The first comprehensive research on the growing IV hydration industry finds little oversight of invasive procedures like vitamin drips.

The booming IV hydration spa industry operates with virtually no oversight or data backing up its claims, according to the first comprehensive national analysis of hydration clinics.

At clinics nationwide, people pay hundreds of dollars to have vitamins and minerals dripped directly into their veins as a detox, to ease headaches or boost immunity, “almost completely without evidence,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and co-author of the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. “As a result, there’s a real danger to consumers.”

Hydration clinics, combined with the growing number of med spas offering intravenous vitamin drips, skin care and cosmetic procedures, have ballooned into a $15 billion wellness industry in recent years, according to the American Med Spa Association.

  • fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    I know it’s being ran by the same people that do supplements and chiropractors and such. Which is to say kind of scammy quaks, but I’m so grateful for them taking off. I have good days and bad days but bads means I can’t hold anything down. Being dehydrated does not help at all with that. I’ve gone twice to the urgent care and took months to pay off what insurance didn’t cover. Glad I went I was in so much pain and the IV really made the difference.

    Now it’s 80 bucks and vitamins if I want them added. They even do on site calls. Like I’ll listen to them talk about tallow and seed oils for 15 minutes for that trade off.

  • Shirasho@lemmings.world
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    6 days ago

    Royal Caribbean has hired these people on their cruise ships and charge upwards of $1000 for treatment. I was almost offended.

  • Spaz
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    6 days ago

    There is like 5 in a 10mile radius in the past 2 years that seemed to have randomly popped up. So this all checks out.

  • solrize
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    6 days ago

    OMG. IV hydration. I wondered why regulate drinking more water, but nooo. Sheesh.