Immune IV

Full ingredient list

Exact amounts delivered in each size. Formulas are compounded per patient and can be adjusted by your provider.

Supporting studies

• 1

  Giving vitamin C by vein produces blood levels the digestive tract simply cannot achieve — up to roughly 60 times higher than the maximum tolerated oral dose.

  NIH investigators studied 17 healthy hospitalized volunteers, measuring plasma and urine vitamin C after matched oral and intravenous doses, then modeled doses from 1 to 100 grams. A 1.25 g dose produced mean peak plasma levels of 134.8 micromol/L taken orally versus 885 micromol/L given intravenously. Modeling predicted a ceiling of about 220 micromol/L for maximal oral dosing (3 g every 4 hours) compared with 13,400 micromol/L for a single 50 g IV dose. The authors concluded that oral vitamin C is tightly controlled by the body, and only intravenous administration produces these high plasma and urine concentrations.

  Clinical pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers with pharmacokinetic modeling Padayatty SJ, Sun H, Wang Y, Riordan HD, Hewitt SM, Katz A, Wesley RA, Levine M Vitamin C pharmacokinetics: implications for oral and intravenous use. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004. PMID 15068981 ↗

• 2

  Vitamin C concentrates inside white blood cells and directly boosts how well they hunt down, engulf, and kill microbes.

  This comprehensive review synthesizes the evidence on vitamin C across innate and adaptive immunity. It documents that vitamin C accumulates in phagocytic cells such as neutrophils and there enhances chemotaxis (the cells' ability to migrate toward infection), phagocytosis, generation of reactive oxygen species, and ultimately microbial killing. It also supports epithelial barrier function against pathogens and promotes oxidant-scavenging activity in the skin. The authors note that treating an established infection requires substantially higher doses than prevention, because inflammation and metabolic demand dramatically increase the body's vitamin C requirement.

  Comprehensive narrative review of human and mechanistic evidence Carr AC, Maggini S Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017. PMID 29099763 ↗

• 3

  In a systematic review of randomized trials, intravenous vitamin C improved neutrophil chemotaxis — the ability of front-line immune cells to migrate toward an infection.

  This systematic review gathered randomized controlled trials measuring vitamin C's effect on specific neutrophil functions including migration, phagocytosis, oxidative burst, and apoptosis. Of three trials assessing neutrophil chemotaxis in hospitalized patients or outpatients, two showed improved neutrophil function following intravenous vitamin C administration. The authors specifically note that intravenous vitamin C delivers significantly higher plasma concentrations than oral dosing, making it the more effective route for achieving these cellular effects. (Route: intravenous.)

  Systematic review of randomized controlled trials Liugan M, Carr AC Vitamin C and Neutrophil Function: Findings from Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2019. PMID 31487891 ↗

• 4

  In a nationwide NIH survey of more than 9,000 treated patients, high-dose intravenous vitamin C was found to be remarkably safe and well tolerated.

  Researchers at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases surveyed practitioners who administered IV vitamin C, reviewed manufacturer sales data, and analyzed the FDA Adverse Events Database. Among 172 practitioners treating 11,233 patients in 2006 and 8,876 in 2008, the average dose was 28 grams. Of 9,328 patients with available data, only 101 reported any side effect, and these were mostly minor. The authors' stated conclusion was that, apart from known precautions in people with kidney impairment or G6PD deficiency, high-dose intravenous vitamin C 'appears to be remarkably safe.' (Route: intravenous.)

  Practitioner survey and adverse event database analysis Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, Chen Q, Espey MG, Drisko J, Levine M Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects. PLoS One. 2010. PMID 20628650 ↗

• 5

  In a six-month double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial, people taking L-lysine had significantly fewer herpes simplex outbreaks, milder symptoms and faster healing.

  Griffith and colleagues ran a double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial of oral L-lysine monohydrochloride, 1,000 mg three times daily (3 g/day) for six months, with 27 subjects completing on lysine and 25 on placebo. The lysine group averaged 2.4 fewer herpes simplex recurrences than placebo (P < 0.05), and both symptom severity and healing time were significantly reduced (P < 0.05). Lysine is thought to work by competing with arginine, the amino acid the virus depends on for replication.

  Randomized controlled trial (double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter) Griffith RS, et al. Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis. Dermatologica. 1987. PMID 3115841 ↗

• 6

  Lysine is the specific amino acid the body converts into the chemical cross-links that hold collagen fibers together and give skin, tendon and bone their strength.

  This peer-reviewed review describes the post-translational chemistry of type I collagen, the most abundant structural protein in vertebrates. Specific lysine residues are hydroxylated to hydroxylysine inside the cell, then, outside the cell, a copper-dependent enzyme (lysyl oxidase) converts lysine and hydroxylysine in the collagen telopeptides into reactive aldehydes. Those aldehydes spontaneously form the stable covalent cross-links between collagen molecules that are essential for collagen's mechanical stability and biological function. Without adequate lysine, this cross-linking chemistry has no substrate.

  Mechanistic review Yamauchi M, Sricholpech M Lysine post-translational modifications of collagen. Essays in Biochemistry. 2012. PMID 22708567 ↗

• 7

  Collagen literally cannot be built correctly without vitamin C — it is the required cofactor for the enzyme step that locks the collagen triple helix into shape.

  This National Cancer Institute review lays out the biochemistry linking vitamin C to connective tissue and wound healing. Ascorbate is required for the hydroxylation of proline residues in procollagen, and the resulting hydroxyproline is what stabilizes collagen's triple-helical structure. Because of this, ascorbate stimulates the secretion of procollagen from the cell. The paper connects this directly to the defective connective tissue and impaired wound healing seen when vitamin C is deficient.

  Mechanistic review with preclinical data Peterkofsky B Ascorbate requirement for hydroxylation and secretion of procollagen: relationship to inhibition of collagen synthesis in scurvy. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991. PMID 1720597 ↗

• 8

  A Cochrane review of 28 trials and 6,723 people found that mucolytic agents such as N-acetylcysteine made patients significantly more likely to go through the study period with no chest exacerbation at all.

  This Cochrane systematic review pooled 28 randomized trials of oral mucolytics (N-acetylcysteine among them) versus placebo in chronic bronchitis and COPD. Participants taking a mucolytic were more likely to be exacerbation-free than those on placebo (Peto odds ratio 1.73, 95% CI 1.56 to 1.91; moderate-certainty evidence), with roughly eight patients needing treatment over nine months to prevent one extra exacerbation. Mucolytic treatment was also associated with 0.43 fewer days of disability per participant per month and fewer hospitalizations.

  Systematic review and meta-analysis (cochrane) Poole P, et al. Mucolytic agents versus placebo for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019. PMID 31107966 ↗

• 9

  A meta-analysis of 12 randomized trials in 2,691 patients found N-acetylcysteine reduced the likelihood of COPD flare-ups, with the benefit strongest when taken consistently for six months or longer.

  This systematic review and meta-analysis pooled 12 randomized controlled trials of N-acetylcysteine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Both high-dose (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82-0.996) and low-dose NAC (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-0.99) reduced the prevalence of exacerbations, and long-term treatment of six months or more was effective (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.74-0.98). The trials used oral NAC, and the pattern suggests the benefit comes from sustained replenishment of airway antioxidant defenses rather than a single dose.

  Systematic review and meta-analysis Fowdar K, et al. The effect of N-acetylcysteine on exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Heart & Lung. 2017. PMID 28109565 ↗

• 10

  In a randomized clinical trial, supplementing the glutathione building blocks glycine and N-acetylcysteine corrected glutathione deficiency in older adults and improved walking speed, muscle strength and mitochondrial function.

  Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine randomized 24 older adults (ages 61-80) to GlyNAC or placebo for 16 weeks, with 12 young adults as a comparison group. Older adults started out glutathione-deficient with high oxidative stress and impaired mitochondrial fuel oxidation; GlyNAC — and not placebo — improved or corrected those defects and also improved gait speed, muscle strength, 6-minute walk distance, waist circumference and blood pressure. Supplementation was oral, and was reported as safe and well tolerated.

  Randomized controlled trial Kumar P, et al. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2023. PMID 35975308 ↗

• 11

  An earlier clinical trial of the same NAC-based protocol restored red blood cell glutathione in older adults and improved inflammation, insulin sensitivity, blood vessel function, strength, gait speed and cognition.

  This 24-week pilot clinical trial supplemented older adults with glycine plus N-acetylcysteine and measured red-cell glutathione, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function and a broad panel of clinical outcomes. Supplementation corrected glutathione deficiency and improved inflammation, endothelial function, insulin resistance, genomic damage, cognition, muscle strength, gait speed and exercise capacity, while lowering body fat and waist circumference. Benefits declined after supplementation was stopped for 12 weeks, indicating the effects tracked with continued nutrient delivery. Route was oral.

  Clinical trial Kumar P, et al. Glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) supplementation in older adults improves glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, genotoxicity, muscle strength, and cognition: Results of a pilot clinical trial. Clinical and Translational Medicine. 2021. PMID 33783984 ↗

• 12

  Vitamin C supplementation raised glutathione — the body's master antioxidant — inside red blood cells by nearly 50%.

  In this double-blind study, adults consumed vitamin C-restricted diets and took placebo for a baseline week, then 500 mg of L-ascorbate daily for two weeks, then 2,000 mg daily for two weeks, then placebo again. Mean red blood cell glutathione rose nearly 50% after the 500 mg period compared with baseline (p < 0.05), with individual increases ranging from +8% to +84%. The authors concluded that vitamin C supplementation maintains reduced glutathione concentrations in blood and improves the overall antioxidant protective capacity of blood. (Route: oral.)

  Double-blind human supplementation study Johnston CS, Meyer CG, Srilakshmi JC Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993. PMID 8317379 ↗

• 13

  Glutathione is the body's most abundant intracellular antioxidant and its central redox regulator.

  This widely cited review in Molecular Aspects of Medicine describes glutathione as the most abundant low-molecular-weight thiol compound synthesized in human cells. The authors detail its role in protecting cells from oxidative damage and from the toxicity of reactive xenobiotic electrophiles, and in maintaining the cell's overall redox balance. The paper covers where oxidants and electrophiles come from, how glutathione eliminates them (by reduction and by conjugation), and how glutathione synthesis is regulated - including therapeutic strategies for raising cellular glutathione content.

  Mechanistic review Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2009. PMID 18796312 ↗

References

• 1Padayatty SJ, Sun H, Wang Y, Riordan HD, Hewitt SM, Katz A, Wesley RA, Levine M. Vitamin C pharmacokinetics: implications for oral and intravenous use. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2004. PMID 15068981 ↗
• 2Carr AC, Maggini S. Vitamin C and Immune Function. Nutrients. 2017. PMID 29099763 ↗
• 3Liugan M, Carr AC. Vitamin C and Neutrophil Function: Findings from Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients. 2019. PMID 31487891 ↗
• 4Padayatty SJ, Sun AY, Chen Q, Espey MG, Drisko J, Levine M. Vitamin C: intravenous use by complementary and alternative medicine practitioners and adverse effects. PLoS One. 2010. PMID 20628650 ↗
• 5Griffith RS, et al. Success of L-lysine therapy in frequently recurrent herpes simplex infection. Treatment and prophylaxis. Dermatologica. 1987. PMID 3115841 ↗
• 6Yamauchi M, Sricholpech M. Lysine post-translational modifications of collagen. Essays in Biochemistry. 2012. PMID 22708567 ↗
• 7Peterkofsky B. Ascorbate requirement for hydroxylation and secretion of procollagen: relationship to inhibition of collagen synthesis in scurvy. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1991. PMID 1720597 ↗
• 8Poole P, et al. Mucolytic agents versus placebo for chronic bronchitis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2019. PMID 31107966 ↗
• 9Fowdar K, et al. The effect of N-acetylcysteine on exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Heart & Lung. 2017. PMID 28109565 ↗
• 10Kumar P, et al. Supplementing Glycine and N-Acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) in Older Adults Improves Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, Inflammation, Physical Function, and Aging Hallmarks: A Randomized Clinical Trial. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2023. PMID 35975308 ↗
• 11Kumar P, et al. Glycine and N-acetylcysteine (GlyNAC) supplementation in older adults improves glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, genotoxicity, muscle strength, and cognition: Results of a pilot clinical trial. Clinical and Translational Medicine. 2021. PMID 33783984 ↗
• 12Johnston CS, Meyer CG, Srilakshmi JC. Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1993. PMID 8317379 ↗
• 13Forman HJ, Zhang H, Rinna A. Glutathione: overview of its protective roles, measurement, and biosynthesis. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2009. PMID 18796312 ↗