Fact check: Does the Celsius energy drink contain dangerous levels of cyanide?

A misleading clip of an influencer claiming that the energy drink Celsius contains dangerous levels of cyanide has resurfaced on social media.

In the short clip, taken from a speech Gary Brecka gave in January 2023, the 10X Health System founder claimed the “Celsius energy drink has four times the amount of daily cyanide that a human being is meant to ingest.”

However, this is not true.

This particular energy drink contains cyanocobalamin, a synthetic form of vitamin B12 that releases a small quantity of cyanide in the body.

Once consumed, cyanocobalamin is metabolised into an active form of B12, and the cyanide then leaves the body through urine.

The influencer has taken down his video claiming he was misquoted, resulting in his statement appearing inaccurate.

In an answer to US TV station WYKC Channel 3, Brecka said: “This was mis-quoted and is not accurate. These videos have been taken down voluntarily as a result of this statement not being accurate.”

In Europe, Celsius is currently sold in the UK, Ireland and, more recently, France.

Comparing Celsius with other energy drinks

In the Celsius energy drink, there are 6 micrograms of cyanocobalamin, which is well below the maximum safe limit.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, this is actually lower than other energy drinks that can be found in the market.

Monster contains 12 micrograms of cyanocobalamin while Red Bull has 10 micrograms of cyanocobalamin.

Higher doses than that can also be prescribed for vitamin deficiencies.

Cyanide can also be formed in the body after someone eats specific plant products or is exposed to cigarette smoke.

In fact, the European Food Safety Authority set the safe level for one-off cyanide exposure at 20 micrograms per kilogram of body weight.

Energy drinks are “comprehensively regulated” within the EU

Despite their recent growth, energy drinks are still a “niche category” of beverages, representing only 1% of the total non-alcoholic beverages market, according to Energy Drinks Europe.

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However, both Energy Drinks Europe and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) state that energy drinks are “comprehensively regulated.”

“In the European Union, there are strict regulations on the permissible levels of cyanide in food products,” said Francesca Matteucci of the EFSA. “These regulations are designed to minimise health risks associated with cyanide consumption from naturally occurring sources in foods, such as certain seeds and fruit stones that contain cyanogenic compounds.”

Besides the EU common guidelines, some EU member states like Belgium, Denmark or Netherlands have specific regulatory guidelines regarding the addition of vitamins and other substances on energy drinks in their national legislation.