A woman is warning consumers about BodyArmor energy drink and its Vitamin B6 content. She says drinking too much of it “wrecked” her life and health.
TikTok user Allison Holder (@allisonholder8) posted a video about the situation recently. In the video, she says, “So, I wanted to talk a little bit about how BodyArmor blew up my life.”
She explains, “There is a lot of B6 vitamin in energy drinks, hydration drinks. All that kind of stuff. It’s fancy and in vogue to put excessive B vitamins in, because I guess people think they’ll get immediate energy and all that kind of good stuff.”
How did BodyArmor ‘wreck’ Holder’s life?
Holder isn’t specific about when she started drinking BodyArmor or how much she consumed. She says, “Starting in March, my three fingers started to feel a little numb. On both hands. By the end of the week, I couldn’t feel my hands at all and my feet were pretty numb. Thankfully, I have a brilliant physician. She’s a young millennial and she knew right away it was something to do with B vitamins.”
After reading about B6 toxicity, Holder says she learned many other people are misdiagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). “They aren’t diagnosed for years. This poisoning isn’t rare; it’s just undiagnosed,” she says.
This leads Holder to her PSA. “So here’s a little message to my physician friends,” she says. “If someone shows up with new onset acute neuropathy, run some B vitamin levels and save someone years of anguish wondering what is wrong.”
Holder’s message to BodyArmor
Holder also has a message for BodyArmor. “And to BodyArmor: Your product is poison,” she says. “You should put a skull and crossbones on it. I cannot tell you how bad this is. So after my hands went numb, they recovered. Then my feet are the problem. “
She then shows a clip of herself from six months ago lifting weights. A second clip from two days ago shows her struggling to walk up the stairs.
“All this for trying to hydrate,” she says. “I encourage everyone to be very careful with the amount of B6 you are consuming. It is the only vitamin that in excess can hurt you. The rest of them you just piss out.”
Can too much Vitamin B6 result in poisoning?
While Vitamin B6 is integral to brain function and a healthy immune system, taking too much can indeed poison you. According to Business Insider, “Taking too much vitamin B6 over a longer period of time can cause a number of side effects, including nerve damage.”
The National Institute of Health Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 1.5-1.7 milligrams of vitamin B6 for men and women over 51 years of age. BodyArmor contains 2.55 milligrams of vitamin B6 in per serving in a container with 2.5 servings. So depending on how many you drink per day, a person could easily consume too much Vitamin B6, particularly if they’re getting the vitamin from other sources in their diet.
Viewers react to the story
The video has amassed more than 88,000 views. In the comments, viewers reacted to Holder’s story.
One user wrote, “Bodyarmor and most other sport hydration drinks are not meant to be regularly consumed unless there is a need for electrolyte/vitamin replacement.”
A second user wrote, “Yes, this is true! Everyone needs to watch complex B vitamins as well. I was taking this vitamin for five years and had toxic levels of Vitamin B6 and developed neuropathy. I was walking with a cane. Better now!”
A third user stated, “Just drink water. Unless you are doing A LOT of physical labor and sweating A LOT, or you are directed by a physician to consume extra electrolytes, you really only need water to hydrate/rehydrate.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Holder via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted BodyArmor via email for comment.
@allisonholder8 #b6toxicity #vitaminb6 #neuropathy #familydoctor #primarycareprovider #doctor #bodyarmor @Body Armor Official #fda #poison ♬ original sound – Allison
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