Dark Truths Behind Prime Hydration

Prime contains one ingredient that definitely shouldn't be given to kids...

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On the face of it, KSI and Logan Paul's Prime is a nutritional drink, with 10% coconut water, 825g electrolytes, and vitamin B all packed into one bottle. However, an official from Aston Medical School has warned that children shouldn't be drinking electrolytes unless unwell or at risk of dehydration.

You'd be better off giving your kids something a lot more simple

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After speaking out about the needlessness of electrolytes in kids, Duane Mellor, a dietitian from Aston Medical School, said that if you care about your child's nutritional health, you'd be better off giving them a glass of milk over the popular Prime drink.

Prime is not as healthy as the producers make out

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While it can be said that Prime Hydration is a good substitute to other hydration drinks, considering there's no added sugar, it is packed full of artificial sweeteners and preservatives which have been proven to have adverse effects on the consumer.

The release of Prime has caused some major supermarket issues

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The release of Prime has seen hundreds of people queuing up outside supermarkets for opening time, and taking the store by storm just to get their hands on the drink. There have been that many fighting, that stores have had to implement a limit on sales, with customers only being able to buy three bottles at a time.

Buying Prime could be detrimental to a family's finances

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Since Prime was released, we've seen a massive demand for the popular drink, which comes in many flavors. Some are worried that the drink has been released at a time where families are struggling with the cost of living crisis, and will opt to have a bottle of Prime over healthy foods like fruit and vegetables.

Drink too much of it and it might just lead to obesity

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Although Prime was "generally recognized as safe" according to the US Food and Drug Administration, there have been tests done in the past which have proven otherwise. When mice were exposed to an ingredient in the drink, there was a noticeable weight gain which could lead to obesity.

Having a bottle of Prime might just change the microbiome of your gut

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Further on from above, the researchers extracted the no-calorie sweetener Ace-K and had mice consume it to see the results. Surprisingly, the sweetener can actually shift and change the gut microbiome, which could lead to chronic inflammation.

Some stores are robbing customers by selling Prime way above its retail price

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If you're up to date with Prime news, you might be aware of the controversy surrounding Prime and Wakey Wakey Wines in Wakefield, England, which upped the price of Prime massively to £100 per bottle. KSI slammed the owner of Wakey Wakey Wines and he has not been able to sell the drink since.

Prime is not a recommended drink at all

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Not everything is as rosy as it seems. Prime, although considered to be safe to drink, is widely not recommended considering it's use of questionable additive ingredients. Hopefully, KSI and Logan Paul will revise the recipe and come up with a much healthier drink.

KSI and Logan might have planned the widely unavailable drink all along...

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While both Youtubers have come out and said that they didn't plan to limit the drink as a marketing ploy, it all sounds a bit too suspicious. Both being massively popular Youtubers with huge followings, surely the demand of the product should've been predicted from the start...

Check the bottle's pattern or you could pay a hefty price

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Like with any popular product, the black market will act quickly to get some counterfeit goods out into the world, and Prime is a great example of a popular product they will try to replicate in order to get some big bucks. According to Ubuy.com, genuine Prime bottles will have five stick out ridged patterns, while the fakes will have three.

Prime was in the pipeline well before its release...

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A marketing expert has spoken out about KSI's comments that he didn't expect the drink to be so widely popular. He said that such a success doesn't happen overnight, and that these kind of campaigns take months, which it has in this case for KSI and Logan.

...and it didn't take much to make Prime so successful

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KSI has admitted that he and fellow Youtuber Logan Paul are both very good at marketing, and that it didn't take long to spread the word about the drink considering their combined total of 40 million followers. It disproves their statement that they didn't see the demand coming...

Was the rivalry all a ploy?

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Some might consider it far-fetched, but was their boxing rivalry a ploy to begin with? You might remember a time when the pair went head to head in the boxing ring as rivals. It wasn't until after they gained all the attention that they released the drink in a surprising twist of events. Or was it even surprising at all?

Prime Hydration used FOMO in order to skyrocket their profits

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Eddie Hammerman, marketing expert, has stressed that the scarcity marketing tactic KSI and Logan have used was all planned. By limiting the supply of a product, there's a bigger demand for it as customers feel as though they are missing out on it... hence the FOMO.

The brand has made an insane amount of money within its first months

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Shortly after it's release, the Prime brand had managed to acquire an insane value, especially considering the lack of product they had on the shelves. It didn't take long for the brand to be valued at $150,000,000, and this will only continue to rise with the hype that the Prime founders and creating.

Make sure that your bottle is the correct serving otherwise you could be scammed

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As mentioned before, counterfeit Prime products have hit the shelves of corner shops, eBay and other online stores too, so you should be careful you're not overpaying for a knock-off product. Another clue that it might be fake is the serving measure. Prime has a correct serving of 473ml whereas the copies often label it as 472ml.

The founders reckon they don't need the support of big brands to make Prime a success

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You might have noticed recently that Arsenal Football Club players have been drinking from Prime branded merch, with it being an official hydration partner. However, the actual partnerships these guys are making with big brands isn't genuinely necessary, and considering the success already coupled with their following, they could make this even more successful on their own.

Prime is only beneficial to a small handful of us...

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What makes the popularity of Prime so strange is that it doesn't actually benefit the most of us. According to DR Linia Patel, Prime may only be beneficial to those that are exercising super hard, therefore, those that just drink the drink without exercising aren't actually doing any good to their body.

KSI and Logan have claimed that Prime is better than its competitors, but is that a fact?

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When Dr Patel was questioned with whether the drink is better than its competitors, she went against what the brand have been promoting themselves as. Dr Patel actually admitted that she doesn't think the drink is better than others out there on the market.

Prime have now started to slip caffeine into some of their widely-enjoyed drinks: Prime Energy

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Since Prime Hydration took off, they have started slipping caffeine in their widely-enjoyed sports drink to bring forward Prime Energy. It seems that this variation has also done very well, with lots of people enjoying this version. However, Dr Patel believes that it's no better than a good bottle of water!

The amount of caffeine in Prime Energy could be detrimental to a young person's health

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As the new edition of Prime is pumped full of caffeine, it can prove to be somewhat detrimental to a young person's health. It's a fact that young people and kids don't need caffeine as the energy within them is already enough, so adding this can't be beneficial to their health.

Prime Energy contains more than double the amount of caffeine in a can of Monster...

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It's not just a little bit of caffeine that KSI and Logan Paul have added to the caffeinated version of the drink... it's quite a lot. While a can of Monster Energy will have around 86.4mg of caffeine, the new Prime Energy actually contains an astounding 200mg!

Are KSI and Logan irresponsible for targeting caffeinated drinks at children and teens?

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Now the question is whether the pair are irresponsible for targeting their drinks at a young audience. While they have explicitly said Prime Energy should be for those older than 18, it's hard to ignore that most of their fan base are younger than this. After all, would Disney Channel release a brand of whisky?

The release of Prime has been creating health and safety issues everywhere

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It's all fun and games having the kind of uproar and hype around the drink, until it becomes serious. People have spoken out about how people become rude and feral in order to get their hands on the product, some even diving headfirst into shelves. It's fine until something genuinely goes wrong, then it's not.

Too much Prime in a young person might just lead to vomiting and diarrhea...

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One of the ingredients in Prime Hydration is added zinc. It appears that most children don't actually need zinc supplements, it can be obtained from their diet. However, too much zinc can lead to symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea and headaches too. Doesn't sound good!

Was this really all KSI's and Logan's idea?

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Contrary to popular belief, it's not actually KSI and Jake Paul that are the masterminds behind the insanely popular sports drink. That's actually down to Congo Brands founders Trey Steiger and Max Clemons, both of whom own the brand of Prime Hydration and created the drink.

KSI claims the pair aren't making any money from Prime

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Although the drink has done better than anyone could've hoped, KSI claims that himself and Paul have not profited a penny from the success of the brand. Apparently, the money being made on the drink is going straight back into the brand to try and increase the supply.

Do KSI and Logan really want to resolve the supply and demand issue with Prime?

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The question to ask is whether former rivals Jake and KSI really want to resolve the issue of supply and demand. Ultimately, the popularity of the drink is down to the fact that consumers just can't get their hands on it. Supplying too much too quick could have a major impact on sales.

What's in store for Prime's future?

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They have released two versions of the drink, with multiple different flavors, and that's all within the first year. The question is, where does the brand go next? It appears that there's probably lots in the pipeline for Prime, with produce expected to become widely available in the UK from April.

The 'healthier' Gatorade

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You might be wondering what all the buzz about Prime is compared to the Gatorade we already know - but it's been marketed specifically as a 'healthier' Gatorade which, to be fair, isn't necessarily a bad thing if you want and need an energy drink but are worried about sugar.

But is Prime 'better' than Gatorade?

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The question is, does being marketed as the 'healthier Gatorade' necessarily mean that it is? Technically, yes, Prime can be considered healthier than Gatorade because of its lower sugar content, but that doesn't necessarily mean that it's a healthy

alternative. It's still an energy drink, after all.

Should kids be drinking sports drinks at all?

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The issue here, with the rise in social media and TikTok, is that anything like this is going to catch the attention of young people and teenagers - even if the drink isn't marketed to them. The drink is a hydration energy drink which tailors for people working out and being highly active - not a kid sat in their bedroom, never moving, while they down 8 bottles of the stuff.

It's available in the UK and the US

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It's quite surprising that this drink is available in both the US and UK, too, because usually with stuff like this, it's a more 'exclusive' brand to one particular country. Gatorade is more of a staple in the US than the UK, for example. So Prime's availability just shows its powerful reach.

There are also 'Prime Sticks'

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While it may sound like something you plug into the back of your television, 'Prime Sticks' are an alternative to bottled Prime water. Prime Sticks - which are only available in the US - are a powder packet you can then add to water if you need something more convenient on-the-go.

There are seven flavors of Prime drinks

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We know that Prime has really taken off, so it's no surprise there are many hit flavors to choose from. The seven flavors of the bottled Prime water are Ice Pop, Meta Moon, Blue Raspberry, Tropical Punch, Orange, Lemon Lime and Grape, but the Prime Sticks are only available in a few of those flavors.

How many calories are we talking?

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When you're dealing with your kid's weight, you have to think about calories. And when you're an adult trying to lead a healthy lifestyle, you have to think about calories! So how many calories are these Prime drinks packing? Both the bottled and stick versions are 20 calories.

The lower calories are due to less sugar

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You can thank the lower calorie amount compared to other sports drinks, to the lower sugar count. Gatorade comes in at about 50 calories, while other sports drinks can actually be 70 calories. Coca-Cola as a comparison is over 100 calories! So Prime does tick the box on that count.

But Prime *does* have filtered water

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The one thing you want - and need - to know when picking up a new hydration drink, particularly if you're an athlete or if you're working out, is whether it actually has enough hydrating water in it. Well, Prime - in its defence - does. It has filtered water, as well as 10% coconut water.

The thing to consider here is exercise

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You can't rightly think of Prime as a 'healthy' drink to have at home, and especially for young people with unhealthy lifestyles. Because Prime is tailored for people needing to stay hydrated and energized when working out - when they're sweating and losing calories.

Some people are trying to make a big buck on this trending drink

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But the issue with Prime is a lot more than its ingredients or its marketing. As with many things that take the internet by storm and go viral - and items which are hard to get your hands on - there are many people trying to make a lot of money out of desperate people. Some people are trying to sell Prime on auction sites like eBay.

Coconut water is actually good news

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So one thing it does have going for it is the coconut water content alongside the filtered water. This is a healthy ingredient, and good news for hydration. Coconut water is known for being low in sugar and having great hydration properties, as well as being a source of potassium.

But most of the ingredients are tailored to support a workout

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Alongside the filtered water and coconut water which are healthy any time of day, no matter your movement levels, the rest of the ingredients are pretty much dependent on supporting an active workout - not just sipping from a glass at home. The BCAAs and electrolytes are what most people look to to help them with exercise.

It may have less sugar, but it has artificial sweetener

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Isn't this always the way? All those 'sugar-free' and 'diet' options usually come loaded with artificial sweetener for the very reason that they're making up for not having any sugar! And Prime drinks are sadly no different. 'Sucralose' is the artificial sweetener found in this drink.

Prime contains citric acid that could increase inflammation

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There are also levels of citric acid in Prime sports drinks. Citric acid is usually found in citrus fruits - given its name - like lemons, and its what gives them their sour taste. While citric acid isn't necessarily a health risk and can have many benefits, it can also increase inflammation.

Your insulin levels could be negatively impacted

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If you're someone who struggles with insulin levels or has a health condition relating to this, Prime drinks could be bad news. Although they don't have much sugar to affect your insulin, they do have all that artificial sweetener, and this particular one has been shown in some studies to negatively impact insulin levels.

It could also have negative effects on your gut and brain

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But another bad thing about Prime energy drinks is that they don't only contain one kind of artificial sweetener - alongside Sucralose, they also contain acesulfame potassium, which is another artificial sweetener that's known to negatively affect the gut and brain.

It tastes very, very sweet

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Anything that tastes extremely sweet is usually very bad for you. If you want a refreshing hydrating drink that's healthy, you want it to be more like very very weak squash, or practically water with just a hint of something else. But Prime drinks taste very

sweet indeed.

It's even thick like syrup

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Another thing to be aware of is the consistency. When you want to stay hydrated or looking to take advantage of its high water content, you might expect a drink that's very thin - just like water! But nope. Many people have said it's as thick as syrup. So syrup like texture that tastes very sweet? Doesn't sound too healthy, does it.

Many reviews even say the taste seems 'artificial'

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So what are all the reviews saying about the taste of this energy drink, despite its worldwide popularity? Well, a lot of reviews are even saying it tastes 'artificial'. That's not what you want from a supposedly healthy energy drink. We know sports drinks like Gatorade taste quite sweet and artificial, but if this is supposed to be the healthier alternative, it's surprising.