This content references scientific studies and academic research, and is fact-checked to ensure accuracy.
Our teamof licensed nutritionists and dietitians strives to be objective, unbiased, and honest.
So, what’s popping in thesodaindustry?
Shutterstock
And, pop continues to dominate grocery stores, restaurants, and even major events like professional sports games.
Read on to find out which make the list and should be avoided to protect your health.
Several studies have found that prolonged ingestion of thedye could trigger carcinogenesisthe formation of cancer.
Mountain Dew
Plus, artificial colorings including Yellow 5 have been linked to hyperactivity and other behavioral changes in children.
What’s worse is that other Mountain Dew variations add even more questionable dyes into the mix.
Take Code Red Mountain Dew for example.
Courtesy of Mello Yello
The jolting spinoff combines Red 40 and Blue 1 on top of Yellow 5.
Each20-ounce bottleof the fizzy drink contains 290 calories, 77 grams of sugar, and 105 mg of sodium.
Last, but not least, have you heard of something calledMountain Dew Mouth?
Courtesy of Amazon
This success is what spurred Coca-Cola to invent its own recreation of the drink, which it dubbedMello Yello.
Mello Yello also gets its coloring from Yellow 5 and packs 290 calories in a 20-ounce bottle.
It further contains 78 grams of added sugarthat’s over 150% of your daily intake recommendation.
Courtesy of Monticello/Shutterstock
To achieve its Zero Sugar variation, the brand uses artificial sweeteners including aspartame.
It’s mixed into the beverage because it helps to keep citrus flavors from separating out.
But, there are a couple nutritional categories where Coke currently has Pepsi edged out by just a hair.
Courtesy of Dr. Pepper
Each 20-ounce Pepsi bottle contains a smidge more sugar69 grams compared toCoke’s 65.
It has a few more calories, too: 250 calories compared to 240 for Coke.
Citric acid is naturally occurring in citrus fruits like lemons.
Courtesy of Pepsi co.
High fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring are also key players on Pepsi’s ingredient list.
In high doses,caramel coloring has been found to be carcinogenic.
And, as for high fructose corn syrup, there are a myriad of possible negative side effects.
Courtesy of Arne Beruldsen/Shutterstock
The artificial sugar has been linked to diabetes and heart disease.
Dr. Pepper
This is certainly not what the doctor ordered.
This coloring agent is, again, used for nothing other than aesthetics.
Courtesy of brand
But, it has been linked to hypertension,liver damage, and reduced white blood cell counts.
The doctor doses out another secret ingredient as well: phosphoric acid.
This compound gives Dr. Pepper its tartness.
But, you could likely see why it wasn’t well received.
Mug Cream Soda
Cream soda is like the dessert of all soft drinks.
Not to mention something called yucca mohave extract makes the list.
This is a plant extract which is commonly used in cosmetics and as an animal feed additive.
Yucca has been given thethumbs up by the FDA, suggesting it’s safe for consumption.
But it certainly sounds “yuccy,” doesn’t it?
And,Mug Root Beerthe brand’s other popular product lineisn’t much better.
But, that couldn’t be farther from the truth.
A quick peek at theSunkistlabel reveals that the word “orange” is nowhere to be found.
And, with no real oranges to give it that neon orange coloring something else must be at play.
Well, that would be a combination of Yellow 6 and Red 40both chemical dyes which are highly controversial.
And, in Sunkist’s other fruity flavors, there’s more of the same.
To achieve the purple coloring of the brand’s grapelessGrapeflavor, Red 40 and Blue 1 are thrown together.
Red 40 and yellow 5 work together to createPeach, andCherry Limeadeis made from Red 40 and Yellow 5.
You get the idea.
Just like Sunkist’s pineapple-flavored soda, theCrush versionalso has a stomach-churning 320 calories.
But, it surpasses the Sunkist version with a total of 85 grams of sugar.
That’s 169% of your daily recommended amount.
The usual suspects appear on Crush soda’s nutrition labels including high fructose corn syrup and sodium benzoate.
To call it a science experiment wouldn’t be too far off.
