My Take on Prime Hydration.
If you know me, you’ll know I tend to stay oblivious to super-hot trends. But Prime Hydration, this wildly popular sports drink caught my attention this weekend while spending some time with some very smart people and fellow chiropractors.
We tend to keep our diet fairly clean and limit our processed food intake to a few “special” items. The availability and omnipresence of toxic “foods” and the complexity of nutrition information make thoughtful and deliberate management of our families’ diets difficult.
All we can do is be open to information, be willing to spend some extra time and effort on our health and make our own informed decisions about food. The “ultimate healthy” diet is probably not a reality for most families but I think that most of us could use a bit of a push in that direction. That is why I get concerned when a processed food product gets so much hype and parents feel the pressure to allow their kids to consume it. That’s why I dug into Prime Hydration’s ingredient list.
Let’s be clear, this article is about Prime Hydration, not Prime Energy, which along with all energy drinks, is never appropriate for kids.
Are Supplemental Drinks Even Necessary for Kids?
Prime Hydration bills itself as a “better option” for sports drinks, that tend to be laden with sugar and artificial ingredients. But, are sports drinks even necessary for kids? Most nutritionists would argue that they aren’t necessary, for healthy kids even when playing sports. When kids are exercising intensely for over an hour and sweating profusely a sports drink may be a good way to replenish sugars and electrolytes, but water and a healthy meal is probably a better option.
So, is Prime Hydration any Better?
Prime does have a few things going for it. The Branched Chain Amino Acids found in Prime Hydration are an excellent way to reduce muscle breakdown with intense exercise and should be included in a high-level athlete’s nutrition plan.
It does have some coconut water, from concentrate which is a good source of potassium and is low in sugar. We encourage our son to drink lots of coconut water, straight out of the coconut, which is easy in Costa Rica. I don’t think the processed version in Prime can be compared.
It is low in sugar. However, the addition of the artificial sweetener sucralose is, in my opinion, worse than real sugar. Sucralose has been shown to alter insulin sensitivity and negatively affect the normal bacteria in the gut. Avoid added sugars but not by substituting them with artificial ones.
Troubling also is the use of dipotassium phosphate, an ingredient in fertilizer and antifreeze, and also used as a texturizer in some foods.
Acesulfame Potassium is another artificial sweetener found in Prime Hydration that is concerning to me. There just aren’t enough long-term studies on its use with kids.
The Bottom Line...
When it comes to processed foods, it is best to avoid them. However, for most families, this isn’t desired or practical. Each family must decide what foods are right for them. The decision should be made with health goals and personal tastes in mind. A product’s popularity, should not be a factor in this decision. Prime Hydration ingredients make it a “food to avoid” in my family. Is it better than the other sports drinks out there? In some ways it is. However, I wouldn’t go so far as to call this a “healthier alternative”.