Myths about 5-hour ENERGY® Shots

The Internet gives a voice to everyone, even the terribly misinformed. For whatever reason, myths and rumors about 5-hour ENERGY^® shots abound. Here are the most popular falsehoods on the web today.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots contain Aspartame.

FACT: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots contain no Aspartame and never have. It does contain Sucralose (the sweetener found in Splenda®) – information that has always been listed right there below the supplement facts panel of our labels.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots contain Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

FACT: Any web source that contains ingredient lists or label images indicating that 5-hour ENERGY^® shots have Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin C is incorrect. A full list of ingredients can be found on the 5-hour ENERGY® Ingredients Page.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots contain Glycerin

FACT: Any web source that contains ingredient lists or label images indicating that 5-hour ENERGY^® shots have Glycerin is incorrect. Again, a full list of ingredients can be found on the 5-hour ENERGY® Ingredients Page.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots can cause a person to fail a drug test.

FACT: There has never been a single confirmed case when 5-hour ENERGY^® shots have ever caused a person to fail a drug test.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® shots can help a person to pass a drug test.

FACT: There has never been a single confirmed case when 5-hour ENERGY^® shots have ever helped a person pass a drug test.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^® contains dangerous levels of Vitamin B12, Vitamin B6 and Niacin (Vitamin B3).

FACT: The amounts of B vitamins in 5-hour ENERGY^® shots are within safe limits.  The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is the minimum daily amount set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine.

MYTH: 6 Hour Power, or a product with a similar name, is another version of a 5-hour ENERGY® shot.

FACT: If it doesn’t say 5-hour ENERGY® or 5-hour™ TEA on the label, it’s a knockoff. Period. Living Essentials introduced 5-hour ENERGY®shots in 2004 and 5-hour™ TEA in 2018. Since then, hundreds of knockoffs have entered the market, many with similar sounding names.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^®  shots are not FDA approved and, therefore, unsafe.

FACT: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is responsible for regulating food, dietary supplements, drugs and more. While Food Products (such as bread, milk and cereal) and Dietary Supplements (such as 5-hour ENERGY^® shots or your daily multivitamin) do not require FDA “approval” both are regulated and monitored by the FDA. 5-hour ENERGY^® shots are regulated by the FDA per the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994. DSHEA states that dietary supplements cannot contain anything that may have a “significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury” when the supplement is used as directed on the label, or with normal use if there are no directions on the label. In addition, the 2007 FDA rules require that dietary supplements manufacturers follow standards called Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) with which the manufacturer of 5-hour ENERGY^® complies fully. This means 5-hour ENERGY^® shots must:

• Be produced in a quality manner
• Not contain any contaminants or impurities
• Be labeled with the actual ingredients in the product

So, although it may be true that the FDA does not “approve” 5-hour ENERGY^® shots (just as it does not “approve” the food you buy or eat), you can rest assured that the FDA strictly regulates 5-hour ENERGY^® shots.

MYTH: 5-hour ENERGY^®  shots are unsafe because all of its ingredients are not disclosed.

FACT: The ingredients contained in a 5-hour ENERGY^® shot are disclosed on the product’s label, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

MYTH: You can overdose on 5-hour ENERGY^® shots.

FACT: Everybody is different, and therefore, 5-hour ENERGY^® shots might work differently for each individual. We recommend using one half (1/2) bottle (approximately one ounce) for moderate energy or one whole bottle (approximately two ounces) for maximum energy. We also recommend you take no more than two bottles daily, consumed several hours apart. Of course, if you have any medical conditions, are taking any medications or otherwise have any concerns whether 5-hour ENERGY^® shots are right for you, please check with your physician before taking it.

MYTH: A 5-hour ENERGY® shot contains a full day’s serving of fruit and vegetables.

FACT: If only that were true. No fruit or vegetables are added to the product. The supplement facts panel of a 5-hour ENERGY® shot lists the product’s ingredients or you can see it on our “How to Use” page.