Become A Trend Among South Korean And Chinese Young Workers, Intravenous Therapy To Overcome Tired Work

Illustration of diffuse patients (Freepik/shahariarpartho)

JAKARTA - The surge in high work pressures that occur in several countries is getting more and more concerning. High work pressure is a big challenge for young people. Not a few of them experience stress due to long working hours.

This condition makes office workers in South Korea and China create a vitamin infusion trend. They use intravenous nutritional therapy (IVNT) to overcome fatigue and restore energy in order to return to work.

Reporting from the South China Morning Post page on Thursday, October 3, 2024, intravenous therapy is a method of giving vitamins, minerals, nutrients that are inserted directly into the bloodstream through infusion.

Initially, intravenous therapy was used for cancer treatment, joint health, and growth therapy. This therapy eventually developed into aesthetic treatment, as recorded in a June report from Medical Aesthetics News, a portal in the South Korean beauty industry.

At the Tox & Fill beauty clinic in Seoul, the cost of nutritional infusion ranges from 25,000 - 60,000 won or Rp289 - 695 thousand per session, which lasts about 40 minutes. The clinic recommends weekly infusion.

Cinderella drip, garlic drip, and placenta drip are the most popular intravenous therapy treatments in South Korea.

Cinderella is rich in antioxidants such as alpha-lipoic acid and Vitamin C, which is claimed to reduce oxidative stress and slow down the aging process.

Meanwhile, Garlic drip comes from Vitamin B1, which can relieve fatigue, especially for those suffering from insomnia. Meanwhile, placenta drip contains various components of the placenta, including amino acids, which are intended to help middle-aged women restore skin elasticity.

South Korean experts believe this trend began between 2016 and 2017, coinciding with the investigation of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye on corruption charges.

Intravenous care gains a lot of interest from workers. This causes a surge in popularity among workers who are exhausted and seek to increase energy quickly.

"We prefer solutions that provide quick results. Many office workers are under heavy pressure relying on nutritional infusions," Kim Jong-wan, a South Korean in his 30s, told Southern Weekly.

A survey conducted by South Korea's Asian Daily found that more than half of young people felt mentally and physically drained due to pressure in pursuit of success.

Shen Hui, a Chinese student at Ewha Women's University in Seoul, expressed her feelings for the increasingly fierce rivalry with her friends. When writing the paper, she chose intravenous and felt significant benefits.

"The infusion doesn't hurt. Doctors recommend garlic infusions for people like me who stay up late because it helps reduce fatigue," he said.

A 2021 study by the South Korea National Evidence-Based Health Care Collaboration Agency (NECA) appealed to be careful about IVs.

The study found insufficient evidence to support its effectiveness and highlighted the potential risk of severe side effects, including anaphylaxis shock.

Ki Moon-sang, director of the Enbi Medical Aesthetics Clinic in South Korea, stressed that nutritional infusion should be considered as a precautionary and supplementary measure, not as a treatment, and suggested not to depend too much.