Introduction to Nutrient Injection Therapies

Nutrients that are ingested orally such as food and supplement tablets or capsules are processed through the digestive system. The body then has to digest and distribute the nutrients to the cells. This takes time and some of the nutrients can be lost in the process. 

Not everything you ingest orally necessarily goes to the cells. This can present a challenge in treating certain conditions because the bowel may not be capable of distributing enough of the nutrients to the body. There can also be a limit to how high a dose the digestive system can handle, even if it is functioning optimally. For instance, a large oral dose of Vitamin C could result in stomach upset or diarrhea.

Injected nutrients bypass the digestive system, so doses are not limited to the amounts the digestive system can handle.  Injected vitamins and minerals can be delivered in significantly higher doses.

Types of Nutrient Injection Therapies

There are two different types of nutrient injection therapies. Each type is custom blended in various combinations designed specifically for each individual patient to provide the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that each individual patient needs to provide optimized outcomes based on the diagnosis made by a doctor at Green Apple Health Care.

Intravenous (IV) Nutrient Therapy

Intravenous nutrient therapy, also called IV therapy or IV vitamins, is a treatment that delivers high doses of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients directly into the bloodstream. IV therapy can be administered with or without ozone.

IV therapy is an excellent method of delivering high doses of vitamins and other nutrients to the cells to promote a healing response.

Microvitamin Injection Therapy

Microvitamin therapy is the administration of vitamins and minerals via intramuscular injection, usually in the shoulder.

The term “microvitamin” might be a bit misleading as it implies tiny doses, however, that is not the case. These injections contain higher doses than those of diet alone, although not as high as the doses used in intravenous nutrient therapy.

We put many different vitamins into the injection in various combinations designed specifically for each individual patient based on their diagnosis.

Benefits of Nutrient Injections

Vitamins and other nutrients ingested from food or through oral supplements such as pills or capsules can be helpful but may not meet a person’s health requirements.

Oral ingestion of nutrients can be effective to greater or lesser degrees, provided that:

• They are ingested in sufficient quantities to compensate for factors such as ingestion of toxins from pollution or other sources, certain drugs, illness and infection, smoking, alcohol, high stress levels, or other circumstance that can influence a person’s requirements. 
• The digestive system is not impaired.  A suboptimal digestive system can limit the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.

A 2025 study compares oral nutrients with IV nutrients and says:

“… the bioavailability of nutrients consumed orally, meaning the proportion that is absorbed and utilized by the body, can vary significantly due to numerous factors. These include digestive efficiency, the presence of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, age-related changes in absorption, enzyme deficiencies, interactions with medications, and specific dietary restrictions (e.g., vegetarianism, food allergies). In such cases, the efficacy of oral supplementation may be diminished, and individuals may not experience the intended physiological benefits despite adequate intake.

“Intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy has emerged as a promising alternative, especially in clinical scenarios where rapid and reliable nutrient delivery is needed. By bypassing the GI tract and delivering nutrients directly into the bloodstream, IV vitamin therapy ensures higher bioavailability, allowing for immediate absorption and utilization by tissues and cells. This direct route can result in a faster onset of effects, higher therapeutic concentrations in the blood, and improved outcomes for patients who are acutely ill, recovering from surgery, or suffering from chronic malabsorption syndromes.” 

With intravenous or intramuscular injections, almost none of the nutrients are lost. Nutrient injections deliver most of the nutrients directly to the cells. The injected nutrients have a high absorption rate, quickly reaching the bloodstream to supersaturate the cells.

Disclaimer

This blog is informational in nature and is not intended to diagnose, constitute medical assessment, recommendations, treatment, or advice.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, but individuals must not rely on this information alone to make decisions regarding their health care.

Before making any decisions, we recommend you consult a qualified health care practitioner for a full assessment of your needs.

Green Apple Health Care has provided references for any and all claims regarding the use of nutrient injection therapies.  However, such studies are not recognized or endorsed by Health Canada.  

Health Canada does not currently recognize or endorse nutrient injection treatments or devices.

Green Apple Health Care practices Cause Based Medicine™ which is the systematic process of finding and treating the core cause of health concerns by using a classic naturopathic approach combined with scientific research to optimize patient outcomes.

Our focus is cause-based.  We are relentless in identifying the root cause, the “why” behind the symptoms, and we address our treatment programs to the cause of the health condition, not the symptoms. Call us at (780) 485-9468 to book a consultation.  If you prefer, online booking is available for both new patients and repeat patients.