Warrior Wound Care Oral I.V.: Tactical Snake Oil - Or why you should not believe everything you read on the internet.

(Click here for the chemical analysis of Oral IV and further exploration into why in my opinion it is not worth spending money on.) 

I'm going to come right out and say it, for the edification of the general public who may not have picked up on this particular character trait of mine. I'm anal-retentive. A lot.
I have a serious issue with pretty much anybody that spreads bad information around, especially when they prey on the relative ignorance of layfolk when it comes to science. Even more so when this is done in order to sell a what I think is a bogus product to our military personnel, law enforcement and other people who put their lives on the line in the service of the rest of us.
Which brings me to my current grievance, the product "Oral I.V." by RHTR LLC.
Touted as an oral rehydration solution, Oral I.V. as a product is marketed squarely at our military and law enforcement personnel. Their claims sound too good to be true and there are reasons for this.
Mostly, that they ARE too good to be true.
While there is plenty of research that shows that you can attain excellent rehydration of severely dehydrated individuals with nothing but oral fluids, achieving results almost as quickly as administering intravenous fluids, the marketing hype behind Oral I.V. is so full of holes and inaccuracies it makes my brain meats hurt. Let's look at these claims and I'll pick them apart as we go.
Before we do that, I feel that I should mention that the product itself is supposedly based on the research of one Gerald Olarsch, a doctor of Naturopathy; who had a real hard-on for trace minerals. His research has been largely discredited over the years as have his outrageous claims of being able to, amongst other things, cure cancer with trace minerals. Of course, Oral I.V. talks a lot about trace mineral balances as being the alpha and omega of... Well... Everything.

We'll start with one of Oral I.V.'s primary claims. Note, all of these are direct quotes from RHTR, LLC.

The ORAL I.V.™ Story - Rapid Cellular Hydration
Red blood cells are the transport mechanism through which all the cells in the body and brain receive oxygen, minerals and water - the building blocks of human function. Even if there is abundant water in your system, the osmotic pressure of the red blood cell will not permit the absorption of water absent the correct electrolytic balance. Dehydration and the acidic (sugar filled) diet of North Americans cause red blood cells to lose their external negative charge. As a result, they clump together like this:

When your blood cells are clumped together, water, oxygen and essential minerals can no longer get to or through all the little capillaries in your body. As such, systemic hydration is impossible.
Unlike any other beverage available, ORAL I.V.™ changes the conductivity of the cell within 60 seconds of consumption through its unique formulation of Crystalloid Electrolytes and ultra-purified oxygenated water. This results in an immediate change to the electro-static charge as well as the osmotic pressure of the red blood cells. They absorb water quickly (shimmering white centers) causing instantaneous cellular hydration. The restored negative charge of the red blood cells keeps them apart as seen here:

These charged and hydrated blood cells can freely flow to every cell in the body, passing individually if necessary, through the smallest of blood vessels resulting in immediate and profound hydration. This further ensures the delivery to all cells essential micronutrients in microscopic crystalloid form for optimal cellular function.

While parts of this initial claim are accurate enough, the rest is a jumbled mish-mash. Given orally, it is not physically possible for anything to take effect systemically in 60 seconds. It's utter hogwash. Absorption just doesn't occur that fast with anything taken orally, I don't care how great the electrolytes are. Instantaneous cellular rehydration is complete horse puckey, it is simply against the laws of physics. 

Secondly, a large part of the mechanism for nutrient and fluid absorption in the gut is powered by sugars, by which I mean to say that absorption rates are vastly increased in the presence of sugars, notably glucose. Oral I.V. has no sugar. You will note that the WHO recommendations for an appropriate oral rehydration solution includes sugar. 

Thirdly, crystalloid electrolytes are NOT unique. Every single electrolyte supplement on the market uses crystalloid electrolytes. The term has been shanghaied from medical terminology where it is used to differentiate between types of intravenous fluid supplements, meant for fluid resuscitation, also referred to as volume replacement.
Crystalloid solutions are typically things like saline, dextrose and lactated ringer's. A colloid solution refers to products that contain larger molecules like starch or gelatin. The latter are also referred to as volume expanders. They are typically not taken orally in a medical capacity.
Note that I am not trying to say that electrolyte balance isn't important. It is, and very much so.
And finally, the mention of an acidic diet is really spurious as well. You'll see lots of pseudo-science relating to the acidity of diet having all sorts of effects but I've yet to see a single, peer-reviewed study that backs up... Well... Any of these claims.

Moving on to more claims.


CRYSTALLOID ELECTROLYTE RAPID REHYDRATION FLUID
BY COBRA INDUSTRIES™
WORLD-WIDE PATENT PENDING FORMULA
Electrolyte and essential mineral replacement is crucial in restoring proper blood sugar levels, and is necessary for enzymatic reactions that promote correct blood volume. Without them the quality of performance during long-term or explosive short-term exercise decreases. ORAL I.V. has been formulated to provide Crystalloid Electrolytes and essential trace minerals to keep the body operating at peak performance.
Promotes faster recovery from injury stress or strenuous exercise
Quickly heightens concentration and alertness
Supports neurotransmitter function in the brain
Increases oxygen uptake at the cellular level
Dramatically boosts energy levels and strengthens the immune system
Raises osmotic pressure level of cells to keep them strong
Increases body enzyme production
Helps keep the body's homeostasis balance
Aids in efficient removal of toxic body acids
Enhances uptake of vitamins, macro minerals, proteins and other essential nutrients from natural food sources or dietary supplements
Helps to reestablish healthy pH levels


Despite the claim of a world-wide patent pending, I've been unable to find any patent applications relating to this. If any of my readership has better patent-fu than I do, I'd love to see it.
Again, there are a lot of claims here that are partially true, but heavily exaggerated.
Restores proper blood sugar levels? How? Where does the sugar come from?
Enzymatic reactions that promote correct blood volume? All the enzymes in the world aren't going to replace actual fluids. Note that Oral I.V. come in containers only a few milliliters in volume.
I could go on, but I don't much see the point. Moving on.


WHAT ARE ELECTROLYTES?
Electrolyte is a "medical/scientific" term for mineral salts, specifically ions. Electrolytes are the spark that keeps our bodies running. They are necessary for life. They are important because our cells (especially nerve, heart, and muscle) use them to maintain voltage across cell membranes and to carry electrical impulses (nerve impulses, muscle contractions) across to other cells.
These electro-chemicals influence the body's pH – a chemical balance that determines how effectively the biological systems run. When there is a deficiency of body electricity, body functions slow down and eventually stop. Micronutrients play an important role in energy production, hemoglobin synthesis and maintenance of bone health, adequate immune function and the protection of body tissues from oxidative damage. They are also required to help build and repair muscle tissue following exercise.
Electrolytes facilitate delivery of oxygen to achieve and maintain peak brain function and proper nervous system response. The constant firing of micro-electric impulses across the synapses of the brain requires a great deal of energy. Only electrolytes can supply this. If, because of an imbalance, there isn't enough oxygen available for the nerve cells to fire when needed, the brain functions less effectively. The body uses oxygen to turn nutrients into energy through the process of primary oxygenation. This simply means that electrolytes help the oxygen create a chemical reaction that ultimately allows the body to "burn" the nutrients as fuel. In a nutshell, bio-oxidation liberates energy – which facilitates life.

Again, truths mixed with complete hogwash. Yes, electrolytes are important. Incredibly so. Hyponatremia, hypokalemia, etc, etc, can all kill you in a hurry if not treated. The most common of those tends to be hyponatremia, as sodium is the primary salt lost through sweating. But, a deficiency of body electricity? Pseudo-science. Electrolytes are also not responsible for delivery of oxygen. That task falls to hemoglobin, a large, complex protein molecule. Nor do electrolytes actually provide cellular energy. What they do provide is what is called an "action potential" or a difference of charge across membranes. This sudden change in charge is accomplished by the movement of sodium and potassium ions through cellular structures referred to as the sodium-potassium gates. However, actual cellular energy is provided by ATP or Adenosine-Triphosphate. ATP is what ultimately powers all biological processes. 

ELECTROLYTE/MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION

When the human body is electrolyte deficient, vital nutrients are not effectively oxidized. This compromises the body's ability to get the fuel it needs to run at peak performance. Dehydration severely limits performance and may contribute to heat stroke, organ damage, and possibly death if the fluids are not replaced. Electrolytes are the life-giving force lost in the dehydration process accounting for the risk factor.

Sport drink and supplement manufacturers claiming their electrolyte-forming trace minerals facilitate proper rehydration may be only partially correct. According to Dr. Gerald Olarsch, N.D., too few trace minerals in a drink are unable to form the proper electrolyte balance to enter the cells and maximize rehydration. Too many trace minerals in combination can actually prevent electrolyte formation. The proper combinations of trace minerals are necessary for maximum hydration and to provide the benefits sought.

Dehydration DOES severely impact performance. But trace minerals have very little importance when it comes to hydration status. Rather, the movement of sodium is the major force at work. As the body loses water, a series of complex processes occur, which largely aim to restrict sodium loss and increases sodium reabsorption by the kidneys, thus conserving water, in an attempt to keep volume levels where they should be. And dehydration is largely a volume problem. You can quite literally go into hypovolemic shock from dehydration.
Too many trace minerals can not in any way impede "electrolyte formation". This is again complete hooey. Electrolytes are simply mineral compounds that disassociate when in an aqueous solution, in this case, blood. To simplify, a sodium chloride molecule (read: salt) becomes one sodium+ ion and one Chloride- ion when introduced into an aqueous solution. They do not need to "form". Which brings me to another claim. This one is actually from a primary vendor of the product.

What is ORAL IV?

ORAL IV is an Oral Rehydration solution that provides the critical electrolytes your body needs and nothing else; ORAL IV does not contain any sugars or stimulants. It can be consumed directly of added to 16 ounces of water or other liquids.

Why is ORAL IV better than other Oral Hydration solutions?

The minerals in ORAL IV are not compounded; they do not have to be digested or broken down and are absorbed directly upon contact with all mucous membranes. The actual particle size of the mineral ions is much smaller than other products, and they have a more powerful electrical charge... this allows them to pass freely through cellular membranes without requiring cellular energy.

Is ORAL IV all I need?

No… ORAL IV does not replenish any more water that the 15mL that is in the bottle; you must also drink fluids (we recommend just water) along with ORAL IV. What ORAL IV does do is immediately provide the electrolytes that your body needs, making your body more efficient at using the water you do take in.

What is in ORAL IV?

ORAL IV is 11 minerals; copper, iodine, manganese, zinc, potassium, cobalt, sodium, selenium, chromium, silica, and boron in purified water. Nothing more.

Is ORAL IV approved by the FDA?

ORAL IV is considered a dietary supplement; there is no approval process from the US Food and Drug Administration for dietary supplements. There are of course requirements that the manufacturer ensure the supplement is safe and that any claims made are factual. ORAL IV strictly adheres to these requirements and is completely safe.

Ok, so primarily the biggest goof here that annoys me is this nonsense about their mineral ions being somehow smaller than other products. That's unbelievably retarded. An atom doesn't change size. Nor do they somehow magically acquire a more powerful electrical charge!
The only good part in this section is that they actually tell you to drink water with it. Yay! Finally, some sense!
Of course, they immediately ruin it with the stuff that comes next. Including the whole "factual claims" garbage.

Lastly, I'm going to include an excerpt from their literature.


Aspartame is a very popular sugar substitute, having substantially negative effects on the human body. Aspartame comes with a list of potential side effects, with the most profound being the possible detrimental effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain.6 Headaches are a common side effect of aspartame (sometimes camouflaged as phenylalanine on the label). Other symptoms may be joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, cramps, vertigo and dizziness. Scientific studies performed on aspartame to establish its safety prior to FDA approval revealed brain tumors and grand mal seizures in rats during the studies. When exposed to heat, aspartame breaks down into toxic methyl alcohol.7 This can occur during hot summer temperatures inside uncooled warehouses where drinks are stored, and drinking them may cause recurrent headaches, mental aberrations, seizures, and many consumers have suicidal tendencies. It has been implicated in Parkinson's disease and as a contributor to Alzheimer's.8 A substantial number of people suffering from aspartame poisoning have been misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Removal of aspartame from the diet often leads to the disappearance of symptoms. Aspartame may not affect all users in the same way although side effects may be difficult to pin point as a result of using this common sweetener.
Another new sweetener is Acesulfame K. This is becoming more prevalent in some sport drinks. Tests show that the additive cause's cancer in animals, which means it may increase cancer in humans.


I admit that I'm not necessarily a big fan of chemical additives like artificial sweeteners, but realistically the weight of evidence suggests that within reason, these chemical additives are safe. This kind of fearmongering is typical of the naturopathy crowd, which as a field, isn't really renowned for its scientifically sound foundation.
So, to address a few of the claims here. Yes, Aspartame can form methyl alcohol, more commonly known as methanol. However, some fruit juices have higher concentrations than what you see in aspartame-sweetened drinks that have been improperly stored. Interestingly, while the above text contains what looks like references to studies, no actual links or names of studies are provided as reference. Nor does any of the available literature provide any kind of references for their claims. Also, aspartame is NEVER disguised as phenylalanine. That one almost made my head explode. Phenylalanine is an AMINO ACID, one that can be found in such every day things like... Oh, meat. Not only that, it's an essential amino acid, meaning we need to have it and we can't make it ourselves. It's also found in breast milk. Oh noes, the poisons!
The connection with aspartame is simply that as your body metabolizes aspartame, one of the metabolic products is phenylalanine, something that can be of concern if you suffer from the genetic disorder phenylketonuria. Note that the numbers in the above quoted text are present in the original text as well, and present in a manner that suggests references, of which there are none.

To sum up, Oral I.V., while it might work as a simple electrolyte supplement, is not going to perform the many miraculous tasks that RHTR, also known as Warrior Wound Care, claims that it will. You can just as easily maintain good hydration status by adding something like the Nuun or Camelbak Elixir tablets to your hydration bladder or water bottle and just maintaining good hydration discipline in general.
The claims that RHTR makes are almost entirely snake oil and it pisses me off to no end that they market this so aggressively to our military. I've seen several high-profile people in the tactical industry mention this product, and while I intend no offense, their opinions seem to be largely based in marketing hype and sheer ignorance. An ignorance that it seems obvious that Warrior Wound Care is taking advantage of.
I may at some point link to various references, but I'd strongly suggest just doing the research yourselves. Take responsibility for your own life and knowledge.

Addendum: I just stumbled over yet another product blurb from Oral I.V., this time courtesy of the website of one of their vendors. Lots more pseudo-scientific garbage that has no basis in reality.
This time they're stating that within seconds of coming into contact with any mucosal membrane their product changes the conductivity of all tissues throughout the body! That's brilliant! Given that the "conductivity" of cells is a closely regulated process that works only within an extremely narrow range of values, this can't be bad at all... Can it? Read it for yourself, folks. This is about as realistic as the Shopping Network. Next up, you might see these folks trying to sell you a Sham-WOW.
Oral I.V. Flier

Addendum 2: I have attempted a few times now to get a response from RHTR, LLC and a few of their vendors in a vain attempt to get them to provide me with anything in the way of a reference for any of their claims. So far, no response.

Addendum 3: I have been informed that Warrior Wound Care was never involved in the formulation and manufacturing of Oral IV. That was a misunderstanding on my part entirely.

The above is presented entirely as my opinion formed after doing extensive research into current medical publications and my own training as a medical professional.

(Click here for the chemical analysis of Oral IV and further exploration into why in my opinion it is not worth spending money on.)