Opinion article | Dr. Jacy Maria Alves
The growing adherence to serum therapy reflects not only a search for well-being, but also a contemporary concern with the body, performance and the passage of time. As an endocrinologist trained in institutions of excellence and with clinical practice committed to ethics and science, I observe with concern the trivialization of procedures that should be restricted to the medical field and diagnostic rigor.
In recent years, intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals and other substances — promoted as a form of “beautification”, “detox” or “revitalization” — has been offered outside appropriate clinical contexts, often in establishments that do not have the structure to deal with immediate complications such as anaphylactic reactions, infections or organic overloads. This practice, sometimes romanticized, is not supported by scientific consensus from the main medical societies.
The Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM) and the Brazilian Association of Nutrology (ABRAN) are unanimous: intravenous supplementation should only be administered after a precise diagnosis, in situations such as intestinal malabsorption, depletion syndromes or documented dietary restrictions. In these circumstances, the procedure is justified, but never free of risks. It involves careful laboratory evaluation, continuous medical monitoring and a safe environment.
The intravenous route bypasses the homeostatic mechanisms of the digestive and renal tracts. The body, in its biological intelligence, regulates how much it absorbs and uses. Intervening directly in the bloodstream, breaks these protective barriers. Excess micronutrients — especially fat-soluble ones, such as vitamins A, D and E — can accumulate, compromising the kidneys and liver, and triggering hypervitaminosis and toxicity.
Cases such as that of state deputy Carlos Alexandre, hospitalized after suffering from chromium poisoning resulting from serum therapy, should not be seen as exceptions. They represent clinical and ethical alerts. The fact that a therapeutic procedure has been converted into an over-the-counter aesthetic service exposes the gap between medical practice and marketing logic.
There is a dangerous disconnect when an invasive procedure is offered as a product for immediate consumption. The medicalization of everyday life, combined with the promise of quick results, compromises the fundamental principle of medicine: primum non nocere — first and foremost, do no harm.
This is not to condemn therapeutic innovation, nor to deny the importance of personalized medicine. Nutrient replacement can indeed be a life-saving strategy when properly indicated. But when done without a clinical basis, it becomes an avoidable risk.
Health demands more than promises. It demands critical analysis, responsibility and commitment to science. Shortcuts almost always cost a high price. And in medicine, this cost can be the patient’s own physical integrity.
True longevity, true performance and true beauty still reside in the constancy of sustainable choices: regular sleep, balanced diet, physical activity, preserved mental health and meaningful human bonds. There is no serum that can replace this.
Dr. Jacy Maria Alves
Doctor from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC)
Residency in Clinical Medicine and Endocrinology
Active CRM – ethical action, based on scientific evidence
