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Subscribe to RSSThirteen deaths over the past four years have been linked to the popular caffeinated drink 5-Hour Energy, according to the FDA. The company that distributes the drink says its product is safe when used as directed. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.
Federal officials are looking into reports of 13 deaths possibly connected to 5-Hour Energy, a liquid “shot” that contains caffeine and other compounds, the New York Times reported on Thursday. But the reports, which track cases since 2009, don’t show how the drinks could have caused the deaths and there’s no evidence the products are harmful.
The Food and Drug Administration, however, is investigating energy drinks, especially those containing caffeine. The agency is under extra pressure after the parents of a 14-year-old Maryland girl sued the company that makes Monster Energy Drink last month, saying caffeine in the drinks killed her. The autopsy report attributed her death to “cardiac arrhythmia due to caffeine toxicity.”
The FDA receives the reports under its adverse events reporting system. This system doesn’t necessarily show that a food or drug caused a problem. People can file an adverse event report if, for instance, someone has a heart attack after taking a drug or getting a vaccination. The two events could be coincidental, and often are.
5-Hour Energy contains about 207 milligrams of caffeine, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, about the amount in two 8-ounce cups of coffee. It also contains vitamins and amino acids, such as taurine. Commonly reported side effects from energy drinks include insomnia, headache and rapid heart beat.
5-Hour Energy
5-Hour Energy contains about 215 milligrams of caffeine, about the amount in two 8-ounce cups of coffee.
Since 2009, 5-Hour Energy has been mentioned in about 90 reports sent to FDA, the New York Times reports. Anyone can send an adverse event report to the FDA, and in 2010, more than 670,000 such reports were filed, the agency’s website shows.
The FDA has classified caffeine as “generally recognized as safe”, meaning it doesn’t require any more review for approval. Medical research suggests it takes as much as 10,000 mg of caffeine to kill a person, although there is not a lot of study on the subject.
In response to an FDA report investigating a link between a popular energy drink and five recent deaths, Consumer Reports launched its own investigation, and found that some of the drinks actually had 20 percent more caffeine than listed, and many of the products don't list levels at all. NBC's Tom Costello reports.
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What a shame for the young lady and her parents. BUT, over 20 million of these type "shots" are taken every year and there are an very few incidents at all. So, it's almost a given that some govt twit will try to ban them and some congressional stooge will want to take credit for "saving lives". Statistically, the pose no danger to the general population, but they will be a juicy political brownie-point maker for some nimrod.
Ya gotta bad ticker? Don't be sucking these bad boys down like water. Thirsty? Drink water. The ingredients in these drinks are not inherently dangerous. Too much water will kill you dead and I don't mean drowning, either. Common sense should tell a person about excess anything being unhealthy. An occassional buzz drink to get through a long day? Not a problem. A dozen of'em? That's a problem. YOUR problem.
Doesnt anyone just eat a banana anymore for a pick me up ?
You're awful brave making that post....I'm just waiting for the troll replies. :)
I am betting it will be discovered that the problem is the effect these drinks have on potassium levels.
A bananna would definitely offset the increased metabolism of the potassium....You may have the answer there.
Love your reply ..It made my day..I was a nurse once upon a time ..And even before then raised by a depression era grandma who used to have me up at 5 am to eat healthy and exercise with Jack La Lanne...Let the trolls feast...i am a magnet for them..FR on the way..
Better yet...coconut water. Taste is a little different, but very refreshing and far more potassium, more easily digestible and enters the cell quicker. Best way in the world to ward-off muscle cramps in hot weather. Make sure to balance the magnesium levels as there is a very important synergy between potassium and magnesium.
ROCK: I didn't know that about coconut...thanx.
Balance of mag and potassium is very important to my wife. Always looking for info like that.....she's had all of her big and small intestines removed and electrolyte balance is a trick.
So they will investigate this drink, but let tons of drugs enter the market wiithout conclusive testing...all for $$$. When the other drug kills a ton of people will they act!
However this drink they want to investigate? They should be investigated!
To fix the problem, put an age minimum to the buying and selling of these drinks. Treat them like alcohol. 18 years and older should only be allowed to buy them.
Ok, any of you folks end up taking No-Doz in the 80's in college? I did once (I am not much of a coffee drinker) and it nearly had me halucinating I was so hyped up, and I couldn't sleep for about 55 hours. The 5 hour energy shots (I have tried one) had almost the same effect on me. I do drink tea and an occasional soda, but who knows how one person will react vs. another.
Sad for the families, but common sense and moderation, please? Not more government mandates.
Yeah, definitely regulate these things. Over 8 billion cans of Monster have been sold and less than 10 issues have arisen. Billions of 5-Hour energy shots have been sold. Both have less caffeine than a 16 ounce Starbucks coffee. These things are dangerous. Oh wait, statistically, one has a better chance of suffering ill effects from drinking a Starbucks coffee.
Yeah, we need to spend a bunch of time and money investigating these dangerous items and spend some more regulating and enforcing.
How about people using some common sense, follow the directions and use in moderation? Oops, I guess that would take some personal responsibility and accountability. Far better to let the govt. handle that for us..right?
just like beer, if you drink too much in a short period of time, it will mess with you.
I love my 5 hr energy shots. I don't think I could get through my workday without them. I feel very sorry for that girl's family, and I'm probably very lucky all of my kids made it through their teenage years with everything that's out there. But I certainly hope the government doesn't feel the need to regulate caffeine - I know it may not be good fo me, but as the old saying goes: You will be fine just as long as you don't eat the food, drink the water or breathe the air!
Hey jacka$$e$ if you want energy stop drinking energy drinks and eat a damn banana. Its natures energy bar or here's a wild idea stop watching TV and going out all the damn time and get some MFing sleep.
I am anemic, and I think the B12 in the 5hr energy is helping. Don't think I ought to tell my Dr. that, though. Anybody else have any good come out of the B vitamins in the 5 hr??
Anyone suing for this wants money for no work. Sounds pretty liberal doesn't it.
STAY AWAY FROM ADDICTIVE SUBSTANCES MORONS! It's pretty simple. The girl killed herself and so did all of the other nut sacks by making bad decisions with their health.
Later Fools
instead of drinking this crap how about getting some sleep
More laws. Less responsibility. That will solve everything.
I drink a quart of strong black coffee in the morning, and a quart in the afternoon. That should have killed me 25 years ago. Caffeine is harmless to most people. The monster drinks taste like crap, anyway. Drink coffee.
Cocaine was far cooler. Yeah it was harder to get and cost 25X's more, but you didn't have any of the above problems. Of course you went completely broke , grossly deep in debt, and lost your whole family, but you were still positive looking for the next 8-ball. Ahhhhh......the good ole days.
I've used 5 Hour Energy before and have taken a close look at the labels on it. The regular version proclaims to have no more caffieen than a cup of coffee. But look more closely and you'll see that it provides over 12,000% the daily dose of vitimin B-12. In a single dose, this shouldn't be a problem. Take one everyday though and you could possibly be causing other problems. A quick look at the internet will tell you that B-12 is proclaimed safe and that there is no set limit for toxicidity. This is a potential recipe for disaster as it gives people the feeling that there is no limit. The fact is, no limit has been set. There is a reccomended daily does and that should be followed somewhat. Like everything else, these should taken in moderation, and only when you really need them. Not used everyday. If you have that much problem with energy, you need to get on a steady sleep cycle. And there is no reason at all for teenagers to need energy drinks. If they do, it's because of parenting failures. Teens should be on a set schedule set by thier parents who should making sure they go to bed and get up every day at the same times.
I bought a 6-pack of 5-Hour Energy drinks about 6 months ago. Still haven't tried one of 'em, yet.
Hmmm...!
Need to sleep? Take Sominex, Nytol, Sleepeze. Or get your MD to rx XANAX!!! ooooh good stuff. Need to wake up? Try energy drinks, Meth in a bottle!!! Or tell your MD you have ADHD and get him to rx Ritalin. Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525", "everything you think, do, and say is in the pill you took today. Better living through modern chemistry.
i'm waiting for them to discover , that a "secret " ingredient not listed is traces of cocaine , that ensures your hooked and allows laundering of cocaine through a so called legitimate product ...... your heart will be faster
Do they have an expiration? Or are they like wine....better wth age?
Or do they become unstable like nitro?
Next up for the FDA....alcohol make you drunk.
These drinks are not regulated and anyone can buy them. I wonder what else this poor girl took she didn't tell her parents. I myself perfer the real thing. And that note, I am fixin' to go make my third pot today! So nobody come over and stop me cause I am going to be drinking it alone! That will be 8 to 10 6 oz cups. Not! I use 10 ounce coffee mugs and still drinking it alone.
How to make great coffee.
1 clean carafe
3/5 cup ground coffee
1 quart water
1 coffee filter
Put your filter in the filter basket and then the ground coffee. Put the water in the water reserve of the coffee maker (I use an automatic). Push the button to brew. When you get about 3 cups of coffee in the carafe, then you get a cup while the rest is brewing.
That was my recipe for today.
Pretty much, no matter what we put in our mouths has the potential to kill us. We don't need more of Big Brother's intervention, rather less of it. Why does some part of the government have to intervene in some part of our lives day in and day out ? Why doesn't the government intervene if someone gets run ovr by a bus? Maybe we have too many government workers for someone to dream this up, ya think?
IMO- ANYTHING that is going to be sold to the public that is or contains ( ANY KIND OF STIMULANT ) SHOULD BE SOLD JUST LIKE ALCOHOL !
Some of these things have a warning on the can and say they are not ment for kids ( BUT they sell them to any one that has the cash ! )
I have seen guys at work slam 2-4 cans in an 8hr. day some get so jittery that Ive had to take them off some of the projects I had them working on , about like they are doing METH ?
Good point. Medications like ritalin and adderall for ADHD are called psychostimulants and are what they call schedule 2 medications...And regulated more intensly ...The first or second huge class acrion lawsuit against these drinks will get that in motion...