Saturday, August 1, 2015

thestarphoenix.com: Naturopathy's Vitamin IVs Have No Evidence of Benefit for the Healthy

here, a Big money maker for naturopathy in Canada takes a BIG hit, by way of critical thinking, expertise and a demand for a quality evidence base:

001. Sharon Kirkey at thestarphoenix.com writes in "Are Vitamin IVs the Cure For what Ails You?" (2015-08-01):

"[the reporter writes] the bright yellow concoction dripping into my veins looks alarmingly like lemon Kool-Aid.  As I sit attached to an intravenous pole at Toronto's Adelaide Health Clinic, however, what's actually pumping into my body are liquid vitamins from an IV bag [...] at the Adelaide clinic [...] people can choose from a menu of injections, from 'diet and detox' to drips for improved sports recovery and performance [...]";

brave.   I wouldn't let them touch me.  And there's the detox bogey man.

"'intravenous micro-nutrient therapy' is all the rage in natural health care [...]";

and how is this NATURAL?

"in Canada, IV therapy has become among the most popular services advertised by naturopaths [...] IV vitamin therapy [...] costs about $100 or more per drip [...]";

ka-ching.  As I said, big money maker. 

"critics [...] remain unconvinced, arguing there is no evidence from properly controlled trials that vitamin infusions do anything to improve the health of people who don't suffer true vitamin deficiencies [...e.g.] 'I don't know of the scientific basis for it. It certainly hasn't blossomed in the main medical literature as a cure for 'whatever' [...] where is the clinical trial, and where are the data? Has anyone said, 'we'll give you saline or we'll give you a drip, and let's see what the difference is?'' [...] says renowned nutrition expert Dr. David Jenkins, a professor in nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto and a scientist at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital";

perfect for naturopathyland, it fits right in in pseudomedical land.

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