5-Hour Energy CEO stands by product's safety

[Tab]

Source: CBS News

The owner of 5-Hour Energy says a ban of his product over reports that some people with heart conditions experienced dangerous side effects would make about as much sense as banning peanuts because some people who eat them are deathly allergic.

In an extended interview with CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook Thursday (above), 5-Hour Energy CEO Manoj Bhargava said his product is safe and contains ingredients that have been tested. The proof of that for him, he says, is he drinks it every day and his son in his early 20s uses it.

"I would not sell a product that my family wouldn't use," Bhargava told Dr. LaPook.

...
Reported side effects included heart attacks, convulsion and one case of spontaneous abortion.

Throughout the interview, LaPook questioned Bhargava on how much caffeine was contained in his popular product, but the CEO declined to give a specific amounts.

...

Bhargava claimed the public doesn't understand the effects from 50 milligrams to 500 milligrams, or what such reference points would mean.

"I'm a physician so I will be able to interpret it, can you tell me how many milligrams of caffeine?," LaPook countered.

"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to consumers," he replied, continuing to decline to answer.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57551301/5-hour-energy-ceo-stands-by-products-safety/

[Warpy]

1. People who drink the stuff four times a day

might be accumulating a significant amount of B-6, one of the few B-vitamins with serious consequences for overdose. The amount of caffeine is probably not what's doing it, although overdosing on caffeine by using this along with coffee or No Doz might do it for people with extremely fragile cardiac health.

I can't imagine using that much of the stuff, it tastes like ass. However, I do know that people who find a little big good are often tempted to use a lot and try for better, so this is likely what's happening.

[Tab]

2. Anything meant to significantly modify your body's behavior

can't be good in some way. Everything you can suggest that modifies your body's behavior (lots of refined sugar, alcohol, caffeine, drugs, etc.) usually has a major downside.

[Quixote1818]

4. Thom Hartman was talking about the possible benefits of caffeine

Usually Thom has scientific research behind his claims. Found this: http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/coffee-new-health-food

[Ash_F]

11. Thanks for the tip regarding B-6

I am taking a daily B-complex per my eye doctor and got a little worried. I just checked the the label and see that it is only 100% B-6. I should probably look up everything in there.

ps - The 5 hour shots have 2000% daily value holy hell.

[Warpy]

16. Factoid: the FDA has said the amount of daily B-6 that can be harmful

is 50 mg. 5 Hour Energy has 40 mg., barely legal and certainly not necessary.

People who chug the stuff several times a day are going to run into trouble just from the B-6.

The only change to their formula that should happen is knocking that dose down.

[Ash_F]

17. And daily value according to my vitamin is only 2 mg

No reason it should be higher. But I guess it helps with "alertness" which is why they cram so much in there.

[Posteritatis]

3. The ban-fests over stuff like this are silly

Especially when they're turning numbers of adverse reactions that vanishingly miniscule into some kind of big deal. People are already far too terrified of absolutely everything as is, and the moral panic this is going to kick off is just another example of that.

[Warpy]

5. Exactly. I can see listing the caffeine content on the label

but I can't see banning something that hasn't been definitively tied to sickness and death.

They also need to look at the people whose families claimed they died as a result of using the product.

Other than the B-6 overdose, it looks fairly benign to me.

[Tab]

8. Though there are reports of 12-13 deaths

(depends if you count the car crash) and many more hospitalizations, so although it's not definitive, it's indicative.

[Posteritatis]

12. That's over a four-year period. (nt)

[Warpy]

14. yes and no

You do know that everything is reported and that 99.9% of it is found out to have no connection to the drug, supplement or vaccine the alerts were filed under.

You really don't know what the underlying medical conditions were, what else they were taking, and whether this was a part of a multiple medication problem.

I'd say this stuff is probably OK once or twice a week or so. I'd be concerned about the buildup of B-6 if it were used more frequently and I'd also like to know how many mg. of caffeine it contains.

[sendero]

21. And how do they tie these deaths..

... to 5-hour? Someone might drink a beer, eat an apple and smoke a cigarette then keel over. The involvement of the beer, apple and cigarette are circumstantial and not evidence of anything.

Some people should probably stay away from things like energy drinks, but it would be ridiculous to ban them because it it highly unlikely that anyone who is basically healthy is going to have a problem with them.

And for the record, I've never tried any energy drink or 5-hour anything, I learned to avoid stimulants in my 20s.

[Posteritatis]

10. In my neck of the woods they just slap a warning label on them and call it a day

If the bad-things-happening rate is similar to the US, which it probably is, then that means bad things happen about five times a year nationwide. I'm not really interested in pouring resources into going after something that causes harm at a lower rate than fatal lightning strikes.

[bunnies]

6. Que big pharmas one millionth attempt at

banning vitamins.

[onehandle]

7. Well then ok! nt

[LeighAnn]

9. My nephew died 2 weeks after making this video

It's not 5-hour, it's Red Bull, and he didn't really drink as much as he says in the video, but his mother and I are convinced it played a role in his sudden death at the age of 22

[Tab]

13. I'm sorry to hear that

And even more so if it was due to a product, but either way...

[LeighAnn]

15. Thank you

[naaman fletcher]

20. sorry to hear that..

What makes you think it was the red bull?

[PavePusher]

24. Looks like you caught two.

Is it catch-and-release, or do you fillet them?

[BadgerKid]

18. If it's true his only goal is marketing ("I'm talking to consumers"),

then I'd group him with all of the other marketing slimeballs out there.

[truthisfreedom]

19. If any alcohol manufacturer had to stand in the bright lights of the media and talk about death

from booze...

[arely staircase]

22. I really enjoy the product

it is basically a B12 shot with a coffee chaser.

good hangover therapy too.

[RebelOne]

23. I took it once. I had a free sample I received from somewhere online.

I do not drink coffee, so I take a 200-milligram caffeine pill in the morning to get myself moving. One morning, I ran out of caffeine pills, so I tried the 5-Hour Energy. It was definitely a wake-up solution and got me moving fast.