Does Mountain Dew Have More Caffeine Than Coffee?

In this brief article, we will be answering the question, “does mountain dew have more caffeine than coffee?”. We will also tell you about the caffeine content of different sodas, the benefits of caffeine, and what effects taking too much caffeine has on the body.

Does Mountain Dew Have More Caffeine Than Coffee?

No, Mountain Dew does not have more caffeine than coffee, and here are the facts to prove it.

• A 12 ounce serving of regular/diet Mountain Dew contains about 54 milligrams of caffeine, whereas a standard eight-ounce serving of coffee alone contains 160 milligrams of caffeine.
• A regular eight-ounce serving of black coffee contains about 95 milligrams of caffeine, which is again greater than Mountain Dew.
• A 16 ounce serving of the Mountain Dew Amp Original contains about 142 milligrams of caffeine, which is still much less than a one-ounce serving of espresso that contains 63 milligrams of caffeine.
• A 16 ounce serving of Mountain Dew Amp Game Fuel (regular and zero) and Mountain Dew Kickstart Original contains 90 milligrams of caffeine, which is still much lower than the standard caffeine content of an eight-ounce serving of coffee. 

Why Is The Overall Caffeine Content Of Mountain Dew Not Considered High?

The normal 54 milligrams of caffeine in a 12 ounce serving of Mountain Dew is considered a relatively small dosage of caffeine.

This is because the normal dosage of caffeine lies between 50 to 200 milligrams per 12-ounce serving, whereas anything above 400 milligrams is considered hardcore.

Chef Intro

What Is The Caffeine Content Of Different Types Of Coffee?

Several studies indicated that the caffeine contents ranging from 2.4 to 4.5 mg/mL for Espresso (25 mL), from 0.4 to 1.4 mg/mL  for American or filtered (200 mL), from 0.2 to 0.5 for French or Plunger (100 mL), from 0.7 to 5.4 mg/mL for Moka (30 mL), 1.6 mg/mL for Neapolitan (30 mL), and 1.94 mg/mL for Turkish (50 mL) coffee brews. A second variable, which significantly changes among the brewing methods, is the powder/water (p/w) ratio. It was reported that 7 g/25 mL are commonly used to prepare an Italian espresso coffee, 12 g/200 mL are adopted for American or filtered coffee, while 8 g/100 mL and 5 g/50 mL are used for French and Turkish coffee brew, respectively (1). Here’s the average amount of caffeine in some of the most common coffee drinks:

• An eight-ounce cup of regular brewed coffee – between 70 milligrams and 140 milligrams of caffeine (95 milligrams average) depending on the type of coffee beans and roasting
• A one-ounce single espresso shot – about 63 milligrams of caffeine 
• A 16-ounce serving of Latte and Cappuccino espresso –  about 173 milligrams of caffeine 
• An eight-ounce serving of Decaf coffee – between zero and 7 milligrams (3 milligrams average) depending on the type of coffee beans and roasting

What Is The Caffeine Content of Other Sodas? 

Here is the caffeine content of some other sodas as compared to Mountain Dew: 

• Pepsi One: 55.5 milligrams of caffeine
• Dr. Pepper: 41 milligrams of caffeine
• Coca-Cola Classic: 34 milligrams of caffeine

The U.S. FDA limits the amount of caffeine in carbonated beverages to a maximum of 0.02%. Therefore, the highest legal amount of caffeine allowed in a 355 mL (12 oz) can of soft drink is about 72 mg. Likewise,Canada limits caffeine to cola-type beverages at a level of 200 ppm or about 71 mg/12 oz. In Australia, the maximum caffeine level in cola-type beverages must not exceed 145 mg/kg or about 51 mg/12 oz while in New Zealand, the caffeine level is limited to 200 mg/kg or about 71 mg/12 oz. A study analyzed caffeine content of many popular carbonated beverages consumed in the United States and . Results were, per 12 oz (2): 

What Is The Maximum Recommended Daily Intake of Caffeine?

As we’ve just mentioned in the previous section, The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that anything above 400 milligrams of caffeine is regarded as ‘high’ and may have serious side effects. This amounts to approximately four to five cups of coffee.

Adolescents must not consume more than 100 milligrams of coffee per day, whereas pregnant women must limit their daily caffeine intake to less than 200 milligrams per day since the compound’s effects on a developing fetus are not fully known.

However, remember that the rate at which the body metabolizes caffeine is different for different people based on their weight, age, and other factors, whereas some are more sensitive than others.

Also, certain medications and health conditions can increase one’s sensitivity to caffeine, resulting in either increasing or decreasing its effects. 

So despite standard regulations, consume drinks containing caffeine with caution.

What Are The Benefits Of Caffeine?

Yes! Other than the usual benefit of caffeine in making you feel more energized and alert, caffeine has also been found to:

• burn excess fat
• enhance physical performance
• lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s disease
• promote longevity

Caffeine is rapidly absorbed in the stomach and small intestine, and it is distributed to all tissues, including the brain. Once caffeine is absorbed, it exhibits numerous and well-studied physiological effects. Caffeine has mainly stimulatory effects, including enhanced perception, reduced fatigue, enhanced memory consolidation, improved mental alertness, and reduced sleep duration. A moderate consumption of caffeine has shown to increase strength and power of muscle, as well as energy expenditure. Moreover, it enhanced lipid oxidation and lipolytic and thermogenic activities (1).

What Happens If You Consume Too Much Caffeine?

An over consumption of caffeine might have negative effects, such as ringing in the ears, mood diarrhea, delirium, muscle tension, gastric acid secretion. Excess caffeine intake is also involved in a state of excitement, anxiety, tachycardia, headache,palpitations, insomnia, nervousness, and tremor (1). Consuming too much caffeine can result in the following adverse symptoms: 

• headache and dizziness
• diarrhea
• increased thirst
• insomnia
• fever
• anxiety
• changes in mood

Other more severe that might require immediate medical assistance include:

• difficulty breathing
• uncontrolled vomiting
• hallucinations
• confusion
• chest pain
• chest pain and/or irregular or rapid heartbeat
• convulsions
• shock

A lesser-known fact is that breastfeeding babies might also suffer from caffeine overdose since excessive amounts of caffeine can make their way into breast milk. Symptoms are generally mild and include nausea and muscle twitching.

Conclusion

In this brief article, we answered the question “does mountain dew have more caffeine than coffee?”. We also told you about the caffeine content of different sodas, the benefits of caffeine, and what effects taking too much caffeine has on the body.

If you have any questions or comments please let us know.

References

1. Severini, Carla, et al. How much caffeine in coffee cup? Effects of processing operations, extraction methods and variables. The Question of Caffeine, 2017, 45-85. 
2. Chou KH, Bell LN. Caffeine content of prepackaged national-brand and private-label carbonated beverages. J Food Sci., 2007, 72, 337-42