Hydration & Heatwaves

Hotlanta is living up to its name this week! Staying hydrated with allow your organs to keep functioning well so you feel great.

How do you know if you're dehydrated? Dehydration can lead to heatstroke and other more mild symptoms like these:

1. Dark urine or less frequent urination (see chart below- 1 is well hydrated, and 6 is dehydrated)

2. Brain fog or mood disturbances

3. Thirst or dry mouth

4. Dry skin and cracked lips

5. Poor gut health

6. Low blood pressure, which can be seen headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and eye strain

Be sure to drink plenty of water. You can also increase your hydration by eating hydrating foods like spinach, cucumbers, watermelon, apples, and broccoli.

And, as always, come by Purifi IV if we can help you get hydrated! Drips make hydration effective, fast, and do a great job of replacing electrolytes.

Stay safe and stay hydrated!

Sources and helpful links:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dehydration/symptoms-causes/syc-20354086

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/9013-dehydration

https://www.livestrong.com/article/13726071-dehydration-effects/

Biotin Coming In Hot This Summer

Biotin, also known as B7, is a B vitamin that has amazing benefits for hair, skin, and nails. It can lead to thicker hair and stronger nails. It also keeps your mucous membranes in shape, which can give you more radiant skin. It also converts food to energy (source: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-biotin/).

Biotin Benefits

Find biotin in your diet! Some great sources of biotin are egg yolks, beans, peas, lentils, nuts, seeds, liver, sweet potatoes, bananas, broccoli, mushrooms, and avocado (source: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/biotin-rich-foods#3.-Nuts-and-seeds).

Sweet Potatoes Are One Good Source Of Biotin

Get biotin at Purifi IV in the Be Radiant Drip and The Glow Biotin Shot.

What Is Glutathione?

I do not love the taste of blueberries. I still take handfuls and drop them into my yogurt and smoothies, and it is a small fight every time, because I know they are a great source of antioxidants. That reminder is usually enough to get them down.

Antioxidants have been a hot topic in health for a decade now, and for good reason. They are free radical scavengers, which means they slow the damage to cells caused by unstable molecules the body produces in response to stress and the environment.

Here is the part most people do not know. The most important antioxidant in your body is not in a blueberry at all. Your body makes it, and it sits inside every cell you have.

What Glutathione Actually Is

Glutathione is a small molecule your body builds out of three amino acids: glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. Researchers call it a tripeptide. It is the most abundant antioxidant of its kind in the human body, and unlike vitamin C or vitamin E, you do not have to eat it to have it. You make it.

You will often see it written as GSH, and you will often see it called the master antioxidant. That nickname is not marketing. It comes from the research literature, and it exists because glutathione does something the other antioxidants do not. It helps regenerate them. Vitamin C and vitamin E get used up when they neutralize a free radical, and glutathione helps return them to a usable state. It sits at the top of the chain.

What Glutathione Does in the Body

Glutathione is involved in a long list of ordinary, everyday processes. The main ones:

It neutralizes free radicals. This is the job most people associate with antioxidants. Glutathione directly quenches reactive molecules before they damage cell components, including DNA.

It supports the body's natural detoxification pathways. Your liver uses glutathione to bind certain compounds and make them easier to clear. This is a normal, continuous process, not a cleanse.

It recycles other antioxidants. As above, it helps keep vitamins C and E working.

It supports normal immune function. Glutathione plays a role in how immune cells operate and in the body's inflammatory signaling.

It supports tissue repair and DNA synthesis. Glutathione is part of how the body builds and maintains itself.

None of that is exotic. It is basic cellular housekeeping, happening constantly, in you, right now.

Here is our glutathione infographic

Why Glutathione Levels Drop

Glutathione tends to decline as we age. Levels can also run lower with ongoing stress, poor sleep, a diet short on protein and produce, heavy alcohol use, and periods of illness.

That last one matters more than people expect. Your body spends glutathione when it is under load. A stretch of bad sleep, a hard training block, a rough week, or a bug going around the house all draw on the same account.

Living a healthy life with reduced stress, physical activity, and a balanced diet can increase your body’s production of glutathione

How to Support Your Body's Own Glutathione

The unglamorous answers work, and they should come first.

Eat enough protein. Glutathione is built from amino acids, and your body cannot make it out of nothing. Adequate protein is the foundation.

Eat sulfur rich vegetables. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic, and onions all support glutathione production.

Sleep. Poor sleep is consistently linked with lower antioxidant capacity.

Move regularly and keep alcohol moderate. Both affect how much glutathione your body has available to spend.

Eat your fruits and vegetables. Yes, including the blueberries.

Glutathione at Purifi IV

At Purifi IV in Suwanee we offer glutathione two ways.

As an IV add on. Glutathione can be added to any of our signature drips for $50, or $35 for members. If you are already coming in for a drip, this is the simplest way to include it.

In The Shield. The Shield is our tri immune injection, combining zinc, ascorbic acid, and glutathione, for $30, or $21 for members. It is a quick option if you are not doing a full drip that day.

Either way, you will be seen by our team. Purifi IV was founded and is staffed by emergency medicine trained providers, and everything is done under medical direction.

What to Expect Afterward

One honest heads up, because we would rather you hear it from us than be surprised.

Some people feel slightly off on the day of a glutathione service. A little tired, a little washed out. This is common, it is short lived, and it is tied to glutathione doing exactly what it does in the body's clearance pathways. If you have something important that evening, it is worth planning around. Most people feel completely normal by the next day.

Try glutathione in any drip

Common Questions

Is glutathione the same as an antioxidant supplement? Not quite. Most antioxidant supplements give you a nutrient your body uses. Glutathione is a molecule your body already makes, and it helps manage the other antioxidants as well.

Can I just eat glutathione? You can eat foods that support your body's production of it, and you should. Glutathione itself is present in fresh fruits, vegetables, and freshly prepared meats, though the body largely builds its own from amino acid building blocks.

Do I have to book a full drip? No. The Shield injection includes glutathione and takes just a few minutes.

How often do people come in? It varies, and it should. Some clients add glutathione to a routine monthly drip, others use it occasionally. Come talk to us about what makes sense for you rather than following a schedule you read online.

Come See Us

If you have been curious about glutathione, come in and ask us about it. We would rather walk you through it in person than have you piece it together from the internet. You can book at www.purifiiv.com/book-appointment, or stop by and say hi. We are on Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Suwanee.

Be hydrated. Be rejuvenated. Be well.

This post is for general informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health.

References

Minich DM, Brown BI. A Review of Dietary (Phyto)Nutrients for Glutathione Support. Nutrients. 2019;11(9):2073. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6770193/

Wu G, Fang YZ, Yang S, Lupton JR, Turner ND. Glutathione metabolism and its implications for health. The Journal of Nutrition. 2004;134(3):489-492. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988435/

Labarrere CA, Kassab GS. Glutathione: A Samsonian life-sustaining small molecule that protects against oxidative stress, ageing and damaging inflammation. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2022;9:1007816. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.1007816/full

Hristov BD. The Role of Glutathione Metabolism in Chronic Illness Development and Its Potential Use as a Novel Therapeutic Target. Cureus. 2022;14(9):e29696. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9616098/

Written and reviewed by Johnathon Nolen, and Dr. Jeremy Nelson.

Copper: A Powerhouse Mineral

What is the first thought you have when you hear the word "copper"? Most of us think of pennies and electronics. Inside the body, though, copper is a hard working trace mineral. You only need a tiny amount each day, but a lot of important work depends on it.

What Copper Does in the Body

Copper helps a group of enzymes do their jobs. Those enzymes are involved in some of the most basic work your body does every day:

Energy production. Copper is part of an enzyme your cells use in the final steps of turning food into usable energy.

Iron use and red blood cells. Copper helps the body move and use iron, which it needs to make healthy red blood cells.

Connective tissue. Copper helps form collagen and elastin, the proteins that give structure to skin, blood vessels, bones, and joints.

Nerve and brain function. Copper plays a role in making certain brain chemicals and in maintaining the protective coating around nerves.

Immune function. Copper supports normal immune function.

Antioxidant defense. Copper is part of an antioxidant enzyme that helps protect cells from oxidative stress.

How Much Copper Do You Need?

According to the National Institutes of Health, adults need 900 micrograms (mcg) of copper a day. The recommendation rises to 1,000 mcg during pregnancy and 1,300 mcg while breastfeeding. The upper limit for adults is 10,000 mcg a day from food and supplements combined, so more is not always better.

Most adults in the United States get enough copper from food. Some people are more likely to run low, including people who have had certain weight loss surgeries, people with some digestive conditions, and people who take high dose zinc supplements for long periods, since extra zinc can get in the way of copper absorption. If any of those apply to you, it is worth a conversation with your healthcare provider before adding supplements.

The Best Food Sources of Copper

Your body does not make copper, so it has to come from what you eat. Some of the richest sources, per the NIH:

Beef liver: 3 ounces has about 12,400 mcg, far more than a day's worth

Oysters: 3 ounces has about 4,850 mcg

Unsweetened baking chocolate: 1 ounce has about 938 mcg

A medium potato with the skin: about 675 mcg

Shiitake mushrooms: half a cup has about 650 mcg

Cashews: 1 ounce has about 629 mcg

Sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, tofu, chickpeas, salmon, and avocado are good everyday sources, too. A varied diet with shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and a little dark chocolate covers most people's needs.

Common Questions About Copper

Can you get too much copper?

Yes. The adult upper limit is 10,000 mcg a day from food and supplements combined. Too much copper over time can be hard on the liver, which is why we never recommend stacking supplements without a plan. Food sources on their own are very unlikely to get you there.

What is a copper IV infusion?

It simply means copper is one of the ingredients in an IV drip. At Purifi IV, copper is included in Be Ready and Be Strong alongside fluids and other nutrients, and our team reviews your health history before any drip.

Does copper help the body use iron?

Copper is needed to move iron around the body and use it to make red blood cells. If you have questions about your iron levels, your provider can check them with a simple blood test.

Copper at Purifi IV

Copper is part of two of our signature drips. Be Ready, our energy drip, and Be Strong, our performance and recovery drip, both include copper along with fluids and other vitamins and minerals. With an IV, nutrients go straight into the bloodstream instead of passing through the digestive system first.

Every drip starts with a quick health screening by our team, which brings real ER experience to every visit. If you have questions about whether copper or any other ingredient is a good fit for you, just ask. We are happy to walk you through it.

Ready to try one? Book online at https://www.purifiiv.com/book-appointment or stop by our Suwanee location. Come see us!

This post is for general informational purposes and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with questions about your health.

References

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Copper-HealthProfessional/

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Copper: Fact Sheet for Consumers. https://ods.od.nih.gov/pdf/factsheets/Copper-Consumer.pdf

Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (Chapter 7, Copper). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222312/

Written and reviewed by Johnathon Nolen, and Dr. Jeremy Nelson.

A Story Of A Drip Convert

Mary here. When my husband, John, told me that he and his friend and co-worker Dr. Nelson were thinking of opening a business to help individuals live thriving, healthy lives, I was supportive. Our family believes small, healthy habits now can prevent chronic illness later. John and Dr. Nelson both love helping people so much that it made sense that they would look for a way to do that outside of the hospital.

When John told me that they chose IV hydration therapy, however, my excitement dwindled a bit. I don’t like needles. I don’t like pain. I don’t like blood.

My experience with IVs had been isolated to the labor and delivery room when a nurse would stick a giant needle in my hand during what was already one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. The thought of voluntarily getting an IV? No thanks. Not for me.

It was not until I began building the website for Purifi IV that my feelings began to change.

To build the website I needed to understand IV hydration and vitamin infusion clinics. Why would anyone get IV hydration therapy? What nutrients do the IV bags have and what do those nutrients do? Why wouldn’t people just go to a vitamin store to buy a bottle of pills?

What I found amazed me.

Great hydration in general does everything from fighting brain fog to relieving pain to bolstering the immune system to supporting a healthy heart. IVs provide that great hydration and even replace electrolytes with the saline solution used in the IV bags. Also, IV hydration offers approximately 90% absorption of the nutrients. Oral vitamins only give around 30% absorption rate. Not only that, but our bodies can tolerate a much higher amount of vitamins delivered by IV than when delivered orally. Furthermore, while some oral vitamins might cause stomach upset, IV vitamin infusions do not cause the same GI symptoms. That’s because IVs deliver hydration, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids directly into the bloodstream. The blood takes that hydration and those nutrients right the the cells that need them.

The vitamins, minerals, and amino acids used in our IV cocktails are incredible, too. They support heart, brain, gut, and nerve health and more. From boosting mood to feeling more energy to better concentration and memory, these nutrients do amazing things. Unlike some prescriptions that can treat these symptoms, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are natural.

After building the website, I had to try a drip for myself. I have been hooked ever since. I hope many people in our community will give IV hydration a chance at our clinic and feel the benefits like I did.

The Most Common Advice My ER Provider Husband Gives Me

“John, I have a headache.” I said one morning as we were getting our children ready for school.

“Drink some water.” He said without even looking up from the lunchboxes.

I had heard that advice dozens of times. In fact, “drink some water” is my husband’s most common medical advice to me. After years of working in the ER and all of the school it took for him to get there, I would really expect something more profound.

Migraine? “Drink some water.”

Muscle pain? “Grab an Ibuprofen. Oh, and drink a lot of water.”

Fatigue? “Go to bed earlier. For now, drink a couple glasses of water.”

Brain fog? “Drink some water to make sure you’re hydrated.”

Vertigo? Nausea? In a bad mood? Congested? “Drink water.”

I’m not quite sure if I want his advice to be more complicated or groundbreaking, but he is almost always right on this one. After a few glasses of water, I feel better.

It’s amazing that something as simple as water and proper hydration can have so many benefits. Here are just a few:

Proper hydration…

-aids in the blood delivering oxygen all over the body since our blood is 90%+ water.

-helps our organs function well and removes waste from the body.

-keeps our body temperature within normal limits.

-cushions and lubricates joints, keeping our bodies feeling good.

-aids in digestion.

-boosts exercise performance.

-does wonders for the skin, enhancing radiance and improving elasticity.

-helps keep blood pressure in check.

-aids in delivering nutrients all over the body.

-improves allergies and asthma by allowing the lungs to function well.

I guess it’s no wonder that my husband and his coworker, a doctor at the ER, decided to open an IV hydration clinic, or “drip bar” as we call it in Suwanee. IV hydration therapy delivers fluids to give great hydration directly into the bloodstream. And hydration helps everything else.

I can tell every time I get my favorite IV drip / vitamin infusion, the Be Admyred Myer’s Cocktail, that I feel so much better from just great hydration and nutrients.

All of this is to say, if you’re feeling a bit out of sorts or under the weather, drink some water.

Side note: With World Water Day earlier this week, the 2.2 people people on this planet without access to clean water are at the forefront of our minds. We are so grateful for our ability to easily access clean water and pray for those who do not.

How It Started + How It’s Going- The Renovation

Purifi IV started with an idea. In the high stress, fast-paced work environment of an ER in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a coworker and I began talking. What if we could help people not just when they were dying, but help them while they’re living their best lives? What if we could support them by offering IV hydration therapy with high quality vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that would be effective, natural, and help them feel great? Out of those questions and desires, Purifi IV was born.

We formed our company, brainstormed for hours and months, and spent every spare minute on the details. We decided on a location: Suwanee, an amazing city in the North metro Atlanta area. We are local and knew that the area is central to so many cities in and around Gwinnett like Duluth, Buford, Sugar Hill, Johns Creek, Braselton, Lawrenceville, Flowery Branch, and more. We found our space and began dreaming of the atmosphere we wanted to create. How did we want it to feel? What kind of experience would we want for our drip bar?

For a long time, as we refined our idea of a relaxing lounge space, all we had in terms of design was a vision board. Soon, however, our vision came to life.

We wanted a traditional lounge feel in the front of the space and a lounge feel in the back of the space. We wanted to create a place to come alone or with friends and loved ones and really relax and get self-care. We knew that the lounge space would offer a place for adult birthday party, bachelor party, and bachelorette party rentals. Our grand opening event was a Super Bowl Party in the lounge!

We love our space and hope you will, too!

Come check us out over the next couple of weeks and receive a free Arden’s Gardens juice shot or smoothie just for stopping by. No purchase necessary, offer valid while supplies last.