Step away from the caffeine.
Doctors have voiced their concerns over the various new incarnations of caffeine-laced energy products, from shots to snacks, and now chewing gum.
Those who partake too much caffeine can even develop heart arrhythmias, where the heart beats irregularly, and develop headaches along with a host of other problems.
Wide awake: Wrigley's will sell its new Alert Energy gum next month; a single piece has the same amount of caffeine as half a cup of coffee
This goes directly against Wrigley’s new Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, which contains 40 milligrams of caffeine per service, equivalent to half a cup of coffee.
Dr Daniel Hyman, the chief of internal medicine at Cooper University Health Care, told CBS Pittsburgh that people are consuming caffeine at a potentially dangerous rate.
‘People can get jittery. They can develop headaches,’ he explained, adding that in extreme cases, heart palpitations and arrhythmias can occur.
According to a report published last month by the Wall Street Journal, the chewing gum is targeted at consumers 25 and up for those who need a pick-me-up on the go and will be introduced next month and sold in convenience stores.
The gum, which comes in hexagonal pieces, will be different than many other types of chewing gum available. And with a market price of around $2.99, it is approximately twice as expensive as typical packs of the sugary treat.
The company is battling on several fronts, as the chewing gum industry has seen a decline in sales since 2010.
It also is dealing with the stigma of selling caffeinated products which could be purchased by children and teenagers.
Consumer groups have been focused on the lucrative industry of caffeinated food and beverages, as well as the potential health risks from consuming too much caffeine.
Wrigley’s said it does not recommend that children or teens chew the product, nor people with sensitivity to the drug.
Casey Keller, the president of the North American division of the food and gum giant, told the Journal that consumers shouldn’t expect a minty-fresh taste.
Rather, the gum’s flavor has more of a medicinal taste.
‘If you come at this as a piece of gum that you chew for enjoyment it’s not going to deliver on that,’ she said, adding that those who already drink energy beverages are used to the rather unpleasant taste.
Packing a punch: One piece of gum has the caffeine in half a cup of coffee; Wrigley's says the medicinal taste will keep kids from chewing it
Wrigley’s hopes that the taste - as well as the price - will also deter children from picking up a piece