DETOX instead of RETOX

Ready for spring cleaning with Akasha’s Ultimate Detox and Vitality drips?

Do you drink alcohol on the weekends, or have a glass of wine on many nights of the week during dinner?  If you pair this habit with eating fried foods, dairy, lack of exercise and not eating enough vegetables, then this article may help get you on the right track. A great place to start a spring cleanse is with our ultimate detox and vitality (NAD) intravenous drips are a great way to help support your health.

Benefits of I.V. therapy

First of all, before anyone decides to get a needle stuck in their arm, they should know why intravenous vitamin therapy is beneficial. When supplements are taken by mouth, your body can only absorb 10-20% of it. This is because it first has to be broken down by your stomach acid, then transported to your liver. 

Then your liver sends those nutrients through your bloodstream to every part of your body.  If you have optimal health, meaning that you have no digestive problem and a highly functioning liver, the most you will get from your supplements is 20%. 

If you are like most of the population that drinks alcohol, eats inflammatory foods like gluten and sugars and likely has leaky gut, your body will receive the minimal amount of the supplements you are taking- which is 10% or less.  This is very little and it takes approximately 6-8 weeks for supplements to start taking effect on your body.  

Intravenous (I.V.) therapy provides essential vitamins and nutrients directly into your bloodstream, bypassing your gut and liver, ensuring that all of your vital organs receive 100% of what you are getting! If you have inflammation, chronic disease, leaky gut or digestive problems, or simply don’t eat enough fruits or vegetables, regular IV therapy treatments will help you reduce inflammation and restore your health and vitality. 

The Ultimate detox drip contains essential vitamins and nutrients that your body needs in order to function properly, restore homeostasis, and facilitate healing.  This drip is the highest antioxidant drip we have that cleanses your body of toxins like alcohol, heavy metals and free radicals.  It enhances blood circulation to your vital organs such as the liver, which is the most negatively affected organ with alcohol consumption, along with your heart and lungs.  I will discuss the wonders of the main ingredients in this article. 

B vitamins   

Alcohol consumption directly impacts the absorption of B vitamins from your body.  There are 8 B vitamins, all of which are essential for muscle, brain and nervous system support. B vitamins are converted in the methylation pathway into ready to use vitamins, glutathione, SamE, etc. which are needed to reduce inflammation, clear your body of free radicals, and gives your brain and muscles the fuel to function optimally.

Many of my patients have B vitamin depletion, whether that comes from drinking alcohol on the weekends, or having a leaky gut or being on a vegetarian diet.  Alcohol has been shown to deplete B6 pyridoxine, B12 cobalamin, B9 folate and B12 thiamine! 

B vitamin depletion causes anemia and symptoms such as fatigue, lack of motivation for exercising, brain fog, cold hands and feet, anxiety, depression and memory loss.  Does this sound like you? Long term B vitamin depletion has even been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. When B levels are suppressed, your body is unable to clear out homocysteine, which has been linked to heart disease and liver damage. 

Glutathione 

There are many benefits of glutathione. To keep it short and sweet, glutathione is the master antioxidant of your body.  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that can damage cells and tissues in the body, and may therefore contribute to longevity.

Glutathione is especially good at cleaning your liver, kidneys, lungs and for replenishing your skin.  It is regularly used in hospitals as IV therapy to patients with acetaminophen (Tylenol) overdose to prevent kidney and liver damage. 

We are born with lots of glutathione, and these levels slowly decrease as we age, recover from injuries, fight disease and chronic infection.  High glutathione levels (and stem cells) in children is the main reason why when you are a child, you can get injured and heal so fast, and also why kids can eat junk food all day and they don’t face the daily struggles that most adults encounter.

Glutathione is like your garbage truck that comes around and gets rid of all of the “trash” or free radicals from your system. 

Side note: ** Inhaled glutathione therapy is provided to clear the lungs of mucous and dilate bronchioles to help patients recover quickly from asthma and upper respiratory conditions.** 

N-Acetylcysteine

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is valued primarily for its role in antioxidant production.  It is the precursor to making glutathione.  Hence, it has all the benefits of glutathione, such as liver and lung health, plus many more not discussed in this article. 

Selenium

Selenium is a trace element naturally found in foods (such as brazil nuts, seafood and organ meat) and plays a critical role in thyroid hormone metabolism, DNA synthesis and reproduction (healthy babies), and cognition and heart health.  It is involved in the production of glutathione and is therefore essential in protecting the body from oxidative damage and infection.  

Alpha lipoic acid 

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is another powerful antioxidant that is vital for detoxification and reducing inflammation.  It helps enzymes turn nutrients into energy, and has been linked to weight loss.  ALA therapy has been linked to lower blood sugar levels, slows insulin resistance.  Studies have shown its effectiveness in lowering triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels and improving memory and brain function! Who doesn’t want to lose weight, lower cholesterol and blood sugar levels while detoxing?

NAD  

N.A.D+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) is a cofactor of a vitamin B3, and is found in all living cells. It converts food to energy, plays a crucial role in maintaining DNA integrity.  In simple words, NAD ensures proper cell functioning and protects our bodies from aging and disease- and for this reason is what some say is the Hollywood antiaging secret!

NAD steadily decreases as we age (like glutathione), and have chronic disease resulting in altered metabolism and increased disease susceptibility.  Studies have shown that when NAD levels are restored in old or diseased persons, it can promote health, increase the body's resilience to disease and extend lifespan.  In this article, I am only mentioning the amazing benefits of NAD on liver health. NAD helps every single organ system and cell in your body thrive, so stay tuned for more!

NAD levels are imperative for optimal organ function like our liver.  NAD and its precursors are known to protect the liver from toxic overload and fatty liver disease, also known as steatohepatitis, by reversing fat accumulation.  In time, as our liver accumulates fat and toxins such as alcohol it begins to harden and become fibrosed, which may lead to disease and cancer. 

NAD stops this process early by maintaining cholesterol transport and proper use of fatty acids.  It also controls how our bodies make and use glucose or ketones as an energy source (glucogenesis and ketogenesis).  Furthermore, research illustrates that raising NAD levels back to the level of young mice has been effective at preventing and treating obesity and insulin resistance! Results of boosting NAD demonstrates improving the health of the liver, but also to increase its capacity for regeneration = making new liver cells ☺

What will help you along with these two IV drips is to start our 21-day Akasha reset cleanse.  This includes daily vital meal shakes, greens powder along with enzymes to break down food easily and liver detox supplements.  Together, this will give your body the daily nutrients it needs while your gut and liver are healing. 

You can choose to take the month of April, where spring and new beginnings occur, to DETOX instead of RETOX!

Hi, my name is Gina Galvez. I am Akasha’s integrative Physician Assistant and my specialties are sports medicine using regenerative medicine such as platelet rich plasma (PRP), healing gut disorders and IV vitamin therapy.  

If you are interested in IV therapy, you can book a consultation with me to see which drip is good for you or we can customize a drip to meet your specific needs.