Ditch energy drinks? High doses of vitamin B supplements could raise cancer risks

Energy Drinks

report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology shows that male smokers who took high dose vitamin B6 and B12 supplements – often marketed as energy boosters and present in energy drinks – had three to four times the risk of developing lung cancer, compared to men who did not take the vitamin B supplements.

Vitamin B supplements are marketed as boosting energy. Often they come at extraordinarily high doses. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin B6 for men is only about one and a half milligrams, and for vitamin B12, it’s less than two and a half micrograms per day.

Men who had taken a high dose of vitamin B6 greater than 20 mg per day for ten years (the recommended daily allowance is 1.7mg/day) were at an 80% higher risk of lung cancer.

When it came to Vitamin B12, those who had taken greater than 55 micrograms per day (RDA is 2.5 micrograms per day) were at a 98% greater risk of lung cancer.

Vitamin B6 and B12 are involved in the so-called “one carbon pathway” that is crucial for synthesizing and regulating DNA. Exposure to such high levels could disrupt the regulation of cell growth and lead to cancer.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: High dose vitamin B supplements linked to lung cancer in smokers

{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.singularReviewCountLabel }}
{{ reviewsTotal }}{{ options.labels.pluralReviewCountLabel }}
{{ options.labels.newReviewButton }}
{{ userData.canReview.message }}

Related Articles

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Infographic: Global regulatory and health research agencies on whether glyphosate causes cancer

Does glyphosate—the world's most heavily-used herbicide—pose serious harm to humans? Is it carcinogenic? Those issues are of both legal and ...

Most Popular

ChatGPT-Image-Jul-8-2026-12_32_48-PM
Viewpoint: SCOTUS strikes a blow against junk science in Bayer glyphosate case. Will it deter mass tort litigators?
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-7-2026-01_57_55-PM
Viewpoint: Europe’s rejection of air conditioning is the poster child for misunderstanding how to mitigate the impact of climate change
ChatGPT-Image-Mar-10-2026-01_39_01-PM
Viewpoint—“Miracle molecule” debunked: Why acemannan supplements don’t work
Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-2.14.27-PM
Belief in unproven dietary regimes, vitamins, and crank therapies is putting patients’ health in danger and increasing the risk of getting cancer
Screen-Shot-at-PM-pe-vra-kipgaprbdo-vd-ms-jpule-n-jqqaxf-l-e
Viewpoint: Will new breeding techniques help make European agriculture more competitive?
Screenshot-2026-07-08-at-11.25.14-AM
AI being mobilized to target misinformation about vaccines–on AI
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-10-2026-09_12_58-AM
X rolls out direct messages to users who interact with misinformation
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-25-2026-12_23_17-PM
No, Bill Gates did not secretly engineer ticks to promote veganism
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-1-2026-03_33_49-PM
‘Alternative’ cancer treatments that could kill you
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-1-2026-12_37_08-PM
Viewpoint: Trump poised to politicize all U.S.-supported science research
ChatGPT-Image-Jul-7-2026-12_01_35-PM
Viewpoint: 21 worthless wellness trends inspired by RFK, Jr.’s ill-informed MAHA followers that can harm or even kill you.
ChatGPT-Image-Jun-30-2026-10_27_31-AM
Viewpoint: Europe clears the way for gene-edited crops — but fear-driven restrictions still slow their full potential
DtAieAIkCZy-uchn-oqg
Viewpoint: In the science misinformed grifter game plan, the organic-food-is-healthier myth might be the worst.
glp menu logo outlined

Get news on human & agricultural genetics and biotechnology delivered to your inbox.