What’s a Banana Bag and What’s in It?
5 Tips for Boosting your Energy During the Winter
January 8, 2020What’s a Banana Bag and What’s in It?
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Spending a night out with friends is a great way to end a hard week. Sometimes, however, these little celebrations overlap with other happy moments in the universe, like dollar margarita night. Before you know it, your evening of fun has gone a little too far. You wake up the next morning and the sun is too bright, your breathing is too loud and your stomach is seriously unhappy with your life choices. There's no doubt about it — you need a banana bag.
What's a Banana Bag?
A banana bag is a carefully mixed bag of IV fluids — including zinc, magnesium, glutathione, vitamin C, vitamin B12 and more — in a saline solution. Commonly used to correct vitamin and electrolyte deficiencies in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD), companies like Rocky Mountain IV Medics also make this sweet relief available to those who have just gone a little too hard on the weekend.
The late Dr. John Meyers invented the solution we've come to know as the banana bag. It served as a form of IV micronutrient therapy, helping relieve symptoms of conditions like asthma, fibromyalgia, fatigue and migraines. Today, banana bags are still a popular choice for people who need fast and effective replenishment.
Why Is It Called a Banana Bag?
Banana bags are named for their distinctive yellow hue that resembles the color of a ripe banana. They have also earned the informal nickname "rally packs" for their ability to help people recover from a night of heavy drinking.
The banana bag's yellow color comes from its multivitamin solution. Specifically, the riboflavin helps create its distinct banana-like hue.
What Is a Banana Bag Used For?
Banana bags are used to relieve hangovers, malnutrition and alcohol use disorder and give the immune system some much-needed support. For years, they've helped people with various health concerns and helped to address nutritional deficiencies and complications.
Here are just a few uses of banana bags.
Hangovers
Hangovers can last up to 72 hours. That's up to three days of fatigue, headaches, rapid heart rate and brain fog. A banana bag takes advantage of the speed and absorption efficiency of IV drips, delivering targeted relief through its main ingredients.
The B vitamin thiamine is critical to brain function, and alcohol use depletes it. The 100-milligram dose in a banana bag is usually enough to combat the fogginess of a hangover and restore patients to full function.
Meanwhile, magnesium helps create and repair DNA and RNA, converts food to energy, and stimulates new protein creation from amino acids. It can also aid in muscle relaxation and mood regulation and improve migraines and muscle cramping.
Glutathione is also important to mention. This molecule helps neutralize acetaldehyde — a toxic byproduct of alcohol metabolism associated with hangover symptoms. Glutathione supplements, then, support the liver and can help combat hangover symptoms.
Alcohol Use Disorder
Banana bag IV infusions are also used in alcohol use disorder (AUD) recovery. Patients with AUD are more likely to have nutritional deficiencies due to their preference for alcohol over nutrient-dense foods. By quickly hydrating the body, flushing out accumulated toxins and replacing nutrients lost, the IV drip can help with uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms.
Dehydration
Because banana bag IV infusions are delivered directly to the veins, the vitamins begin to circulate in the bloodstream immediately. People who are dehydrated due to conditions like vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating and insufficient fluid intake can get rapid relief from these IV drips. Plus, with electrolytes like magnesium, patients can restore their electrolyte balance for almost instant rejuvenation.
Immune Support
Banana bags are the perfect drip for anyone feeling run down and tired. By providing key nutrients, these drips help increase energy levels, support the immune system and defend the body from pathogens. Vitamin C in banana bags, for example, is known for its immune-supporting properties. At the same time, B vitamins like thiamine and riboflavin are known to support immune cell function and help the body ward off infections.
Chronic Health Conditions
Banana bags are also used for chronic health conditions involving nutritional deficiencies, such as chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), eating disorders, and cancer and chemotherapy.
By providing essential vitamins and minerals, banana bags can help compensate for nutritional deficiencies and offer rapid relief.
For instance, conditions like Crohn's disease and gastroparesis impair the body's ability to absorb nutrients, while eating disorders like anorexia can lead to malnutrition. Banana bags can aid in recovery and provide the right nutrients for better health and well-being.
What Is in a Banana Bag?
Typical banana bag ingredients include the following.
Thiamine
Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is a vitamin found naturally in some foods. It can also be sold as a supplement or added to foods, and it plays a crucial role in cell growth and function. It supports the brain and heart, breaking down nutrients into energy and assisting several functions in the body.
Thiamine is often low in patients with alcohol use disorder. Its deficiency can lead to the brain disorder Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS).
With a banana bag, patients with AUD can help replenish their thiamine levels.
Vitamin B12 and B Complex
Vitamin B12 and B complex are also in banana bags. These essential vitamins help reduce the severity of headaches and nausea, making them an optimal supplement for hangovers. The B complex consists of the following vitamins:
- B1 (thiamine)
- B2 (riboflavin)
- B3 (niacinamide)
- B5 (dexpanthenol)
- B6 (pyridoxine)
Pyridoxine, in particular, can help with nausea,
With a banana bag, you'll soon forget about last night's choices.
Vitamin C
An IV vitamin C infusion can quickly take care of inflammation and relieve the painful pressure in your head after a night out. When taken intravenously, vitamin C can reach higher levels in the bloodstream than when the same amount is taken by mouth. The vitamin is responsible for much of the banana bag's immune-supporting qualities. It can promote healthy skin, banish fatigue and improve moods for a healthier mind and body.
Magnesium
Combined with the other banana bag ingredients, a magnesium IV provides a powerful defense against hangover headaches, aches and pains. It can relax tensed muscles and help you feel better faster.
Anti-Nausea Medications
Banana bag contents can also be supplemented with add-ons like anti-nausea medications — such as Zofran — for an additional cost. Drinking too much alcohol can make you feel nauseated and cause diarrhea and vomiting — wreaking havoc on your stomach. But with a quick infusion of Zofran, you can relieve your nausea in minutes.
Multivitamin
Most banana bags also include a dose of the daily vitamins you need to feel healthy. These can include B vitamins, vitamin C and vitamin D for some extra when you need it most.
What Are the Benefits of Using a Banana Bag?
Let's be realistic here. No one likes hangovers, even when they're souvenirs of an awesome night. Nausea can make rehydrating difficult, and there's a definite challenge to preparing a healthy breakfast when even the refrigerator light is offensive. With a banana bag, you can simply lie there in peace while rehydrating with a perfect cocktail of magnesium sulfate, thiamine and healthy vitamins.
Many clients request banana bags when:
- They've spent a day in the sun.
- They want to support their immune system.
- They need to be rehydrated.
- They want to reduce the effects of jet lag.
- They're looking to recover from fatigue or the flu.
- They want to relieve the symptoms of a hangover.
When it comes to delivering nutrients to patients, IV infusion therapy is more efficient and much faster than oral consumption. A banana bag can relieve hangover symptoms much faster than the typical recovery time. Once the IV is set up, it can provide relief in less than an hour, with many of our patients feeling better immediately!
How Much Is a Banana Bag?
The cost of a banana bag will depend on the specific package you choose. At Rocky Mountain IV Medics, we offer many different IV packages. The cost of services will depend on your specific needs and what you hope to address. You might also opt for add-ins at an additional price to target specific symptoms, like nausea or sluggishness.
Can I Get a Banana Bag IV at Home?
Another amazing benefit of banana bag IV infusions is that they can be conveniently delivered and administered at your home. Sit back, relax and let health professionals handle the rest. At-home infusions provide safety, convenience and comfort as you reap their health benefits from the comfort of your favorite chair or sofa! These appointments typically take less than an hour while offering rapid relief and some much-needed energy.
Contact Rocky Mountain IV Medics for Rapid Relief
No one ever intends to wake up with a hangover, but it happens. Fortunately, Rocky Mountain IV Medics is here to make it easier. Our IV therapy packages have helped thousands of people in and around Denver battle the flu, cope with morning sickness and recover from epic weekends. If you need a banana bag or some other form of intravenous relief, we can be at your door in less than an hour.
Reach out to us online to schedule IV infusion therapy today. You can also contact us online to learn more. Enjoy your nights, then take back your mornings with Rocky Mountain IV Medics.
