JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With reports of deaths from energy drinks, a Jacksonville woman is hoping people will start to use her product for a little boost -- energy gummies.
Heather Preyz says she has the answer, an energy product she and her father created that just hit the market.
Preyz is a busy, working mom with a house full of kids. By the afternoon, she needs a little boost.
"Because I am sensitive to caffeine, I don't drink a lot of coffee," Preyz said. "I'm not a caffeine person but at four o'clock, I'm tired. At four o'clock, my kids need me the most. I need to be game on, homework time, dinner time all of that stuff."
For the last few months, she's been eating one or two B12 energy gummies.
"At four o'clock I take one," Preyz said. "My brain is awake and I can get through the routine of dinner time, bath time and everything. But, I can still fall asleep at night."
Preyz and her dad created B12 Energy Gummies. They've been perfecting the formula and getting FDA approval over the last six years.
Aubrey Easterlin said he had the idea long before that. He first thought of these back when he was a Marine, eating coffee grinds in the field for energy.
"When you're in combat, in the Marine Corps, you need focus and clarity because if you snooze you lose," Easterlin said. "If you snooze, you're in big trouble."
The duo wanted a way to provide energy without the caffeine.
They say they've found it with these gummies. Each is loaded with vitamin B12 and less caffeine than a third a cup of coffee.
"The only reason we have any caffeine is there. Visualize that as the track that runs the train, Easterlin said. "You can have the fastest super train in the world but if you don't have a track, you're not going anywhere."
The father and daughter said the product is very different than energy drinks because the base of their product is B12.
"We're the closest thing to a B12 injection that you're going to get and take orally," Preyz said.
The fact it comes in a gummie, they say isn't just more convenient, it also lets someone know exactly what they're putting in their body. Dr. Heather Hausenblas agrees.
"You know they're completely different," Dr. Hausenblas said. "It's a different format for people and they tend to have less caffeine than a lot of these energy caffeine drinks that are out there on the market."
It's Dr. Hausenblas' job to examine products like these and determine which ones really work and which ones are safe.
Channel 4 asked her to take a look at the B12 Energy Gummies, also nicknamed "Power By The Hour."
"I like them as a choice," Hausenblas said. "They're easy for people who want to keep them in their purse. It's just a nice alternative to get that extra energy boost that people may need during the day."
As with any product that contains caffeine, you need to follow the directions and only take the recommended dose.
Also, the gummies are not recommended for people who are sensitive to caffeine, are pregnant or for children.
For more information, check out www.b12energygummies.com.