# Why does 5 Hour Energy have so much Vitamin B? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 14, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004 "2011-07-14T13:12:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CheeseDonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@CheeseDonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheeseDonkey)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/1 "2011-07-14T13:12:41Z")
It has 8333% of the recommended daily value of B12 and 2000% of B6. Why? Who in the world needs 83 days worth of B12 in one shot? ---
**Author:** ![ecseas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ecseas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ecseas)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/2 "2011-07-14T13:19:29Z")
That doesn’t sound very healthy! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/3 "2011-07-14T13:40:51Z")
Without getting into whether or not this sort of massive dose is a good idea, let me note that: 1. B-complex vitamins are in general water-soluble, so you’ll literally piss off any reasonable excess dose. (And of course the caveat that truly overwhelming overdoses will overwork your kidneys and other excretory-system components). 2. The MDA and RDA for Vitamin B-12 are measured in micrograms. Non-vegetarians are almost guarateed to get several times the RDA almost automatically. (The more extreme no-animal-products variants of vegetarianism do need to ensure getting some of the B vitamins and B-12 in particular.) 3. There is one anemia which is caused by body failure to produce, or to produce enough, of the co-enzyme needed for B-12 assimilation, which is rather confusingly simply termed “intrinsic factor.” (While all body-synthesizable coenzymes are by definition intrinsic factors, this one is seemingly _named_ that.) Such people require in extreme cases to get B-12 by intravenous injection; others who produce inadequate intrinsic factor can survive indefinitely by simply eating a diet with meat and dairy products in it, albeit sometimes with a condition mimicking fibromyalgia. My wife is one of the latter group, according to the endocrinologist she was seeing in the 80s. ---
**Author:** ![Arkcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Arkcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arkcon)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/4 "2011-07-14T16:04:35Z")
Perhaps its cheap to produce, and easy to add. A friend asked me why a like Red Bull as a drink, he wanted to know what it’s flavor was. Its a citrusy, carbonated, sweet drink … and what else … it has that special medicinally flavor other vitamin sources have. It took me a while, but I remember when I first had this taste – Flintstones chewable vitamins. It was back then when I became conditioned to “vitamin taste” = healthy. Like lots of other people – I’ve noticed kids today seem to crave vitamin supplements, and want me to retrieve for that what their parents have put out of reach. It seems weird, unless you’ve fallen for it yourself. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/5 "2011-07-14T17:53:30Z")
Too much B won’t hurt you at that level, so they can put a bunch in and make claims that it is giving more energy. [High levels of vitamin C](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_C_megadosage) is used by some, with dubious efficacy. Too much vitamin A can kill you. My favorites are the products which have several hundred % your daily sodium. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/6 "2011-07-14T19:54:57Z")
The 5 Hour Energy stuff also has a lot of niacin - possibly in an effort to give you [niacin flush](http://cholesterol.emedtv.com/niacin/niacin-flush.html.) and make it feel like it is doing something. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2011, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/7 "2011-07-14T21:32:01Z")
These no calorie energy drinks contain a lot of vitamin B (no sugar). The theory is that vitamin B is essential for energy production. Polycarp: > [@](#): > > There is one anemia which is caused by body failure to produce, or to produce enough, of the co-enzyme needed for B-12 assimilation, which is rather confusingly simply termed “intrinsic factor.” (While all body-synthesizable coenzymes are by definition intrinsic factors, this one is seemingly named that.) Such people require in extreme cases to get B-12 by intravenous injection; others who produce inadequate intrinsic factor can survive indefinitely by simply eating a diet with meat and dairy products in it, albeit sometimes with a condition mimicking fibromyalgia. My wife is one of the latter group, according to the endocrinologist she was seeing in the 80s. This catalyst was called “the intrinsic factor” many years ago, before scientists knew exactly what it is. At least, that’s my understanding. It is not a coenzyme, but a glycoprotein: [http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/stomach/intrinsic\_factor.html](http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/digestion/stomach/intrinsic_factor.html) > [@](#): > > Intrinsic factor is a glycoprotein secreted by parietal (humans) or chief (rodents) cells of the gastric mucosa. In humans, it has an important role in the absorption of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) in the intestine, and failure to produce or utilize intrinsic factor results in the condition pernicious anemia. ---
**Author:** ![flano1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f14d63/32.png) [@flano1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flano1)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2011, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/8 "2011-07-15T04:03:37Z")
Jebus! Sounds like liquid vegemite! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-5-hour-energy-have-so-much-vitamin-b/589004/9 "2011-07-19T00:29:32Z")
I just read this in \*Anatomy and Physiology from Science to Life \*, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007, at page 919: > [@](#): > > Most water-soluble vitamins, such as most B vitamins and vitamin C, also are absorbed via simple diffusion. Vitamin B-12, however, must be combined with intrinsic factor produced by the stomach for its absorption via active transport in the ileium. Doesn’t add much to what was already posted, but because I just came across it, I thought I’d post it.