all in this fight together.

And one of the ways we can fight is by doing everything we can to make our immune systems strong. This system plays such an important role in protecting us from viruses and other pathogens.

Your immune system is made up of various organs, cells and proteins. For example, the liver, tonsils, adenoids, appendix, spleen, thymus, bone marrow and white blood cells are usually considered part of your immune system.

Think of your white blood cells as your “immune system cells.” You want to have the optimal number of these cells to ensure you are in the best position to combat viruses and infections.

What does vitamin C have to do with protecting white blood cells?

One of the ways to ensure that your white blood cells are protected is by getting the right amount of nutrients from the foods (and possibly supplements) you consume.

There are six groups of nutrients we all need to live and protect our immune systems: water, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and protein. And these nutrients have to be in the right balance.

Most of us have no problem getting sufficient water, protein, fats and carbohydrates, however, vitamins and minerals tend to be the nutrient groups where many people have deficiencies.

According to the Center for Disease Control’s nutrition report, 10 percent of the U.S. population has nutritional deficiencies. And vitamin C is one of the nutrients many people are not getting enough of.

I don’t play favorites with my nutrients because they are all equally important, however, vitamin C is a nutrient I am particularly aware of at all times. Perhaps this is because I have difficulty absorbing it from food. 

As humans, we cannot synthesize vitamin C. So we need to get 90 percent of our vitamin C intake from fruits and vegetables, according to one source. 

People who don’t get enough vitamin C in their diets may get scurvy. You may have heard that sailors on long voyages in the 17th and 18th centuries died from scurvy when they ran out of fresh food supplies.

Scurvy may not be as common these days, but it can still happen. And it has been reported that more than 40% of American adults have an inadequate intake of vitamin C. While the deficiency may not result in bleeding gums and missing teeth, it might be enough to wreak havoc on our immune systems. Vitamin C also plays a role in protecting us from cardiovascular illnesses and other diseases.

Vitamin C and COVID-19

Of course, we want to avoid this deficiency so that our immune systems can be in top shape and the most capable of fighting COVID-19.

 It is one of the most important nutrients needed for our survival. It is also an antioxidant, which means it protects our bodies from free radicals and other harmful molecules.  There are even reports that chinese researchers are adding vitamin C to the list of potential therapies for COVAD-19.

According to one report, "ZhiYong Peng, MD of the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University recently registered a phase 2 clinical trial on ClinicalTrials.gov to test the efficacy of vitamin C infusions for the treatment of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) associated with the novel coronavirus."

Vitamin C was described in the study as an antioxidant "that may help prevent cytokine-induced damage to the lungs. Cytokines are small proteins released by cells, which trigger inflammation and respond to infections, according to MedicineNet author William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR. Severe lung inflammation with COVID-19 may result in respiratory distress and even death."

It is well known that vitamin C "reduces the inflammatory response, and both prevents and shortens the duration of the common cold."  Moreover, "insufficient vitamin C is related to an increased risk and severity of influenza infections." 

To put into perspective what a key nutrient vitamin C is, in New York, one of the epicenters of the coronavirus in the United States, some hospitals  give “seriously sick” coronavirus patients  “massive doses of vitamin C,” according to one report.

A doctor mentioned in the report says that COVID-19 patients in intensive care get 1,500 milligrams of intravenous vitamin C. (To learn more about IV vitamin therapy, read here).

This dose is 16 times higher than the National Institute of Health’s daily recommended dietary allowance of vitamin C.

“The patients who received vitamin C did significantly better than those who did not get vitamin C,” said the doctor.

“It helps a tremendous amount, but it is not highlighted because it’s not a sexy drug.”

To be clear, this does not mean that vitamin C will completely prevent or cure COVID-19. This is evidence however to suggest that this vitamin may help to reduce the effects of viruses like coronavirus.

“Vitamin C contributes to immune defense by supporting and directly stimulating various cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system,” according to a study on the influenza virus and vitamin C.

“Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) possesses anti-viral activity. It has been shown that vitamin C is an essential factor in the production of the anti-viral immune response during the early phase of viral infection…”

“Anti-viral” is the magic word here for me. Given this pandemic we are facing, anything with potential anti-viral properties is definitely worth knowing about. 

Get your vitamin C, but be safe.

It is not advised to take any supplements or higher doses of vitamin C without first seeking the advice of a competent healthcare professional. For example, there are a significant number of people with certain genetic conditions like G6PD or kidney issues who should avoid too much vitamin C.

In the meantime, you can eat plenty of vitamin C rich foods such as broccoli, cantaloupe, cauliflower, kale, kiwi, oranges, papaya, red, green or yellow bell peppers, sweet potatoes, strawberries and tomatoes (just to name a few).

If you are a smoker, now is definitely the time to quit! Smoking inflames the lungs and suppresses the immune system. So taking vitamin C and smoking may be counterproductive. 

Be Proactive About Your Immune System

It is the flu season and to complicate matters, we have a new virus to contend with - the coronavirus!

Many people are now more aware than ever about the importance of their immune systems because it  plays such a very important role in protecting us from viruses.  

According to the National Institutes of Health, (NIH), “[w]ithout an immune system, we would have no way to fight harmful things that enter our body from the outside or harmful changes that occur inside our body,”

Immune system makeup

Your immune system is made up of various organs, cells and proteins. For example, the liver, tonsils, adenoids, appendix, spleen, thymus, bone marrow and white blood cells are usually considered part of your immune system. And perhaps if we fully appreciated the fact that one of  the functions of the immune system is to protect us from viruses like coronavirus, we might be more curious about how we can make this important system work better for us.  

10 ways to be proactive about your immune system

Being proactive about your immune systems starts with a keen awareness of your body, shifting the way you think about it and giving it what it needs to be its strongest. 

Signs your immune system needs a tune-up may be when you start getting frequent colds or have too many sick days. The reality is these may all be early warning signs that you should be proactive about your immune system. Remember, your immune system has to fight the load of everyday toxins, pollutants, bacteria and viruses, along with the adverse health effects that accompany them -  from fatigue to cancer. 

1. Pay attention to your vague symptoms. Most of above environmental onslaughts actually do not make you noticeably sick at first, but may do so over time. At first you might just experience general symptoms like fatigue, feeling low on energy, headaches, nausea, not feeling like getting up in the morning, less initiative to do things, moodiness, altered sleep, indigestion, weight gain, decreased ability to exercise and difficulty focusing. Effects tend to accumulate over time. These smaller nuisances may escalate to actual diseases.

2. Think about your body like a machine. Don’t wait till your body actually breaks down with an illness. Feed it with the right ingredients. Treat it like your most precious possession. Learn to be observant of any new or subtle changes. For most changes in your body there are reasons why they are happening and those reasons should not be ignored. Those changes may simply have to do with your recent food and physical activity habits, emotional and social health, work environment or imbalance between activity and recreation. And then there are those activities that may not be good for you such as alcohol, smoking, illicit drugs, slacking off on your exercise regimen, excessive calories, lack of healthy sleep/excessive sleep, wasting time on low-value activities or getting caught up in unhealthy relations.

3. Get the right nutrition. You want healthy cells that can protect your health and ward off illnesses. But your cells need the right balance of nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, water, protein, carbohydrates and fat.  They also need enough oxygen, especially as you age to properly utilize these nutrients. 

4. Test for nutritional deficiencies and antioxidant levels. Take the guesswork out of it and periodically test for nutritional deficiencies. Chances are, you will find areas where you are deficient. Supplement these deficiencies by identifying those foods which will provide the necessary nutrients or identify good supplements to fine tune your “machine.” This is the most definitive way to find out what your body needs.

5.  Get out in the fresh air and get moving. Cardiovascular exercise will increase the oxygen delivery to you cells and improve your immune system. Even just 30 minutes of brisk walking may improve your immune system compared to otherwise sedentary time.

6. Support a healthy liver. The liver has multiple functions in breaking down many nutritional ingredients and metabolizing them into forms useful for individual cells. It helps to detoxify waste and toxins from the body. Simply put, your liver is a key organ for manufacturing the healthy stuff and eliminating the bad stuff. The liver produces many proteins and globulins, which have the ability to neutralize many harmful agents and pathogens. You can strengthen your liver with specific dietary plans, but also with herbs like milk thistle, burdock, turmeric and grape seed extract. Avoid any obvious liver toxins such as alcohol or illegal drugs.

7. Support a healthy lymphatic system. One study underscores the importance of the lymphatic system to support the immune system. Lymph drainage by certain exercises like “rebounding” as well as massages may be helpful.

8.  Consider supplementing with probiotics. There is evidence that probiotics may help strengthen the immune system. 

9. Be aware of medications which weaken your immune system. Some people with certain health conditions may take medications with side effects that may weaken the immune system. If you are one of those people, talk to your doctor about how to protect yourself from being susceptible to viruses and other diseases.

10. Manage stress. Constantly being in a state of stress can wreak havoc on your immune system by causing your body to produce too much cortisol (the stress hormone). Too much cortisol may cause excess inflammation in the body, and inflammation is believed to be the root cause of so many diseases and illnesses.    

(Take this quiz and find out how  healthy your immune system is).   

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

6 Ways To Be Proactive About Coronavirus Protection At Work

Originally published on pHLabs.org

If you’ve been listening to the news about the coronavirus, you’ve probably heard that people who work in Seattle’s tech mecca have been told to work from home.

“Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft are all encouraging employees in the Seattle area to work from home due to concerns about the novel coronavirus as the outbreak in Washington grows,” according to this CNNreport.

“Amazon (AMZN) revealed earlier this week that one of its Seattle-based employees has been diagnosed with the virus. On Wednesday, Facebook said a contractor who works at one of its offices in Seattle had tested positive.” 

These reports should not scare you. Instead they should make you more aware of the actions you need to take in order to protect yourself from all viruses, including the coronavirus. 

If you are otherwise healthy, don't be afraid to go to work.

Events such as these may make you afraid to go to work. But you have to continue living your life. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t take the necessary precautions or obey if you are told to work from home, however, there are still many of us that are working away from home in the office.

I recently blogged about how to be proactive and not panic about the coronavirus. And because so many of us are going to an office five days a week and interacting with coworkers, I think it’s important to discuss how we can be proactive specifically in an office setting.

Be proactive.

• Feel sick? Stay home! 

I get it. Sometimes we just want to tough it out and get the job done, especially when you may not feel “that bad.” But I’m sure you’d feel very bad if you got one of your coworkers sick. If you have a fever or are experiencing respiratory symptoms (even if they are mild), just stay home.

• Watch your water bottles.

This is a big one. Most offices have a communal water dispenser where you can fill up your reusable water bottle. When refilling your water bottle, avoid contact with the lip of the water bottle (where you put your mouth and drink) and the dispenser. So many people do this without even realizing it. This is a sure way to spread germs and possibly get multiple people sick. If we are not mindful of this, we may as well all be drinking out of the same water bottle!

• Wipe it down.

There are reports out there that say your keyboard is dirtier than a toilet seat! I’m not trying to make you paranoid or gross you out, but think about what items in your office are constantly touched: keyboards, phones, desk surfaces, the table in the conference room and refrigerator handle in the office kitchen. Do your part by keeping disinfectant wipes handy and wiping things down. We can work together to help keep one another healthy.

• Learn how to cough and sneeze the right way. 

This may sound silly but so many people cough or sneeze into their hands. This is one of the main ways germs are spread. I recommend keeping tissues or a handkerchief nearby that you can use to prevent spraying droplets. Another option is to sneeze or cough into the crook of your elbow. And if you do sneeze or cough into your hand, get up and wash your hands immediately.

• Wash your hands, more than you feel necessary.

We don’t live in a germ free world, and we will never be able to avoid germs completely. However, we do know that now is a time to be especially mindful of our handwashing. Wash your hands before and after you eat. Do not lick your fingers, remove gum from your mouth with your bare hands or share drinks. When washing your hands, scrub them for at least 20 seconds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides an extensive list on when to wash your hands.

• Manage stress.

Constantly being in a state of stress can wreak havoc on your immune system by causing your body to produce too much cortisol (the stress hormone). And too much cortisol may cause excess inflammation in the body, and inflammation is believed to be the root cause of so many diseases and illnesses. Manage stress by working out, meditating, eating healthily and taking advantage of your company’s health perks (maybe your company offers free yoga classes or fresh fruit). Make sure to also get sufficient, good quality sleep. For sleep tips, including how eating certain nutrient-rich foods may help you get to sleep, read here.

Finally, consider taking advantage of IV vitamin drips or injections. This is a great way to boost your immunity and decrease your chances of catching a virus and other infections. 

I take advantage of these drips at the pH Drip Lab on a monthly basis to boost my immune system and address my inevitable nutrient absorption issues with vitamin C. At the pH Drip Lab, we offer all sorts of immune related “cocktails.” My go-to is the “Pick Me Up Buttercup,” which is an injection of 1,000 mg of vitamin C. I believe this has successfully boosted my immunity, energy and good health and kept my immune system strong for years.  

We can win this fight against the coronavirus. We just have to be proactive and focus on boosting our immune system while at the same time be cognizant of how our actions impact others -  especially when we are in communal places.

IV Hydration May Be Life-Saving For Those Who Binge Drink

About a year ago, an article from Forbes discussed how America’s alcohol crisis has been overshadowed by the opioid crisis. 

The reality is that alcohol is the third leading preventable cause of death in the United States. (The first is tobacco. The second is poor diet and physical inactivity, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).

A recent analysis conducted by the NIAAA found that nearly one million people died from alcohol-related causes between 1999 and 2017.

The number of alcohol related deaths should be a wake up call.

“The current findings suggest that alcohol-related deaths involving injuries, overdoses, and chronic diseases are increasing across a wide swath of the population. The report is a wakeup call to the growing threat alcohol poses to public health,” said NIAAA Director Dr. George F. Koob.

One disease due to alcohol consumption is alcohol-related liver disease - . What’s so scary about this type of liver disease is that it can really sneak up on people who are young and need to address that their relationship with alcohol may be problematic.

Are you a binge drinker with sober breaks?

The story of a young woman, Rachel Martin, discussed in this article is instructive.

Rachel was caught up in the bad habit of binge drinking with sober breaks.

“Even when she was drinking, she would hit the bottle hard for three weeks but then go cold turkey for a week,” according to the article.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “[b]inge drinking is the most common, costly, and deadly pattern of excessive alcohol use in the United States. Binge drinking is defined as a pattern of drinking that brings a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume 5 or more drinks or women consume 4 or more drinks in about 2 hours. Most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent [which is why many people who binge drink do not think that they have a problem].”

The CDC also reports that one in six U.S. adults binge drinks about four times a month, consuming about seven drinks per binge. (It is also most common in younger adults - ages 18 to 34).

Symptoms

The woman discussed in the article, Rachel Martin, started “feeling off.” Her symptoms included loss of appetite, itchy skin and fluid accumulation in her abdomen (ascites). Ascites is a common sign of cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.

At first, she ignored her symptoms and continued to drink for months, but eventually went to the doctor and was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver. Her doctor told her that if she continued to drink alcohol, she could die within a month.

“Even if she did quit, she might not make it three months,” the article states.

“Doctors are seeing more patients like Martin, people in their 20s and 30s with symptoms of acute liver disease related to alcohol consumption.”

More young people are being diagnosed with alcoholic related liver disease

It appears that many young people believe that their bodies are young enough to handle high alcohol consumption and that they have years until they will see the negative effects of excessive drinking. Sadly, this is certainly not the case.

Another person discussed in the article is a young man who said he drank more than a half of a fifth of vodka a day as a bartender. He eventually started having severe stomach pains. He went to the hospital and was diagnosed with cirrhosis and alcoholic liver hepatitis.

Yes, the people discussed in this article may drink more than usual. But if you are a person that gets very drunk every weekend or binge drinks a few times a month, you may be doing some serious damage to your liver and other organs.

And the deceptive part about this disease is that you may not have symptoms until it is too late. 

“When most other parts of your body become inflamed, you can feel it – the area becomes hot and painful. But an inflamed liver may cause you no discomfort at all, and people with inflammation generally do not feel it,” according to the American Liver Foundation.

So this means that serious liver disease may go undiagnosed until it is in its later stages.

There are many health issues (pancreatitis, fatty liver) associated with excessive drinking. And some of these issues may be the absence of critical nutrients, like water, vitamins, minerals, including iron, selenium and magnesium, which alcohol depletes from our bodies if we overdo it. Combine this with the inflammation that excessive drinking causes, and you may have a recipe for disaster. Furthermore, people who drink heavily tend to have poorer diets, lacking nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables.

How can you be proactive?

Obviously, the best method is to abstain from drinking alcohol or drink in moderation. (Read here to find out how much is too much).

Myers Cocktails are great to replenish lost nutrients after drinking

But if you happen to drink excessively, at least try to replenish the lost nutrients with vitamin “cocktails.” (Yes, I do realize there is a bit of irony in calling these “cocktails”).

A vitamin cocktail, (or more correctly a nutrient cocktail), is usually in the form of an IV vitamin drip. The “banana bag” (which you can read all about here) is commonly used to treat patients who have a history of abusing alcohol.

The nutrient-filled fluid in a banana bag has a yellow color, hence the name. The nutrients, such as thiamine, folate and magnesium, present in the bag are all essential to the proper functioning of our bodies (including proper functioning of the liver).

IV vitamin drips deliver these cocktails of nutrients directly into the bloodstream.

And you don’t necessarily have to be having a medical issue or an emergency to utilize IV vitamin drips. Many people may use IV drips to help prevent or reduce the symptoms of the common cold, a hangover, jet lag, fatigue and more.

You can read more about potential benefits of the Myers’ Cocktail and additional cocktails we offer at the pH Drip Lab, here.

I’ve never been much of a drinker, but these are cocktails I utilize often as I age to replace lost vitamins and minerals and help boost my nutritional status. Whether or not we are battling addiction or drinking responsibly, we all likely have challenges maintaining optimal nutrient levels. 

These challenges are due to a variety of factors, including age, medications,  surgery and chronic illness . When you have these challenges, it is important to consult with a competent healthcare practitioner to identify the best way you can remain nutritionally balanced.

To get more information and book an appointment at the pH Drip Lab, click here. 

Also check out our nutrient injections and pushes.

Finally, if you think you have a problematic relationship with alcohol or find that it is hard to live without drinking alcohol, read here for resources on how you can get help.

Enjoy your healthy life!

Whatever Your New Year’s Resolution Includes, Don’t Forget IV Vitamin Drips & Injections

It’s no secret that many people have a tough time sticking to their New Year’s resolutions. One reason for this may be that they lack a clear and proactive plan of attack. 

It’s not enough to just say: I’m going to eat healthier and workout more. You have to be intentional and specific:

• I am going to remove ultra-processed foods from my diet and eat a serving of veggies at every meal.

• I am going to strength train three times a week and get up from my desk at work every 30 minutes to move and stretch.

• I am going to have a regular bedtime so that I can get good quality sleep, feel rested during the day and be less tempted to reach for office sweets when I feel low energy.

In addition to being very intentional, you have to think about what the “missing ingredient” may be to achieving your goals every year. And in my opinion, one missing ingredient may be staying nutritionally balanced through the use of IV vitamin drips and injections.

Although we should be getting most of our vitamins and minerals from consuming a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, it’s pretty much inevitable that all of us will suffer nutritional imbalances and/or deficiencies at some point in our lives.

Reportedly, 9 in 10 Americans do not absorb or consume the required amounts of one or more key nutrients from the foods they eat. Some of these nutrients include potassium, dietary fiber, choline, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, D, E and C.

Take me, for example. I have nutrient absorption issues with vitamin C despite eating very healthily. It’s genetic, so I have to address this with vitamin therapy in addition to eating a vitamin C-rich diet.

Other reasons why we may suffer from nutritional imbalances and deficiencies include:

• Aging. As we get older, our bodies have a harder time absorbing nutrients from the foods we eat.

• Poor soil quality. 

• Medications. Both prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs deplete vitamins and minerals from the body.

• Not consistently following a healthy, nutrient-rich diet.

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, what you may not know is that nutritional deficiencies and imbalances may prevent you from achieving your weight loss goals and maintaining a healthy weight.

Examples of nutrient deficiencies that may stand in the way of your resolution to lose weight?

• Magnesium. This nutrient is one of the major minerals inside our bodies’ cells. Outside of the cells, it is an important cofactor for hundreds of processes and reactions in the body, including energy. Studies with rats have shown that a low magnesium level can slow down the growth of lean body mass (muscle and bone building) and promote an increase in body fat. Some healthcare professionals also believe that people with low magnesium tend to have high blood sugar. 

• Phosphorus. People who are overweight or obese tend to have high-carb diets (including processed, nutrient void carbs like white rice, white bread, pasta and sweets). And one theory is that high-carb diets increase insulin release, which creates a reaction that consumes a lot of phosphorus. This could mean the phosphorus in the body isn’t available to do other reactions in the body, like burn off food. This low metabolism gets mistranslated to the body as “not enough food,” which may cause us to eat more. Supporting this theory is that high levels of phosphorus in the body are linked with lower body weight. 

• Iron. This mineral may be critical for the energy you need to increase your physical activity. Iron is needed to make hemoglobin, a component of your red blood cells that delivers oxygen to all the cells in your body. Without adequate iron, your body can’t carry enough oxygen to your vital organs. Low iron levels may leave you feeling quite tired. So you can probably imagine that if you have low iron, you may not feel up for going to the gym and working out (which along with diet, is key in weight loss). Furthermore, excess weight appears to be associated with iron deficiency. One study reported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggested that the treatment of iron deficiency anemia induced weight loss and improved metabolic parameters.

• B vitamins. There is some evidence that non-optimal levels of vitamin B12 may increase the likelihood of obesity. B vitamins are also important for the maintenance of adequate energy levels you will need to complete any weight loss program. 

At the pH Drip Lab, we offer all sorts of vitamin “cocktails” that can help you avoid these nutritional deficiencies. Not only may these vitamin injections and pushes help you with your New Year’s resolution, but it also may boost your immunity and help with other health issues.

Check out some of the testimonials from the Proactive Health Labs Yelp page:

• Love this place. Everyone's friendly and cool, and man oh man, the shots work. Was down for the count with a nasty cold for a couple weeks, got the B Complex, day and a half later, i was human again. So great!

• Amazing staff and experience from start to finish at PH LABS. Came here for the IV service and can't wait to feel the results. Thank you everyone for your knowledge, expertise and being so hospitable from the moment I walked in. If you're looking for IV services for a quick pick me up highly highly recommend this spot!

• This place is great!  I came in for a Meyer's drip and they had that plus the super-antioxidant Glutathione which I need right now for some health recovery stuff.  Really happy I found this place and would be back weekly if I was staying in LA!

• Wasn't feeling well, run down from work and lack of sleep. I been doing vitamin shots for awhile now, and they work for me. I just moved to the area, so I needed a new place. I found them, and saw that they offered vitamin drips. I heard about them and read up on them, so I was game. The staff and doctor were very friendly. The whole process was painless. I think it helped me. I will definitely be back.

• After an exhausting run of project at work knew I needed to revive and get healthy again.  Stress and time on my feet had run my body down. Came into Proactive Health Labs for an IV drip and chose the Meyers.  Super friendly staff, comfortable surroundings, and most important a clean and safe place to have an IV put in. Extra touches like alkaline water and even some aromatherapy. Will definitely be back. Recommend.

So there you have it. Whatever your goals or issues may be, the pH Drip Lab can definitely get you on the road to success. And don’t forget to schedule routine nutrient tests in order to identify any nutrient imbalances or deficiencies you may have. If the test reveals you have too much or too little of a certain nutrient, a competent healthcare professional can work with you on making the necessary dietary changes and recommend what vitamin drips or injections are appropriate.

Enjoy your healthy life and happy almost New Year!

Choline. The Weight Loss Nutrient You May Be Missing

When it comes to managing our personal nutrition, there are lots of things to keep track of: What should I eat? How much should I eat? When should I eat?

It really depends on the individual, but one thing’s for certain for us all: we need six essential nutrients to stay healthy. These nutrients are water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.  

Water, carbs, proteins and fats are considered macronutrients (which are necessary in larger quantities), and the vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients (needed in smaller quantities). To be clear, micronutrients are just as important to our health as macronutrients are. 

If you have a basic understanding of good nutrition, you likely already know many of the popular essential micronutrients such as iron, magnesium, vitamin C, potassium, sodium, vitamin D and calcium (to name a few).

But one micronutrient you may not be too familiar with is choline.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) did not recognize choline as an essential nutrient until 1998. But there’s no denying choline’s important role in keeping us healthy. This nutrient is involved in a large number of very important physiological functions which affect various organs such as the brain, heart and liver. Simply put, the body needs choline to function normally and optimally. 

And perhaps one of choline’s most praised attributes is that it appears to play an important role in weight loss. A study from 2014 involved female taekwondo and judo athletes, who may have attempted to reduce their body mass a few days before competition in order to have a competitive advantage over their lighter opponents. 

So in order to lose weight quickly, some of these athletes implemented choline supplementation as one of their nutritional strategies. And basically what researchers found when the athletes took choline tablets one week before competition, is that the athletes were able to “...rapidly reduce body mass without any side effects on biochemical levels or static strength.”

Choline plays an important role in controlling fat and cholesterol buildup in the body. It has even been suggested that choline helps the body burn fat, which may result in easier weight loss and better metabolic health.

“Without an adequate supply of choline for phosphatidylcholine synthesis, triacylglycerides will accumulate, which leads to fatty liver condition,” according to the National Institutes of Health.

Given the association between choline and weight loss, it is not surprising that there is continuing interest in this nutrient. Remember, well over 65% of Americans are overweight or obese, so this is an issue that touches our lives in one way or another. And healthy solutions, like getting more choline in the diet, may make a difference for some.  

Furthermore, there is credible evidence that sub-optimal choline levels in humans are associated with liver and muscular damage. 

“The importance of choline in the diet extends into adulthood and old age. In a study of healthy adult subjects deprived of dietary choline, 77% of the men and 80% of the postmenopausal women developed signs of subclinical organ dysfunction (fatty liver or muscle damage),” according to this report from the NIH.

Basically, a choline deficiency can cause an abnormal deposition of fat in the liver, which may result in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

It is also extremely important that pregnant women get a sufficient intake of choline. 

“In humans, low maternal choline intake during pregnancy can alter DNA methylation in the placenta and cord blood [65]. Notably, there is an inverse relationship between the risk of neural tube defects and maternal choline intake or plasma choline concentrations, independent of dietary folate [another very critical nutrient pregnant women must consume] or supplemental folic acid intakes…,” reports the NIH.

“In addition, other birth defects associated with choline deficiency include cleft lip, hypospadias, and cardiac defects.”

The truth is, you may be deficient in choline.

According to the NIH’s Office of Dietary Supplements, most people in the United States consume less than the adequate intake (AI) for choline.

Recommended intakes for choline based on age and sex are listed below (note these amounts may differ if a woman is pregnant or lactating):

• 1-3 years, 220mg/day for both males and females

• 4-8 years, 250mg/day for both males and females

• 9-13 years, 375mg/day for both males and females

• 14-18 years, 550mg/day for males, 400mg/day for females

• 19 and up, 550mg/day for males, 425mg/day for females

Data from the 2013–2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that the average choline intake from foods and beverages among children and teens (ages 2-19) was only 256mg. Furthermore, the average intake for adult males was only 402mg and 278mg in adult females. Overall, most people do not get choline from supplements, which perhaps means that more people may need to seek the advice of a competent healthcare professional regarding choline supplementation if they cannot get an adequate intake through diet.

Some sources say less than nine percent of adults in the United States are meeting their daily choline needs! One report states 90 percent of Americans do not get enough choline.

Our livers can produce choline, but the amount it may produce is not enough to meet our needs. We really have to depend on dietary sources and maybe supplements in order to get enough choline.

So what are some dietary sources of choline?

Animal foods, particularly eggs and beef liver, are rich in choline. So if you are vegan or vegetarian, you definitely want to get a nutrient test to see if you are deficient in choline and if you are, discuss supplementation with a competent healthcare professional.

“Strict vegetarians, who consume no meat, milk, or eggs, may be at risk for inadequate choline intake,” according to the Linus Pauling Institute. 

And some sources even say that if you don’t eat eggs on the regular, you may have difficulty getting enough choline in your diet. Well, not everyone eats eggs which is why, again, it’s important to be proactive by knowing what nutrients you are deficient in.

Since it appears that so many Americans (whether they eat animal foods or not) are choline deficient, we all might want to consider being proactive when it comes to getting enough of this critical nutrient.

There are plant-based sources of choline such as potatoes, Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli and certain beans, nuts and whole grains. Educate yourself about the foods that are rich in choline, and make the effort to include them in your diet. For a list of additional foods rich in choline, read here. 

How else can you be proactive about choline deficiency?

• Know all your options.

Some health professionals recommend “Lipotropic (Lipo) Injections.” These injections include choline which may aid in the reduction of fat when combined with a healthy lifestyle. Here at pH, we have choline injections and it is referred to as “The Melt.” 

• Healthcare professionals should have choline on their radars.

This report from 2009 emphasizes the immediate need to increase awareness among health professionals and consumers of choline as an essential nutrient which is deficient in many people.

“These data indicate that there is a need to increase awareness among health professionals and consumers regarding potential suboptimal intakes of choline in the United States, as well as the critical role that choline plays in health maintenance throughout the lifespan. Food scientists and the food and dietary supplement industries should consider working collectively with government agencies to discuss strategies to help offset the percentage of the population that does not meet the AI [adequate intake].”

• Be aware of certain conditions that may make you prone to this deficiency.

There are certain groups of people who are more likely than others to have trouble getting enough choline. These include pregnant women, people with genetic conditions and those who are being fed intravenously. And remember, diets like certain strict vegetarian types which do not include milk or eggs may be choline deficient.

Educate yourself about this important nutrient, especially if you have been told you have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or are struggling with weight issues.

 Schedule your appointment HERE.

Enjoy your healthy life!