WARNING: IT’S PRIME TIME FOR ENERGY DRINKS

Gerald Goldhaber • Aug 03, 2023

A new energy drink has taken the market for such beverages by storm and have achieved a cult like status thanks in no small part to the fame of the beverage’s creators, YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI, who together have over 40 million subscribers. The drink is branded Prime Energy and is a highly caffeinated beverage in brightly colored cans with flavors such as Ice Pop and Tropical Punch.


Now, some politicians and experts are raising serious concerns about whether or not the drink is safe for young people. No less a figure than Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) has said that Prime's website lacks warnings and other information to help parents understand the "eye-popping" caffeine content in its drinks. Schumer wants the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to investigate the company, which he claims is "feverishly" targeting children. I checked the website, and the Senator is absolutely right. There are NO warnings or any other safety information about the high amount of caffeine in the drink (200 mg/12 oz.can) or any admonitions about restricting its use among children. This is a direct quote from the front page of their website:

"PRIME 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. We're confident you'll love it as much as we do."


The rest of their website is filled with pictures and descriptions of their many flavored products, all colorfully illustrated, which Schumer believes is a deliberate ploy to attract children. In fairness to Prime, the back of each can contains the following safety message: "Drink responsibly. Not recommended for children under 18 years of age, people sensitive to caffeine, pregnant women and women who are nursing." Schumer, however, doesn't believe this is an adequate warning because it fails to outright ban the product for anyone under 18.

The question for all of us should be: Is Prime safe for both children and adults? First of all, 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can is about 6 times the amount of caffeine in a comparable can of Coca-Cola. In addition to its high levels of caffeine, Prime also contains ingredients commonly found in other energy drinks (e.g., taurine, inositol, l-theanine and glucuronolactone). The company also makes a non-caffeinated beverage which Schumer believes parents could get mixed up with the caffeinated beverage because they both use similar brightly colored cans. As the following images indicate, I believe Schumer has a point. It might be challenging both for parents and children to tell the two beverages apart.

Canadian health authorities have also voiced concern that cans of Prime sold there may be exceeding regulations on limits for caffeine. How does Prime compare to other caffeinated beverages? Most energy drinks have less caffeine than Prime. Starbucks Cold Brew (11 oz.) has 155 mg, Monster Energy (12 oz.) has 123 mg, Red Bull (12 oz.) has 108 mg, Diet Coke (12 oz.) has 46.8 mg, Snapple Iced Peach Tea (16 oz.) has 37 mg. 

Is 200 mg a lot of caffeine? It depends on who you are and what your underlying health conditions may be. 200 mg of caffeine is roughly equivalent to drinking 2 cups of coffee a day, not unusual for most adults. Caffeine is a stimulant that is found naturally in plants and can affect our central nervous system that can boost our alertness and enhance our ability to concentrate.  However, pediatricians recommend that children under 12 avoid caffeine completely and kids 12 and older consume NO MORE THAN 100 mg/day. Many physicians recommend that adults should have no more than 400 mg/day, which is about 4-5 cups of coffee. According to the FDA, which doesn't require beverage companies to list the amount of caffeine on their products, rapid consumption of around 1200 mg of caffeine can lead to "toxic effects," such as seizures. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. It depends on the speed your body metabolizes the stimulant and whether you have a high tolerance level for caffeine after drinking coffee, etc. for years. Most doctors would advise people with high blood pressure or some other preexisting conditions to consider limiting their amount of caffeine. Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems and even cardiovascular symptoms.

The problem with energy drinks is that they are more likely to be consumed at a faster rate than either coffee or tea because they are chilled beverages and not served steaming hot. The CDC believes that the stimulants in energy drinks can cause dehydration, anxiety, insomnia and heart complications, including skipping beats, symptoms more likely to be felt by children or teenagers consuming the same amount of caffeine as an adult. If you take a high dose of caffeine to stay more awake, to stimulate your brain, such as done by students relying on energy drinks to help them stay awake to finish homework or write a paper, it will also affect your heart rate, blood pressure and your stomach's gastric secretions.

As the Warnings Doctor, my advice is for adults to limit their caffeine intake to no more than what is found in about 4 cups of coffee/day and for adults with high blood pressure or other pre-existing conditions, to consult their doctors before consuming any caffeine. It's always good advice for children under 12 to avoid any stimulants, including caffeine, and for those children 12-18, limit caffeine intake to no more than 100 mg/day, about the same amount as in 1 cup of coffee/day. As for Prime Energy, absolutely avoid this drink if you are under 18.


Check out my latest podcast "EXPOSED! An Exclusive Look Behind the Curtain of Corporate Greed"

Check out my book "Murder, Inc.: How Unregulated Industry Kills or Injures Thousands of Americans Every Year...And What You Can Do About It". Available in Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle & Audiobook on Amazon now.

FOREVER MAY NOT BE FOREVER WITH EPA’S NEW PFA LIMITS

By Gerald Goldhaber • 07 May, 2024
Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized strict limits on PFAS, so-called “forever chemicals”, in drinking water that will require utilities to reduce them to the lowest level they can be reliably measured. Officials say this will reduce exposure for 100 million people and help prevent thousands of illnesses, including cancers.

WARNING: IS SPRING CLEANING A TIME OF RENEWAL OR DANGER?

By Gerald Goldhaber • 16 Apr, 2024
Could that colorful stash of cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink, in your broom closets and around the washer and dryer contain toxic compounds that might significantly affect your health and the environment? Unfortunately, for many common household cleaning products, the answer is too often “yes.”

E-Bikes and Their Lithium-Ion Batteries Are Leading Cause of NYC Fires

By Gerald Goldhaber • 13 Mar, 2024
Since the pandemic, when E-Bikes first became a big deal in NYC, with almost everyone demanding that food, toilet paper and other products be brought to their doorsteps, E-Bikes have become one of the leading causes of fires in NYC. What are E-Bikes and why are they so dangerous. First of all, an E-Bike is an electric bicycle, typically powered by a lithium-ion battery, known mostly for its longevity, lasting typically ten times longer than lead-acid batteries, often exceeding 5 years. Lithium-ion batteries are generally safe. If you follow proper storage, charging, and discarding procedures, they are unlikely to fail or catch fire. However, at least in NYC, where there are over 65,000 E-Bikes, mostly driven by food-delivery personnel working for companies such as Uber Eats or Grubhub, and even work commuters, that is not always the case.

WARNING: IF YOU ARE HEADING TO THE CARIBBEAN THIS WINTER, IS YOUR BOEING AIRCRAFT SAFE?

By Gerald Goldhaber • 05 Feb, 2024
If you are like most Americans suffering through this nasty, snow and ice-driven extremely cold winter, you probably have dreams of flying somewhere warm to lounge on the beach while sipping margaritas (that's my tribute to the late Jimmy Buffett ). If you can afford the time and money to fly away to your dream winter holiday in the sun, you may still be worrying if your flight to paradise is safe. And worry you should, especially if you are booked on a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

WARNING: THESE TOYS R NOT FOR US!

By Gerald Goldhaber • 29 Nov, 2023
Imagine a group of 10-year olds sitting in a darkened room, with a bunch of their "friends" engaged in a discussion about whom to kill while playing a game of Russian Roulette. This is NOT a pretend game. Virtual reality goggles are marketed to children as young as ten years old. These goggles and other smart toys are listed in the 38th edition of Trouble in Toyland, the annual listing of holiday toys that pose hazards for children, released by the Massachusetts chapter of the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) If you have doubts about the safety of such "hi-tech" toys, last month, an 11-year-old girl was kidnapped by a man she encountered while playing a game online. Fortunately, she was found safe a short time later, about 135 miles away from her home. The game, Roblox, is one of the most popular mobile games this year.

BETTER DYING THROUGH CHEMISTRY-PART TWO: THE FDA ACTS (FINALLY)

By Gerald Goldhaber • 08 Nov, 2023
Last month in this newsletter, I wrote about several of our favorite foods that, while they are legally sold in the U.S., despite known health issues associated with them, have been banned throughout Europe, Canada and other developed nations, including Australia, Japan and New Zealand. One of the chemicals I wrote about was Brominated Vegetable Oil or BVO whose main ingredient, Bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants, can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss, as well as skin and nerve problems. BVO is most commonly found in smaller grocery store brands and regional beverages, including some Food Lion-brand sodas, some Walmart branded Great Value-brand sodas, and Sun Drop citrus soda, manufactured by the makers of Dr. Pepper. It keeps the citrus flavoring in fruit-flavored beverages from floating to the top of the drink.

BETTER DYING THROUGH CHEMISTRY--FOODS WITH HARMFUL CHEMICALS

By Gerald Goldhaber • 05 Oct, 2023
1. Skittles. Mars Co , manufacturer of Skittles, was named in a class action lawsuit filed in California last year claiming that Skittles contains titanium dioxide, used by Mars to make its Skittles look brighter and more colorful, while at the same time causing irritation to the eyes, nose and throat and, more seriously, having the potential for causing reproductive damage in humans. The European Union, which has banned Skittles, claims that titanium dioxide may also be a human carcinogen. 2. Mountain Dew & Fresca . Americans who “do the Dew” might be surprised to learn the product contains brominated vegetable oil. BVO is banned in Japan and the European Union because it contains bromine, the element found in brominated flame retardants, which can build up in the body and potentially lead to memory loss, as well as skin and nerve problems. The grapefruit-flavored soda, Fresca, also contains the ingredient. 3. Kraft Stove Top Stuffing . Kraft Stove Top stuffing might make weeknight dinners easier, but it also contains the same BHT discussed earlier and found in American breakfast cereals, including Honey Bunches of Oats and even the popular Wheat Thins, as well as BHA, which as we have already seen, at high doses causes cancer in rats, mice and hamsters, thus resulting in bans in the EU, Japan and elsewhere. 4. Little Debbie Swiss Rolls. Products in the European Union containing Yellow 5 and Red 40 carry warnings that they cause adverse effects in children, but you won’t find that warning on a box of Little Debbie Swiss Rolls in the U.S. Norway and Austria have banned the snack cakes outright. Some cereals, such as Lucky Charms, also use Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Red 40, despite being known to cause itching and hives for some. 5. Ritz Crackers and Coffee-mate. Trans fats were officially banned in the U.S. in 2018; however, some trans fats such as partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils can still be found in popular products such as Ritz Crackers, Coffee-mate creamers and even those buttery Pillsbury Biscuits. These ingredients are also banned in Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Iceland, Norway and Denmark. I could go on but you get the picture. As the Warnings Doctor, my advice to you is the same advice I got from my Jewish grandmother: "If it's from the farm, it's probably great for you, but if it's from a factory, not so great!"

NOTHING SAYS FOREVER LIKE DIAMONDS AND PFAS

By Gerald Goldhaber • 05 Sep, 2023
What are PFAS? PFAS are a group of manmade chemicals used in a vast number of consumer and industrial products. They’re often referred to as “forever chemicals,” because most don’t break down. PFAS stands for per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which contain a strong carbon-fluorine bond that allows them to accumulate over time in the environment and in the bodies of animals and people, posing health risks. PFAS chemicals might also be thought of as “everywhere chemicals,” since they’ve become so common in the products we use every day.

ARE CANADA'S WILDFIRES WARNING US ABOUT OUR CLIMATE FUTURE?

By Gerald Goldhaber • 06 Jul, 2023
A month ago, I had no idea what AirNow was or what its ratings indicated. Today, it is an App on my IPhone that tells me the air quality rating for a given city at a given time. AirNow's scale ranges from 0-500. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern. For example, an AQI value under 50 represents good air quality, a rating between 50-100 is moderately acceptable, a rating between 100 and 150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups (e.g., elderly or very young people, folks with lung or heart conditions, etc.), a rating of 150-200 is unhealthy for most people (and is typically called the Red Zone), 200-300 is very unhealthy and over 300 is hazardous for everyone. Let me repeat: the rating in Buffalo was 179, clearly in the danger zone of unhealthy for most people.

McDONALD’S HASN’T LEARNED ITS LESSON: HOW HOT IS TOO HOT?

By Gerald Goldhaber • 06 Jun, 2023
Thirty years ago in 1992, 81-year old Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico bought a cup of coffee through the drive-thru window at her local McDonald’s. Her grandson was driving the pickup truck while Liebeck rode in the front passenger seat. After pulling out of the drive-thru, she asked her grandson to pull over to the side of the parking lot so that she could put creamer in the coffee. It was during that process that the coffee spilled into her lap and scalded her. In fact, she suffered third-degree burns over her pelvic area that put her in the hospital for 8 days. She underwent skin grafting followed by two years of continuous medical treatment. Her injuries were real, excruciatingly painful, and--perhaps most importantly--they were debilitating.
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