Here is a great site that has some common questioned asked about XS and really other energy drinks which contain the same thing.

http://www.xsgear.com/info/askdrchet.asp

Top XS Questions

Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that’s critical to making healthy blood c …

Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that’s critical to making healthy blood cells–your body won’t make enough of them if you don’t have enough B12. Then your ability to carry oxygen becomes impaired, and that means a decrease in energy. B12 is also integral to your nervous system functions and to help your body make DNA (1). Those three reasons are good enough to make sure that you get plenty of vitamin B12 every day, but you may wonder: if some is good, is more better? And how much is too much?

That’s the question that was considered by the Committee from the Institute of Medicine Food and Nutrition Board when they set the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin B12 and other nutrients (2). This is not exciting work, reviewing study after study to find out how much of a nutrient we need, what amount might cause a deficiency, and what amount may be too much. Considering the last question, the Committee did not set an Upper Tolerable Limit for vitamin B12. Why? Because they could find no research to suggest that vitamin B12 was harmful, whether consumed as food or supplement, administered directly into the bloodstream, or injected into muscle. What they did find was research demonstrating that the more vitamin B12 a person took in supplement form, the less would be absorbed. In effect, the body self-regulates the amount of vitamin B12 it will allow.

That begs the question: why take more if it won’t be absorbed? While less will be absorbed the more you take, you will still take in more vitamin B12. For example, based on the numbers used in the research, about 60% of a 5 mcg dose will be absorbed or about 3 mcg. If more than 500 mcg is taken, then absorption could drop to 1% or 5 mcg. Obviously 5 is more than 3, so even though less is absorbed proportionally, more reaches the blood stream. If taken in smaller doses over the day, even more could be absorbed. So if you use a product with high amounts of vitamin B12, there should be no concern about megadosing based on the research to date.

1. http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12.asp

2. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.

Sucralose

I get asked more questions about artificial sweeteners than just about anything …

I get asked more questions about artificial sweeteners than just about anything else. At the top of the list is sucralose. Why? Because sucralose is the object of several websites dedicated to providing the “truth” on this artificial sweetener, which seems to involve harmful effects and conspiracies. Yet, there’s no evidence of harmful effects in the scientific literature and the conspiracies haven’t been proven. So instead of trying to prove that the gurus are wrong, let me present them with a couple of facts to ponder.

The basis for the alleged harmful effects revolves around the fact that sucralose is a chlorinated sugar molecule. Why don’t the critics fund a study that examines tissue, blood, and saliva to test whether regular sucralose use will increase physiological amounts of chlorine in humans and to see if there are any negative health effects? They continually nit-pick every one of the 144 studies on sucralose, extracting only the bits of data that they claim prove their point. If just once they would put their money where their mouths are, it would bring them some degree of credibility. They certainly have no problem selling documentaries and books that “expose” artificial sweeteners. C’mon, guys–spend a little to prove your point.

And let’s ditch the conspiracy theory already. Given our desire to know the dirt on just about everything, if a conspiracy existed, it would have been proven by now–people in government just can’t keep quiet about anything. On top of that, it would have to be an international conspiracy involving the World Health Organization, the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and their counterparts in countries world-wide, and every organization that provides recommendations for nutrients that are safe for diabetics. Put two healthcare professionals in a room and they won’t agree on the color of the marker to use on the whiteboard, yet we’re to believe everyone involved is withholding the truth on sucralose? In what world does that make sense?

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that has met the scientific criteria for food safety many times over (1). While some people may have an allergic reaction to it, just like they might have to any natural food, most people will be able to use it as part of a reasonable diet. It can help reduce our dependence on sugar in soft drinks and processed foods. Given the obesity and diabetes epidemic we face, it’s one of many tools that we can use to help control our body weight while satisfying our sweet tooth.

Taurine

I’ve been getting the occasional question about taurine, a popular amino acid th …

I’ve been getting the occasional question about taurine, a popular amino acid that’s found in XS Energy Drinks. Some people have read that taurine is not good for you, and you want to know why. I’ll tell you what taurine is and what I’ve found in the research I’ve done.

Taurine is one of three sulfur-containing amino acids; methionine and cysteine are the other two, and taurine can be produced from either. While taurine is found throughout the body, some organs have higher concentrations such as the brain and nervous system, the eye, and the heart. As a result, a lack of taurine may be related to mental fatigue. Taurine is important throughout our lifetime; newborns require taurine for normal growth and development, but they can’t make it until later in life, so taurine is supplied in breast milk and should be available in infant formula. The foods that contain taurine are primarily meat, fish and other seafood, eggs, and milk. As a result of the growing number of vegans and vegetarians and the fact that a lot of people eat less meat than in the past, many people may not be getting enough taurine from what they eat.

I did a PubMed search which revealed over 400 articles cited as researching the benefits of taurine. Scientists have studied a wide variety of applications: memory enhancement, muscle fatigue, antioxidant attributes, and many others. But the primary reason that taurine seems to be helpful is that it benefits our brain and nervous system. The ability to think clearly and stay focused is dependent on many nutrients, and it seems that taurine is one of them.

But the primary question was about taurine safety, so I did an Internet search on side effects or toxicity associated with taurine supplementation. Toxicity resulted in over one million hits, and I checked out the first 100 websites. There was no toxicity associated with taurine supplementation, nor were there any side effects reported. When I searched PubMed on the uses of taurine in research, I didn’t find any negative effects associated with taurine use.

There’s no established upper limit for taurine. However, after reviewing the data on taurine, the Council for Responsible Nutrition has set 3 grams per day as the Observed Safe Level even though higher quantities have been used with no negative effects. There is 1 gram of synthetic Taurine in XS Energy Drinks.
Based on the research, my opinion is that taurine is a very safe nutrient for healthy people to use. It may help with energy levels, improve performance during exercise, and have other benefits as well. The important thing is that there are no hazards for taurine use based on the current research.