Caffeine’s appeal extends beyond the coffee industry, making it a hot commodity in other beverages as well. The advantages of coffee are often touted by manufacturers of other caffeinated goods, such as pre-workout pills and energy beverages.
There are millions of individuals who use caffeine every day in the form of soft drinks, especially popular brands like Mountain Dew. Besides its famed high caffeine concentration, this bright green drink is also notoriously well-known for its excessive sugar and artificial chemical content.
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How Much Caffeine is in Mountain Dew?
Many companies, including Coca-Cola Company, produce soft drinks with caffeine, and Mountain Dew is one of them.
Caffeine content of 54 mg per 12-ounce serving makes this green soda among the most caffeinated soft drinks available. When compared to other carbonated soft drinks, Mountain Dew has the highest caffeine content.
Caffeine in Mountain Dew vs Espresso Drinks
Although Mountain Dew has more caffeine than other soft drinks, how does it stack up against a shot of espresso? You don’t have to resort to a soda if you want a higher caffeine rush because most coffees contain more caffeine than Mountain Dew.
When comparing the amount of caffeine in a double espresso to a can of Mountain Dew, the smaller 2 ounce doppio has more than twice as much caffeine. And if you drank 12 ounces of espresso (not that you should), you’d get 720 milligrams of caffeine. Caffeine intake like this exceeds the FDA’s suggested daily limit of 400 milligrams by a significant margin.
We utilize espressos as a standard since an americano, cappuccino, latte, or iced coffee—all of which are 12 ounce beverages—start with either a single or double espresso.
What is Mountain Dew?
It’s possible that, as a first-time drinker, you’ll find Mountain Dew to be unfit for human consumption. That’s because the neon green tint makes it look like it’s going to light up the room. It’s hard to put your finger on the exact flavor of Mountain Dew, but it has a sweet citrusy taste with a trace of caffeine, similar to that of lemon and lime. There are many who can’t handle the sweetness, while others become severely dependent on it.
It was in the 1940s when Barney and Ally Hartman came up with the idea for Mountain Dew, making it one of the earliest soft beverages available. In the 1950s, the recipe was altered from its original form, which had been designed as a mixer for whiskey and other strong spirits.
Pepsi acquired the formula from Tip Corporation in the late 1960s, allowing for nationwide and international distribution of the soda. Since its inception, Mountain Dew has spawned several offshoots, including Mountain Dew Red and Mountain Dew Livewire. Some fast food restaurants even provide unique variations that can’t be found anywhere else.
Is Mountain Dew a Healthy Source of Caffeine?
You can count on a lot of caffeine in a can of Mountain Dew. However, it’s loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sugar, artificial flavors, and chemicals. There are better sources of caffeine than Mountain Dew, so don’t reach for it unless you really need a boost in a hurry.
Mountain Dew’s parent company, Pepsi-Co, is being sued over claims that the beverage causes extensive tooth decay. Its high sugar content makes it unhealthy for you in a variety of ways.
Mountain Dew Controversies
Finding a dead mouse in your lemonade might be one of the most upsetting things that can happen to a person. In 2009, an Illinois man claimed to have discovered a dead mouse in his Pepsi can, but the case was finally abandoned due to a lack of evidence.
Mountain Dew’s supposed strength has been called into question in light of Pepsi’s assertion that the mouse would have been destroyed by the acids. No one knows for sure if it was a mouse or not, but the fact that the acid used to bottle Mountain Dew is powerful enough to dissolve a mouse’s corpse is unsettling enough.
An additional health risk associated with drinking Mountain Dew came to light in the Mountain Dew Mouth scandal. Some have speculated that youngsters in Appalachia suffer from significant cases of dental decay.
They blamed the vivid green lemonade for the dental issues. The sole responsibility of Mountain Dew cannot be established. But keep in mind that eating or drinking anything with a lot of sugar might cause cavities and other dental issues.
Caffeine in Mountain Dew: The Bottom Line
There’s no denying the legendary status of Mountain Dew, the soft drink that looks to sparkle in the dark but is actually loaded with sugar and other bad chemicals. As soft drinks go, it’s got some of the most caffeine of any kind. Mountain Dew is not a healthy way to get your daily caffeine fix because of its high sugar content, artificial coloring, and artificial tastes.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock
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