Celsius energy drink has four times the safe daily maximum of cyanide
Incorrect. Celsius contains cyanocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12 that releases a small quantity of cyanide in the body, far below the safe maximum limit.
A video, being shared on Facebook and Instagram, features a clip of an influencer giving a speech where he claims that “Celsius energy drink has four times the amount of daily cyanide that a human being is meant to ingest.”
This is not true. Although a cyanide molecule makes up part of the structure of cyanocobalamin, a form of vitamin B12 found in many foods, drinks and supplements, the amount is far below the recommended safety limits.
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We approached the influencer in the video for comment and will update this if we receive a response.
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Cyanide is a chemical that exists in various forms. It can be produced naturally by bacteria or more commonly as a result of industrial processes. Hydrogen cyanide is the most toxic form of cyanide and can be in liquid or gas form with a distinctive bitter almond smell.
Cyanide can also form in the body after someone ingests the products of some plants, such as apricot kernels. Cigarette smoke is also considered to be one of the main sources of exposure.
In high doses, cyanide interferes with the body’s ability to use oxygen, which can lead to a wide range of symptoms, and ultimately death. After it is absorbed, it is broken down in the body and the products are removed through the urine. We have written about some of the effects of cyanide poisoning before.
Researchers have previously found that it is common for someone to have a background level of cyanide in their blood, often depending on their diet and smoking habits.
Cyanide does not accumulate in the blood or tissues with repeated doses and approximately 80% is broken down by the liver after it enters the body. Exposure to a small amount over a short period does not typically cause harm.
The European Food Safety Authority set the safe level for a one-off cyanide exposure at 20μg (micrograms) per kilogram of body weight, which is about one 25th of the lowest lethal doses. The WHO has the same limit but describes this as the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake. For someone weighing 50kg, this would mean a safe limit of about 1,000μg.
Other sources suggest that daily oral doses up to 4.7mg (4700μg) are generally safe. Blood levels up to 0.5mg/l (500μg/l) are considered non-toxic.
The speaker in the video appears to be an influencer called Gary Brecka. This particular clip may come from a video that has since been deleted from his YouTube channel.
A fact check video by the US TV station WYKC Channel 3, investigated some of the claims, and reported that Mr Brecka told them that the video had been “taken down voluntarily as a result of this statement not being accurate”.
It is correct that Celsius contains cyanocobalamin, as claimed in the video. Cyanocobalamin is a synthetic form of vitamin B12, often used to treat vitamin deficiency and in animal feeds and food supplements. The amount of cyanide in cyanocobalamin is very small.
Once consumed, cyanocobalamin is metabolised into the active form of B12, and the cyanide is then removed in the urine. Cyanocobalamin is considered non-toxic and is generally recognised to be safe.
Most people who take cyanocobalamin do not experience any side effects, although it can cause reactions in people with an allergy to cobalt.
Celsius contains 6μg of cyanocobalamin as a source of vitamin B12 (which is below the amount of B12 available in some over the counter supplements). Other energy drinks like Monster contain around 12μg. Higher doses are typically prescribed for vitamin deficiency.
The cyanide component is only a small proportion of cyanocobalamin, meaning that the amount of cyanide that might be produced in the body from one can of energy drink is even less than the amount of cyanocobalamin it contains. This means that the levels of cyanide are far below the recommended maximum daily amount of cyanide.
Similar claims have also been fact checked by others.
An article by Joe Schwarcz of McGill University in Canada discusses similar concerns about cyanide content in vitamin B12 supplements, and concludes that there is “no reason to worry”.
This article is part of our work fact checking potentially false pictures, videos and stories on Facebook. You can read more about this—and find out how to report Facebook content—here. For the purposes of that scheme, we’ve rated this claim as false because Celsius contains a safe amount of cyanocobalamin which releases a small quantity of cyanide in the body
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