In Energy Drinks, Vitamin B Is Short for BS

Contrary to what ads would have us believe, Hope Barkoukis, chairwoman of Sports, Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutritionists, a
practice group of the American Dietetic Assn, tells the L.A. Times, B vitamins are not little
packets of energy. Putting B vitamins in energy drinks is brilliant
marketing, she says, "but it doesn’t have any basis." Barkoukis tells the Times that most Americans gets all of the B vitamins they could possibly need in their diets, and extra B vitamins are quickly flushed from our systems. And now the bad news, Barkoukis says that while the body can easily handle huge doses of vitamin B-12, the Institute of Medicine warns that more than 100 milligrams of
B-6 each day — what you’d get from 2 1/2 bottles of 5-Hour Energy —
may damage nerves in the arms and legs.
Read more in the L.A. Times.