The viral sensation that is Prime continues to soar in popularity, with some travelling miles to get their hands on the drink.
The beverage, particularly popular with youngsters, was founded by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul and released in October last year. But one nutritionist has revealed she would not allow her own kids to consume the drink.
According to the YouTube stars, the energy drink helps you "refresh, replenish and refuel". The juice comes in a range of flavours from Ice Pop and Blue Raspberry to Tropical Punch. Since its release, it has been hugely difficult to secure a bottle, with retailers selling out of the drink in record time, reports The Mirror.
READ MORE: Where in Glasgow sells Prime? Places you can buy the sell out drink across the city
Prime is currently stocked by a select few stores, with Aldi, Asda, Costco and Spar selling bottles as well as some corner shops selling it for extortionate prices. Despite costs, parents have been going to extreme lengths to get their wee ones a bottle or two.
However, Hannah Macey, lead nutritionist at Feel Complete, says the beverage is not worth spending money on.
She told The Mirror: "It has nothing worth spending any money on. There is nothing special in this drink that you would not get from water, a sip of coconut water and a well-balanced meal."
Prime Hydration, which is the only product available in the UK at the moment, is not a traditional energy drink. The drink does not contain any sugar or caffeine, so it seems like a healthy alternative to other brands.
The viral drink is made up of 10 per cent coconut water, with BCAA for muscle recovery, B vitamins, electrolytes and antioxidants.
However, the nutritionists said that "you are essentially paying a lot of money for a watery coconut drink".
The first ingredient is water, then 10 per cent coconut water (which brings in the 825 mg of electrolytes to every Prime bottle) and some very low-dosage vitamins and minerals." She claimed.
"Then we have the 'star' branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) l-isoleucine, l-valine and l-leucine. Research shows some benefit in supplementing with these BCAAs before exercising, but in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 (mg) per day. Prime has just 250mg, so after the water and coconut water, it's mostly preservatives and artificial sweeteners." She added.
However, Hannah goes on to say that Prime is better than most energy drinks, with alternatives often just water with sugar, caffeine and a lot of artificial colourings, sweeteners and preservatives added in.
She explained: "The water and coconut water will hydrate you, and if you are eating a diet very, very low in any whole foods (vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, etc) then it will give you a small vitamin and mineral boost."
When asked about the safety Prime, Hannah said: "In general, yes it is safe to consume but it does still contain sucralose and Acesulfame Potassium.
"These are artificial sweeteners which have potential health risks. There may be no calories, but artificial sweeteners can cause glucose intolerance and induce metabolic syndrome, which is associated with weight gain, all increasing the risk of obesity."
The nutritionist then went into more detail about the negative impact of artificial sweeteners.
"Artificial sweeteners are bad for our health, and Prime has them. They can negatively affect our gut microbiome, which plays a crucial role in food digestion and energy balance in the body. Natural flavour sounds like it should be fine, it's 'natural' but it's a term that doesn't tell us what flavouring agents are in it, and we know toxicity concerns are related to flavouring agents." She said.
Additionally, Hannah explained that the BCAA content in Prime is too low to make any nutritional difference, with the BCSS content also too low to help reduce muscle soreness and muscle damage.
She added: "It is not an energy drink! It's pretty much a watery artificial multivitamin solution."
The Mirror has approached Prime for comment.
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