Here’s what goes into the vitamin IV drip cocktail created by a functional medicine doctor

Curious about vitamin IV drips? Watch the video.

Not so long ago, IV drips were only seen in the halls of hospitals and on reruns of Grey’s Anatomy. These days though, that drip, drip, drip has found its way to wellness wonderlands across America. What sets these fluids apart is that the bags at such establishments, like Lily Kunin’s Clean Market in New York City, are loaded with vitamins.

In the most recent episode of What the Wellness, Well+Good’s YouTube series exploring the newest (zaniest) frontiers for living your best life, video producer Ella Dove tries Clean Market’s energy drip—a cocktail of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, and vitamin B12—designed by functional medicine doctor Maurice Beer, MD.

Although the efficacy of IV drips still hasn’t been widely studied, they’ve been rising in popularity since early 2018 (we called it) for fast-tracking your wellness routine, particularly when it comes to beauty from the inside out.

“If you think about it, when you take in food or a supplement, you have to digest it and it has to get absorbed in order to get to the right place,” Erika Schwartz, MD of Manhattan’s Evolved Sciencepreviously told Well+Good. “When you do an IV, you’ve bypassed all of that and you’re going directly into the bloodstream. It’s a lot faster.”

If you’re intrigued by the idea of tapping a vein to take your vitamins, Clean Market nurse practitioner Shoko Karakilic, NP, suggests pregaming appropriately. Beforehand, make sure you:

1. 1.
   Drink plenty of water
2. 2.
   Wear loose clothing
3. 3.
   Wait 30 to 45 minutes…

Ready to see the big reveal? Watch the video to get Dove’s take, and be sure to subscribe to Well+Good’s YouTube channel.

For more What the Wellness, check out what it’s like to work out in New York’s chilliest studio, and a Japanese sleep massage for *all* the REM.