Question 1

What is Prime Energy, and why is it controversial?

Accepted Answer

Prime Energy has 200 milligrams of caffeine in a 12-ounce can, which is about six times the amount of caffeine in a comparable can of Coca-Cola. It also has taurine, inositol, l-theanine and glucuronolactone, ingredients commonly found in other energy drinks. The company also makes Prime Hydration, a sports drink that doesn’t have caffeine. The cans of the energy drink state that the product is not recommended for children under age 18, women who are pregnant or nursing, or people who are sensitive to caffeine. Schumer says this warning is not enough, and parents could get the caffeinated and non-caffeinated beverages of Prime mixed up. A spokesperson for Prime wrote in an email that the two drinks the company sells “are vastly different” products. Prime Energy “contains a comparable amount of caffeine to other top selling energy drinks, all falling within the legal limit of the countries it’s sold in,” the spokesperson said. “It is an energy drink and is not made for anyone under the age of 18.” Prime’s spokesperson said the company’s “top priority” is consumer safety, and they welcome discussions with the FDA regarding suggested changes to the industry “in order to protect consumers.” Canadian health authorities have also voiced concerns that cans sold there may be exceeding regulations on limits for caffeine. The president of the Canadian Beverage Association told CBC that safety for consumers should be a "top priority,” while Prime told the outlet it follows each country’s regulations.

Question 2

How does Prime Energy compare to other caffeinated beverages?

Accepted Answer

Most energy drinks contain about 100 to 300 mg of caffeine per serving, experts say. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of caffeine content in some popular drinks. You can look up caffeine content in various beverages using this U.S. Department of Agriculture database.

Question 3

Is 200 mg a lot of caffeine?

Accepted Answer

Kate Zeratsky, a registered dietitian nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said 200 mg of caffeine is a moderate amount of caffeine for the average American. “That’s roughly two cups of coffee, which I think is a fairly common intake for a lot of people,” Zeratsky said. “Not very many people drink a six- to eight-ounce cup of coffee anymore.” The FDA doesn’t require beverage companies to list the amount of caffeine on their products, Zeratsky said. But there’s this “cautionary tale” with energy drinks from reports of people admitted to emergency rooms after drinking too many of the caffeinated beverages. An FDA spokesperson wrote in an email that the agency is reviewing the letter by Schumer. The FDA spokesperson went on to say that families should be aware there are “many different types” of caffeinated products available to buy. And that parents and caregivers should “read a product’s label” before giving it to their child.

Question 4

How much is too much caffeine?

Accepted Answer

Caffeine is a stimulant that affects the central nervous system that can boost our alertness and enhance our ability to concentrate. It’s found naturally in plants used to make coffee, tea and chocolate. Pediatricians recommend children under 12 avoid caffeine completely and kids who are 12 and older consume up to only 100 mg per day. Physicians recommend adults have no more than 400 milligrams of caffeine a day, which is about four or five cups of coffee. “These products are dangerous if you haven’t developed a tolerance for caffeine and a child decides to chug two three or them in a sitting,” said Jennifer Harris, a senior research adviser at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut. According to the FDA, “rapid consumption” of around 1,200 mg of caffeine can lead to “toxic effects,” such as seizures. Some people are more sensitive to caffeine than others. It depends on how fast your body metabolizes the stimulant and whether you’ve built a tolerance to caffeine after drinking a cup of coffee every morning for years. Some groups of people with blood pressure issues or other preexisting conditions need to talk to their doctor about whether they should limit caffeine, Zeratsky said.

Question 5

What are the side effects from drinking too much caffeine?

Accepted Answer

Too much caffeine can cause anxiety, agitation, sleeplessness, gastrointestinal problems and cardiovascular symptoms, said Shelina Visram, a senior lecturer in public health at Britain’s Newcastle University and Fuse, the U.K. Centre for Translational Research in Public Health. One concern is that energy drinks are more likely to be consumed at a faster rate than coffee or tea because they’re chilled beverages, not steaming hot, Visram said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, legal stimulants in energy drinks, such as taurine, can cause dehydration, anxiety, insomnia and heart complications. After consuming a lot of caffeine, your heart can start to feel as if it’s racing or skipping beats, said, Holly Benjamin, a professor of pediatrics and orthopedic surgery and a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the University of Chicago. And a child or teenager will be more affected by the same dose of caffeine. Caffeine acts “like a drug,” Benjamin said. “If you take a high dose of caffeine because you want to stay more awake, and you want it to stimulate your brain, you can’t stop it from also affecting your heart rate, blood pressure, your stomach, the gastric secretions that you have.” Benjamin said students may rely on the drinks to help them stay awake to finish homework or write a paper. But physicians are more concerned with the “addictive-type behavior” of those who drink energy drinks every day.

What to know about Prime and other caffeinated energy drinks

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer has called on regulators to investigate whether the drink is unsafe for children