IV Drips Grow In Popularity For Diets, Energy, And Hangover Cures
IV drips are starting to be quite the fashionable thing to buy, as celebrities and the rich in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas are all hopping on the trend to pump their bodies full of nutrients.
The idea is pretty simple. By replenishing the body with all of the essential ingredients it needs, you will have a more effective body full of energy. That also means that the whole process of eating food can more or less be cut out as well, helping to shave pounds for those dying to fit into that Size 0.
"They [the celebs] cut their calorie intake down to as little as 500 a day. Then they will go in every morning and use the nutrients fed to them via a drip to sustain them while they starve their bodies of food," said one anonymous Hollywood PR person.
It has also been reportedly a hit among businessmen and especially Wall Street workers who stay up countless hours making trades and researching the next big stock. Despite the high cost of the treatment (the price for each IV drip can range from between $100-$1,000), many people swear by the results.
"Since I've been getting the IVs...I have more stamina at night. I just power through without a problem," Adam Spoont, 29, the former director of hospitality at Abe & Arthur's and Catch, who is preparing to open his own night spot this summer.
IV drips aren't just for the Hollywood socialites and midnight-oil burners, however. These highly-charged vitamin cocktails also appeal to another, far more miserable demographic: the hungover population.
In Las Vegas, a new service has been offered for the past year that has quickly grown in popularity up and down The Strip. Dr. Jason Burke, a certified anesthesioligist, has started up his own mobile business to cure hangovers via IV drip, which he calls Hangover Heaven.
"Patients" can step aboard a bus that goes up and down The Strip and receive varying levels of IV drips to help cure their ailments from the night before. Ranging from between 45 minutes to an hour and a half in length, the IV drips are said to completely cure people of the vitamin deficiency that comes with heavy drinking, making them feel like new again.
"This is a professional medical practice. We take a medical history," he said. "I'm not a cowboy. I'm not going to grab someone off the street...without knowing their medical history. If they do have something that might be complicated, I'll refer them to an emergency room or tailor their treatment to avoid anything that might cause problems."
Though there are no strict regulations on the administration of IV drips just yet, chances are good that as the trend grows there will be political pressure to start regulating the practice. At least for now though, people are willing to pay whatever the cost for that extra little bit of juice.