by Kay Lucas

Survey says: 86% of Americans take supplements regularly. And there is no doubt why; between studies proving that our foods are less nutritious than they used to be and our poor diet choices, many Americans are deficient in the vitamins and minerals that count. Swallowing pills, mixing powders, and drinking teas may be the traditional methods of taking your supplements, but there is a new way to get the nourishment and hydration your body needs: IV therapy. 

Hydrate Health is a mobile healthcare service offering IV therapies for hydration, liquid fuel, anti-aging, weight loss, immunity boosters, and general health and wellness. Owner Carl Stecker, medical director Dr. Daniel Tran, and registered nurse Rebecca Gray opened Hydrate Health in 2020. They started off doing their IV therapies remotely, traveling within a 15-mile radius of downtown Greenville. It became so popular they had to open an office location, so they wouldn’t have to turn people away due to overbooking or distance. Some people prefer to stay in the comfort of their own homes to relax while receiving treatment, so mobile appointments are still available and quite popular. 

IV therapy is just what it sounds like: a remedy given intravenously—just like when you go to a hospital, and they immediately hook you up to an IV. You can receive it in just about any vein you prefer, such as in your elbow or wrist. Most treatments take about an hour to receive but can vary anywhere between 30 minutes to three hours, depending on which infusion you choose. 

The duration of benefits from IV therapy fluctuates too. Rebecca Gray, RN from Hydrate Health, says, “When a patient comes in with hopes of getting over an illness quickly, their body may be depleted from fevers, and dehydration. Your body has to work really hard to get you better when you are sick, quickly using up your stores of electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. Replacing these can definitely help you feel better, but you may need more than one drip to get back to where you were before getting sick.”

Treatments aren’t just for those who are sick. This is the perfect aid for athletes, whether in training or recovery from a big event.  Even the average Joe, who believes he or she is healthy, should consider IV therapy. Not only are our diets lacking for many reasons, but the low quality of many over-the-counter vitamin brands isn’t doing your body good. “When you take your regular multivitamin, you only are able to absorb a small portion of what is listed. But when you receive vitamins, minerals, amino acids intravenously, you receive 100% of it, and your body is able to utilize that as it needs,” says Gray.

The team at Hydrate Health has come up with clever names for their IV therapies. One of the most popular, The Bodyguard, is their biggest immune drip. The After Party is great for hydration, and Skinny Jeans contains MIC. Hydrate Health offers anti-aging drips, such as Forever Young. Or, if you prefer (after a consultation), you can personalize a bag with a combination of nutrients to fit your needs. 

The Hydrate Health team strives to meet the needs and wants of the community by providing services that Greenville doesn’t already have. Because of this, Hydrate Health also offers Ozone Therapy. Gray explains, “It is an oxygen therapy. We draw the patient’s blood out, put O3 (ozone gas) into it, agitate it, and re-infuse it. What ozone does is kill off any bacteria, viruses, or fungus that is in your blood. By making your organs more oxygenated, those things can’t live in an oxygenated environment; they can’t thrive in that space—too much oxygen kills them.” 

Watch for more new therapies coming from Hydrate Health. They have some big plans on the horizon, but it is too early to spill the beans!

Hydrate Heath is located at 721 Lowndes Hill Road in Greenville. For more information, call 864-523-8002 or visit: IVHydrate.com.