Login or Register

B Vitamin Drink Safety

Aug 18, 2011 | By Kathryn Gilhuly
B Vitamin Drink Safety
Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images

B vitamins from dietary sources provide important benefits, including efficient food metabolism, improved liver and nervous system function and protection of eye, skin and hair health. Unless you test deficient for one or more B vitamins, you don't need to take supplements in pills or drinks; if you do consume energy drinks or other B-fortified beverages, you may put your health at risk.

B Vitamins

A B vitamin drink may contain any or all of these B vitamins: vitamin B-1, thiamine; vitamin B-2, riboflavin; vitamin B-3, niacin; vitamin B-5, pantothenic acid; vitamin B-6, pyridoxine; vitamin B-7, biotin; vitamin B-12 and folic acid. Interestingly, vitamin B-12 doesn't take a name, nor does folic acid take a number. If you consume more than the recommended daily allowance of any B vitamin, you face possible safety issues. The side effects generated by some B vitamins prove minor, but taking excessive amounts of others may cause serious problems.

Product Labels

Read product labels. Some B vitamin drinks contain less than the recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of B vitamins, while some contain more than 2,000 percent of the RDA for one or more B vitamins. Also consider the number of B vitamin drinks you consume in a day. If, for instance, a single serving contains 50 percent of the RDA for vitamin B-1, but you normally imbibe four servings, you would consume 200 percent of the RDA for vitamin B-1. The RDA for vitamin B-1 ranges from 1.1 mg to 1.5 mg. It is generally safe to take higher doses of vitamin B-1, but allergies occur on rare occasions.

Generally Safe B Vitamins

Other B vitamins generally safe to consume in above-normal amounts include vitamins B-2, B-5, folic acid and B-12. Side effects of taking excess vitamin B-2 include diarrhea and a change in urine color and output. If your vitamin B drink contains more than the RDA of vitamin B-5, you may experience diarrhea. Taking high amounts of folic acid -- sometimes called folate -- in a B vitamin drink could mask a vitamin B-12 deficiency. A B-12 deficiency could cause anemia, nerve damage, depression, memory loss and other problems. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin B-7 and upper safety limits have not been established. To protect your safety, do not consume a vitamin B drink that contains more than 30 mcg of biotin.

Potentially Harmful B Vitamins

For safety's sake, take special note of the amounts of vitamins B-3, niacin, and B-6, pyridoxine, in your vitamin B drink. The RDA for vitamin B-3 ranges from 14 mg to 16 mg. If you take more than 50 mg in a vitamin B drink, side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and skin flushes in which your skin and chest may turn red as well as burn, tingle or itch. If your vitamin B drink contains 500 mg to 3,000 mg of niacin, serious side effects can be triggered including irregular heartbeat, vision loss, gout, stomach ulcers and liver damage. If you take more than the RDA for vitamin B-6 -- 1.1 to 2.2 mg -- possible side effects include vomiting, loss of appetite, sleepiness, stomach pain and nerve and brain problems.

References

Article reviewed by Brigitte Espinet Last updated on: Aug 18, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments