FANS of YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul have gone wild for their Prime hydration drinks.
The brightly coloured beverages have been hard to come by with teenagers and fans alike scrambling to get their hands on the products.
PrimeThe Prime drinks come in different flavours and many Brits have been trying to get their hands on them[/caption]
They retail at around £1.99 a bottle, and are coconut water-based.
Prime states that it was developed to ‘fill the void’ where ‘great taste meets function’.
“With bold, thirst-quenching flavors to help you refresh, replenish, and refuel, PRIME is the perfect boost for any endeavor,” the website explains.
It’s marketed as a hydration drink, but nutritionists have questioned how effective it might be.
Filtered water and coconut water from concentrate are the basis of the drink, and it also contains electrolytes.
We asked the experts to take a look and give their verdict on the ingredients in the popular drink…
Electrolytes
Studies have shown that electrolytes can help muscle recovery and keep you hydrated.
Many people, especially athletes and those who exercise regularly will take electrolytes in order to help them re-hydrate and recover.
The drink includes electrolyte acesulfame potassium, however experts have cast doubt on its hydrating promises.
Speaking to The Sun, registered dietitian and senior teaching fellow at Aston Medical School in Birmingham, Duane Mellor, said people should be spending their money on something else.
Duane said based on the formulation of the drinks, they might not be effective.
“It is potassium based, so would not aid hydration, so it’s not likely to improve performance,” he explained.
What’s more, Duane said electrolytes aren’t recommended for children unless they are unwell or at risk of dehydration with something like diarrhoea.
“In that case sodium is recommended along with glucose as that helps our bodies to absorb water, potassium in some cases can make this worse.
“There is no obvious reason why this sports drink should be recommended to children,” he added.
BCAAs
BCAAs are proteins often found in food and are sometimes deemed muscle foods.
Prime drinks contain these in the form of l-leucine, l-isoleucine and valine.
Studies have shown that consuming too many of these can lead to issues such as fatigue, nausea and headaches.
Georgina Robertson, nutritionist at Innermost added that BCCAs are amino acids that are useful for muscle repair after weight training or intense exercise, which is not a necessity for children as they don’t train like adults.
“Children’s electrolyte balance is also more sensitive than adults so could easily have an adverse effect on hydration,” she said.
Duane added that while the levels of BCAAs are unlikely to be high enough to be a cause for concern: “Supplementation without a clear health reason is not recommended in children.”
SWEETENERS
The drinks also include sweeteners in the form of sucralose.
This is a calorie-free sweetener and is identified in the ingredients as the E number, E955.
Signe Svanfeldt, nutritionist at Lifesum said drinking sweet drinks can be harmful for dental health.
She added that when a child’s body is growing, it needs high quality nutrients.
“In general, giving children unsweetened drinks, including water or plain milk, are the best options for hydration,” she advised.
“To avoid giving children excessive sugar, sweetened drinks, such as energy drinks and fizzy drinks, should be avoided or given in moderation.
“If children get used to other types of sweet drinks, they may end up choosing them over water, which can be an issue both for their dental health and overall wellbeing.”
In general, as a parent, you should encourage your child to choose water as their main option for hydration, Signe added.
The current drinks on sale in the UK don’t contain caffeine, but products set to go on sale in the US will have the extra boost.
“Try to avoid giving your children drinks that contain caffeine as it can be harmful for their health,” Signe added.
Nutritionist Georgina added that children under the age of 18 shouldn’t be having these drinks at all.
“While these drinks have lower sugar than other energy drinks on the market, I don’t believe children should be having these drinks as part of their diet.”
VITAMINS
The drinks also include vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.
Vitamin B-12 is involved in helping the body, according to the NHS.
It can help make red blood cells and helps to keep the nervous system healthy.
Guidance states that a lack if this particular vitamin could lead to B12 deficiency which is also known as anaemia.
But this can be found in foods that we should be including in our diet such as meat, fish, milk, cheese, eggs and some fortified breakfast cereals.
Vitamin B6 is also in the drink but the NHS states that you should be able to get enough from your diet.
A HEALTHY OPTION?
Despite warnings from some experts, one nutritionist said the drinks could be providing a ‘healthier’ no-sugar option for children.
Registered dietitian Dr Paul McArdle said: “They are zero sugar and use non-sugar sweeteners, so they provide very few calories.
“This is great for some teenagers as they are the group in the UK with the highest intakes of free sugars, so providing an option that reduces their free sugar intake is a bonus.”
He added that BCAAs such as leucine are often naturally occurring in the food we eat.
“They’re the building blocks of proteins. There’s some evidence of their benefit in sports supplements, but if you eat a healthy varied diet, with enough protein at each meal, you will get the BCAAs you need through your diet and you won’t need supplements.
“The amounts added to these products are pretty low and so unlikely to have any significant impact and certainly won’t be any harm,” he said.
Duane added that most things can fit into a balanced diet, but that given the cost, there are other foods he would recommend.
“One drink will not improve a diet, and if it’s expensive at a time when budgets are limited it could limit money spent on vegetables, fruit and other healthier foods,” Duane added.
The Sun has contacted Prime Drinks and the manufacturers of the beverages, Congo Brands for comment.