What's Inside Mountain Dew?

Light green, refreshing and bubbly. Mountain dew is consumed by caffeine junkies, extreme sport nuts and connoisseurs of carbonation alike. Most Americans have done "the dew" at one point, knowing it contains boatloads of caffeine and a mysterious testicle shrinking elixir called Yellow 5. But what does the dew have to do with Cheese slices, Osama Bin Laden, and laxatives? This article cracks open the can, un-does the Dew and dissects what the Dew is doing to you.

High fructose corn syrup

America's sugar quota and high tariffs on imports causes companies to use the chemical known as high fructose corn syrup. Everyone's favorite enzymatized syrup - made from the corn mill. It's in everything, from Ketchup to Kool Aid and the average American consumes about 60 pounds of this sugar substitute annually. Mountain Dew contains 6.5 teaspoons of High fructose corn syrup. Don't count on this sugar impostor to get you high, many studies have debunked the notion of a "sugar high". Also, because natural sugar has a tendency to go bad, it also increases the shelf life, allowing you to store the dew until its ready to be done.

Sodium benzoate

According to the parenthesis on the can, this ingredient "preserves freshness". It contains Benzoic acid, which is the result of dissolving sodium benzoate in acidic conditions- it's an antimicrobial agent. This means that sodium benzoate prevents microbes from drinking all your Mountain Dew before you get a chance to. It also exists (in varying quantities) in car exhaust fumes, cigarette smoke, and even some berries. High fructose corn syrup is one preservative that has been linked to ADHD symptoms in children.

Caffeine (55.2 mg per 12 oz.)

The worlds most commonly consumed psycho active substance. Chances are, you have taken some dosage of Caffeine today. Caffeine is a distant cousin of cocaine and does wonders - increase concentration, war off drowsiness, boost metabolism. Mountain dew contains 55 mg of this white powder, slightly less than a cup of coffee. Although outside the United States, it's usually sold without caffeine.

Sodium citrate