Early in 2022, two renowned YouTubers (KSI and Logan Paul) – in partnership with Kentucky-based CPG company Congo Brands, released Prime Hydration, which has since become a sensation. If you’re a Muslim who is a fan of either of those YouTubers, or you’re looking for a halal energy drink, you may be wondering whether Prime Hydration is a good option.
Key Takeaways:
Although Prime Hydration does not hold a formal Halal certification, the beverage does not contain any forbidden ingredients as per Islamic dietary laws. Also, co-founder KSI stated in a tweet “Prime is halal.” The sports drink has several beneficial ingredients such as coconut water, electrolytes, antioxidants, and vitamins.
The rest of this article explores a few topics related to halal and haram hydration drinks. Keep reading to learn what ingredients make drinks such as Prime Hydration halal or haram.
Ingredients That Make a Drink Halal
Muslims are usually careful about what they eat or drink since Islamic dietary laws strictly forbid certain foods, food products, and beverages.
In places where the majority of the population follows Islam, Muslims can easily tell which foods are halal (lawful) and which ones are forbidden (haram) since these are usually well-articulated in accordance with the laws of those places.
However, Muslims in non-Islamic countries may find it more challenging to know which foods are halal or haram, since only some manufacturers and retailers indicate the same on their products.
For that reason, you won’t find a Halal Certified logo on every product in your local grocery store or supermarket if you’re in a non-Muslim country.
Of course, this isn’t an issue for non-Muslims. But if you’re a Muslim, you’re well aware that consuming any unlawful food or product is considered a great sin — and that includes beverages such as energy and hydration drinks.
Here are various ingredients that make a drink halal according to Islamic dietary laws:
KSI and Logan Paul have recently released a Prime Energy drink. Our readers were curious to know if this new product is Halal, so we decided to explore this new Prime Energy drink is halal (click here to read).
| Ingredient | Source |
| Antioxidants | Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and some meats |
| Ascorbic acid | Citrus fruits, such as lemons, oranges, and lime |
| Benzoic acid | Fruits, vegetables, milk, nuts, and spices |
| Biotin (a group B vitamin) | Vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, egg yolk, liver, |
| Malt | Wheat, corn, or rice grains |
| Sweetener | Natural or synthetic |
| Water | From natural, clean sources |
| Vitamin B | Leafy green vegetables, liver, seafood, poultry, dairy products, seeds, and legumes |
| Whey | Milk from domesticated halal animals |
| Natural flavors | Plants and animals (halal) |
After you read this article check out a good one on energy drinks with & without taurine here.
Recently there has been some confusion around whether Prime Hydration is Halal due to the company’s website stating “No, PRIME products are not Halal” under the FAQ section on the Prime’s UK website.
This section has recently been updated to read:
“While Prime products do not hold a formal Halal Certification; our products do not constitute any ingredients or manufacturing processes that would require such certification.”
Co-founder KSI corrected this error via a Tweet on Dec 30th, 2022 simply stating “Prime is Halal.”
Ingredients That Make a Beverage Haram
A Muslim will not consume a drink if the Islamic dietary laws consider it haram (forbidden).
A drink is haram if it:
- Contains haram (unlawful/forbidden) ingredients
- Is prepared, stored, or packaged in a way that goes against Islamic laws
- Intoxicates the users or causes severe harm
- Is contaminated with haram products
- Comes from a haram source
Specifically, here are some ingredients that make drinks haram:
| Ingredient | Source |
| Gelatin (animal-based) | Haram animals, such as pigs |
| Monoglycerides and diglycerides (animal-based) | Haram animals |
| Pepsin (a digestive enzyme) | Pig’s stomach |
| Alcohol | Fermented grains and fruits |
| Rum | Fermented sugarcane |
| Some food additives | Haram animals |
| Pure or artificial vanilla extract | Vanilla beans and alcohol |
| L-cysteine | Hog hair, poultry feathers, and human hair |
| Rennet (a curdling enzyme) | Stomachs of ruminant animals (haram sources) |
| Sodium stearoyl lactylate | Lactic acid and stearic acid |
| Carmine | Cochineal insect |
Check out this recent post where I debunk all myths and discuss if Red Bull is Alcohol & Animal Free.
What Is Prime Hydration Designed For?
Prime Hydration is designed as a sports hydration drink to restore the water and electrolytes you lose after vigorous physical activities. Moreover, it re-energizes you without the sugar rush that comes with most soft or energy drinks.
As mentioned earlier, Prime Hydration has become a sensation owing to its great taste and thirst-quenching flavors. These flavors include:
- Raspberry
- Tropical punch
- Orange
- Grape
- Lemon lime
- Ice pop
- Meta Moon
Plus, It’s not your regular energy drink since it’s also sugar-free, gluten-free, and caffeine-free. If you’re looking to cut any of these out of your diet, Prime Hydration may be a good option whether you’re a Muslim or not.
Below is a compiled list of all the ingredients from all their flavors:
- Filtered Water
- Trimagnesium Citrate
- Natural Flavor
- Zinc Aspartate
- Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B-6)
- Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B-12)
- Sucralose (Artificial Sweetener)
- L-Isoleucine
- L-Leucine
- L-Valine
- D-Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)
- Gum Acacia
- Acesulfame Potassium
- Retinyl Palmitate (Vitamin A)
- Citric Acid
- Coconut Water From Concentrate
- Dipotassium Phosphate
- Vegetable juice For Color
- Beta Carotene For Color
If you’re looking for a deeper breakdown of the ingredients, check out my article “What’s Really in Prime Hydration?” here.
*Note: Ingredients can differ based on region, beverage flavor, and updates to recipe.
If you’re looking to avoid the resellers, click here for Prime Hydration’s official Amazon US Page.
Other Halal Hydration Drinks
As their name implies, hydration drinks replenish the body’s water content after it’s been lost through intense activities like workouts and sports. To that end, they’re often rich in electrolytes, vitamins, and antioxidants.
You may not want to drink Prime Hydration for any reason — whether it’s due to principle (e.g., you dislike either or both of the YouTubers who popularized it) or because of limited availability in your area.
Fortunately, below are other halal hydration drinks you’ll want to consider aside from Prime Hydration.
BioSteel
BioSteel is one popular hydration drink because it:
- Has zero sugar and few calories (so you don’t have to worry about packing on extra pounds after drinking it)
- Has more amino acids and electrolytes (meaning it’ll replenish any vital fluids in no time)
- Lacks caffeine (which is great if you’re looking to cut caffeine out of your diet for any reason)
- Has great taste (self-explanatory)
Here’s what in BioSteel hydration drink:
- Water
- Electrolytes (5)
- B vitamins
- Amino acids
- Citric acid
- Natural flavors
- Natural minerals (Magnesium, Sodium, Zinc, Calcium)
Gatorade Fit
Gatorade Fit is a beverage created by one of America’s most popular sports drink brands.
Like BioSteel, Gatorade Fit is halal, as it doesn’t contain haram ingredients.
The hydration drink is also available in several flavors, including watermelon-strawberry.
Here’s a list of Gatorade Fit’s ingredients:
- Water
- Fruit concentrates
- Citric acid
- Sea salts
- Natural flavors
- Vitamins (A, B3, B5, B6)
- Purified stevia leaf extract
Powerade Power Water
Powerade is undoubtedly Gatorade’s biggest competitor — and Power Water is a high-quality hydration drink that rivals Gatorade Fit.
Available in two flavors (tropical mango and berry cherry) Power Water is a nice blend of water, electrolytes, and vitamins.
This beverage is also halal, containing ingredients such as:
- Water
- Electrolytes
- Vitamins (B3, B6, B12)
- Citric acid
- Natural flavors
- Sucralose
- Calcium disodium EDTA
Although I’m a non-Muslim, I do have the utmost respect for the religion’s dietary guidelines. Since 2016, I’ve stopped eating meat and products containing animals. In the beginning, it took a lot of willpower, but the byproduct of my journey was more discipline gained.
If you’re truly unsure of something as a person of the Islamic faith, seek advice from a family elder or a well-respected scholar.
Here’s some resource: askthescholar.com
Final Thoughts
For Muslims who need to replenish their electrolytes after strenuous activities, Prime Hydration is a great halal option.
Aside from Prime Hydration, those who follow the Islamic faith may also want to consider beverages such as BioSteel, Gatorade Fit, and Powerade Power Water. Although they are not explicitly halal-certified, the publicly listed ingredients don’t fall under forbidden food items.
