5-hour Energy (stylized as 5-hour ENERGY) is an American made "energy shot" manufactured by Living Essentials LLC. The company was founded by CEO Manoj Bhargava and launched in 2003.
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Ingredients
The official website lists the active ingredients of 5-hour Energy as: vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, sodium, taurine, glucuronolactone, malic acid and N-Acetyl L-tyrosine, L-phenylalanine, caffeine, and citicoline. The product is not U.S Food and Drug Administration approved and contains no sugar or herbal stimulants. According to an article in Consumer Reports, 5-hour Energy should be avoided by children under the age of 12 and as well as nursing or pregnant women.
5 Hour Energy Health Concerns Video
History
In 2003 Manoj Bhargava's company, Living Essentials LLC, launched a product called "5-Hour Energy". By 2012, retail sales had grown to an estimated $1 billion.
A March 2011 article in Consumer Reports reported that, according to a lab test, the caffeine content of 5-Hour Energy was 207 mg. (It is not clear whether the "Original" or "Extra Strength" product was tested.) The maker claims the product "contains caffeine comparable to a cup of the leading premium coffee". The directions on the 5-Hour bottle recommend taking half of the contents (103 mg of caffeine) for regular use, and the whole bottle for extra energy. A regular cup of coffee has less than 100 mg/250 ml cup.
In 2012, Forbes magazine commissioned an independent lab to analyze the contents within full bottles of 5-Hour Energy. The findings showed that the regular strength 5-Hour Energy contained 157 mg of caffeine, whereas the Extra Strength version had a caffeine content of 206 mg.
In December 2012, Consumer Reports published an article on 27 energy drinks including 5-hour Energy, which compared the caffeine content of the 27 drinks. Caffeine levels in 5-hour Energy are: Decaf (6 mg), Original (215 mg), and Extra Strength (242 mg). The publication also reviewed a double blind study and reported that "5-Hour Energy will probably chase away grogginess at least as well as a cup of coffee" and that "little if any research" indicated that amino acids and B vitamins would result in a difference in energy level.
Legal issues
The company was found guilty of violating the Consumer Protection Act in Washington state in 2017 and ordered to pay $4.3 million. The violations included stating that doctors recommended the product, that the product was superior to coffee, and that the decaffeinated product provided long lasting energy and alertness.
A 2014 article in the New York Times article reported that 5-hour Energy was lobbying state attorney generals in 30 states after being investigated for deceptive advertising. A 2015 report by the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) said that the attorney general offices in five US states had filed cases against Bhargava's 5-Hour Energy company for "deceptive marketing practices" and that additional class-action lawsuits were pending in seven states.
In 2012, the media reported that the FDA was investigating allegations that Bhargava's 5-Hour Energy product was "potentially linked" to the deaths of 20 of its consumers.
A lawsuit against Living Essentials, the manufacturer of 5-hour Energy, was filed in 2010, alleging health hazards and deceptive labeling. The case was voluntarily dismissed in December 2011.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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