It is one of the most popular drinks among children.
But Prime Energy is one of the worst things kids can consume, a dietitian warned.
The £1.99 drink, sold in colorful cans and in flavors such as Lemon Lime, Tropical Punch and Blue Raspberry, contains more caffeine than Red Bull.
Dr. Duane Mellor, of Aston University, said the drink’s high caffeine content could lead to rapid heartbeat, disrupted sleep and anxiety.
It comes after a child had a ‘heart attack’ and had to have their stomach pumped after drinking Prime Energy, prompting a school this week to issue a warning to parents about the drink’s ‘harmful effects’.
The £1.99 drink, which is sold in colorful cans and comes in flavors like Lemon Lime, Tropical Punch and Blue Raspberry, contains more caffeine than Red Bull
Prime was launched last year by YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul, who have 24.1 million and 23.6 million followers respectively
Prime was launched last year by YouTube icons KSI and Logan Paul. The couple has millions of followers online.
The hype surrounding the products on social media caused them to quickly sell out in supermarkets, leading to huge queues and rules about how much each shopper could buy.
The demand has sparked scuffles in the aisles, bottles sold for as much as £100 and sparked robberies and near-riots in shops.
Cans have been sold online for more than 10 times their retail value.
Two versions are available: Prime Hydration is caffeine-free, sold in a bottle, and comes in Orange, Grape, and Ice Pop flavors.
Prime Energy is sold in a can, with flavors like Orange Mango and Strawberry Watermelon. It contains a high amount of caffeine.
Each 330ml can contains 140mg of caffeine – almost the same as two cups of coffee (80mg each), two cans of Red Bull (80mg each) and just under a Monster (160mg).
Under UK rules, any energy drink with more than 150mg of caffeine must have a high caffeine content.
Prime Energy comes with a warning that the drink is not suitable for people sensitive to caffeine.
It also says on its own packaging that it is ‘only for over 16s’.
Dr. Mellor urged parents to be vigilant and warned that children should not consume energy drinks. Those who consume the drink may experience rapid heartbeat and disturbed sleep in the short term and anxiety and sleep problems in the long term.
This can hinder children’s learning and development, both in children and adults.
He told MailOnline: “The problem is that in children, especially smaller children, the large amounts of caffeine in energy drinks are much greater for their body size than for an adult.”
Dr Mellor told The sun thewarning children not to drink the drink should be “much clearer” as the government has yet to ban the sale of energy drinks to children – despite pledging to do so in 2019.
However, many UK supermarkets have imposed their own rules against under 16s buying energy drinks.
The drink, from YouTube stars KSI and Logan Paul, returned to Aldi stores across the country on April 18
Milton Primary School in Newport, Gwent, warned parents of Prime Energy’s ‘potential harmful effects’
Shoppers lined up at Aldi in Ancoats, Manchester last month to buy new flavors of the viral energy drink Prime
It comes after Milton Primary School in Newport, Gwent, warned parents about the ‘potential harmful effects’ of the canned product.
The school of 474 students told parents this week: ‘This morning a parent reported that their child suffered a heart attack over the weekend after drinking a Prime energy drink.
“The child needed to have his stomach pumped out and although it was better now, the parent wanted us to share this as a reminder of the possible harmful effects.”
Dr. Deborah Lee of Dr Fox Online Pharmacy previously said: ‘I would not recommend that children drink Prime energy drinks or any other energy drinks for children of any age.
‘Children don’t need energy drinks anyway, they have enough energy. If your child is low on energy, see a doctor – don’t give them an energy drink.’
Last year, the British Soft Drinks Association said: ‘Energy drinks and their ingredients have been found safe by regulatory bodies around the world.
“Energy drink manufacturers have taken every possible step to be clear about the suitability of energy drinks.
“Retailers, schools and parents all have a role to play in educating children about caffeine and sugar consumption from all sources.”