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Mountain Dew Kickstart Caffeine & Ingredients

Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 90 milligrams of caffeine, 20 grams of sugar, and 80 calories in every 16 fl. oz. can

It is marketed as a drink that’s healthier than the traditional energy drink, soda, coffee, or tea. It is a combination of juice, caffeine, and dew.

According to PepsiCo, Mountain Dew Kickstart was invented after their research showed that many of their consumers looked for a substitute to common morning drinks such as tea and coffee.

The sweet and tangy taste of this beverage might leave you wondering what it’s made of and if it’s more juice than an energy drink.

In this article, we’ll look into the caffeine content and ingredients of Mountain Dew Kickstart and the kind of nutrients does it provide its avid drinkers.

To learn more about it, continue reading.

Let’s begin the discussion with the nutrition facts of Mountain Dew Kickstart.

Mountain Dew Kickstart Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts of Mountain Dew Kickstart as seen on the packaging.

Each 16 fl. oz. can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 80 calories, 20 grams of sugar, and 90 to 92 mg of caffeine depending on the flavor.

Arranged in a tabular form for your convenience is the nutritional information of Mountain Dew Kickstart Grape flavor. Later on, we’ll compare the nutrients on the list to another Mountain Dew Kickstart flavor.

Mountain Dew Kickstart – GrapeAmount per 16 fl. oz.
Energy80 calories
Total Fat0 grams
Sodium170 mg
Sugar20 grams
ProteinO grams
% Juice5
Caffeine90 mg
Phosphorus130 mg
Nutrition Facts of Mountain Dew Kickstart Grape flavor.

Take note that other flavors of Mountain Dew Kickstart contain different amounts of ingredients and additional nutrients. 

For instance, Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus contains the following nutrients based on the manufacturer’s website. I highlighted the parts where the amount of nutrients vary.

Mountain Dew Kickstart- Orange CitrusAmount per 16 fl. oz
Energy80 calories
Total Fat0 grams
Sodium180 mg
Sugar20 grams
Protein0 grams
Vitamin C90 mg
Niacin16 mg
Vitamin B61.53 mg
Pantothenic Acid4 mg
% Juice5
Caffeine92 mg
Phosphorus100 mg
Nutrition Facts of Mountain Dew Kickstart Orange Citrus.

If you compare the two tables, you’ll notice the flavors vary slightly in terms of caffeine content; but remain the same in calorie value and sugar level.

Calories

Calories is the measure of energy that you get from the food and drinks that you consume.

Calories is the measure of energy that you get from the food and drinks that you consume.

Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 80 calories per can. This calorie level is considered average when it comes to energy drinks.

According to health experts, the recommended daily calorie intake is 2,000 calories a day for women and 2,500 calories a day for men.

Based on these numbers, you can tell that the calorie level in Mountain Dew Kickstart won’t drastically affect your diet. In fact, a can of this beverage can help kickstart your day.

However, if you’re on a weight loss regimen, this drink might not be the best pick for you. Stick to zero-calorie drinks to avoid disrupting your diet. This way, you won’t waste workout sessions and can manage your diet more efficiently.

Sugar

Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 20 grams of sugar in all of its flavors. Although this number seems pretty high, it is still within the daily recommended intake per day.

According to the American Heart Association, the added sugar intake limit for women is 24 grams, and 36 grams for most men. 

This recommendation tells us that both men and women cannot consume more than a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart every day to maintain a healthy level of sugar in the body.

It is important to take note of this because too much sugar in the body can lead to several health complications.

For starters, too much sugar in the body can leave you feeling bloated and low in energy. After the rush of a sugar high fades, you’re left more fatigued than you were before you had sugar.

Aside from that, health experts found out that excess sugar consumption can lead to:

  • weight gain
  • fatty liver
  • accumulation of belly fat
  • possible insulin resistance
  • probable type 2 diabetes
  • possible leptin resistance
  • feelings of addiction
  • increased risk of heart disease
  • higher risk of cancer
  • gout
  • bad dental health
  • increased risk of dementia

As you can tell, these are pretty serious health conditions. The only way to avoid this is to make sure you manage your sugar consumption responsibly. Like the old adage goes, anything in excess is bad for you.

Now, let’s take a look at the caffeine levels in Mountain Dew Kickstart.

How Much Caffeine is in Mountain Dew Kickstart?

The caffeine content in Mountain Dew Kickstart varies depending on the flavor.

A regular 16 fl. oz. of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 90 to 92 mg of caffeine. This range depends on the flavor. The caffeine content in this drink is considered moderate and well within the recommended daily intake.

To give you an idea, a standard cup of coffee contains about 40 mg of caffeine, so drinking a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart is like consuming 2 cups of coffee.

Personally, the amount of caffeine in Mountain Dew Kickstart is within my preference level which is more or less 150 mg per serving.

Energy drinks within this range easily boost my energy levels within minutes. The best thing about this is that it doesn’t leave me feeling nervous or jittery after drinking.

According to health authorities, the daily recommended caffeine limit is 400 mg for healthy adults.

So this tells us that the caffeine in Mountain Dew Kickstart is well within the safe limit. Because there’s still an allotment of more than 300 mg, which means you can still consume other caffeinated beverages aside from Mountain Dew Kickstart.

How Much Caffeine is in a 12 fl. oz. Can of Kickstart?

A 12 fl.oz. can of Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 68 to 69 mg of caffeine, depending on the flavor.

This is about 20 mg less than the original caffeine level in a 16 fl. oz. can.

This variant of Mountain Dew Kickstart might work for you if you have low caffeine tolerance. The minimal amount of caffeine in this beverage can elevate your energy levels without the risk of caffeine overdose.

However, if you’re a long-time energy drink consumer, the Mountain Dew Kickstart 12 fl. oz. variant might not give you a noticeable energy boost.

Because the caffeine content is reduced, its effects will only last for a short period of time

You cannot expect it to last for more than 10 hours because caffeine has a half-life of five hours.

This means that after five hours, only 34 mg of caffeine will remain in the bloodstream. After that, half of the 34 mg will remain in the body for the next five hours.

While there will still be traces of caffeine beyond 10 hours, I think this will just be minimal which cannot sustain your energy levels, especially if you need them for high-performance tasks.

We are done discussing the nutrition facts of Mountain Dew Kickstart so at this point we will proceed with its ingredients list.

Mountain Dew Kickstart Ingredients

Without further ado, here are the ingredients of Mountain Dew Kickstart:

  • Carbonated Water
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup
  • White Grape Juice Concentrate
  • Citric Acid, Caramel Color
  • Natural Flavor
  • Sodium Hexametaphosphate (to Protect Flavor)
  • Potassium Sorbate (Preserves Freshness)
  • Gum Arabic- stabilizer, emulsifier
  • Caffeine
  • Potassium Citrate- food preservative
  • Potassium Chloride- naturally occurring salt
  • Acesulfame Potassium
  • Sucralose
  • Red 40- synthetic color additive
  • Glycerol Ester of Rosin- stabilizer or thickening agent in food
  • Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor)- popular additive, flavoring agent
  • Salt
  • Sucrose Acetate Isobutyrate- emulsifier

I put some working definitions on each of the ingredients commonly used in beverages. Now, let’s begin unpacking this ingredient list by discussing the types of sugar.

Types of Sugar

Based on the nutrition facts, Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 20 grams of sugar. In this section, we will be talking about the different types of sugar in its formulation.

The types of sugar in the Mountain Dew Kickstart are high fructose corn syrup, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose.

Let’s take a time to look at each of them.

Type of SugarDefinition
High Fructose Corn Syrupderived from corn syrup; may cause obesity
Acesulfame Potassium (Ace- K)calorie-free artificial sweetener
Different types of sugar in Mountain Dew Kickstart.

Acesulfame potassium and sucralose are better choices for artificial sugar substitutes because both of these do not have an equivalent calorific value.

However, there are studies linking the use of high fructose corn syrup to the rising number of obesity.

Other Ingredients

Other ingredients used in Mountain Dew Kickstart are white grape juice concentrate, gum arabic, salt, red 40, and preservatives.

White Grape Juice ConcentrateWhite grape juice concentrate is the main flavoring used to give this drink its zesty tang.
Gum ArabicGum Arabic, also known as acacia gum is a plant-derived fiber that is used as a thickening agent to hold the ingredients together in Kickstart.
SaltSodium draws out flavor and makes the drink soda taste better. Its agents enables distinct and classic soda coloring.
Red 40Red Dye 40 is a food dye made from petroleum. It’s one of the nine certified color additives approved by the FDA for use in foods and beverages.
PreservativesPreservatives are also added into this drink so it can be stored without going bad in a matter of days.
B- VitaminsIt contains niacin, vitamin B, and vitamin B6. Vitamin B and B6 are often touted as high-energy ingredients.
Other important ingredients of Mountain Dew Kickstart

Is Mountain Dew Kickstart Considered an Energy Drink?

According to its manufacturers, Mountain Dew Kickstart is not considered an energy drink but more of a caffeinated soda.

This particular drink is marketed as a unique combination of “juice+ dew+ caffeine.”

As I shared in the introduction a while ago, the inspiration behind this drink is that manufacturers wanted to create an alternative for morning drinks such as tea and coffee.

This is why Mountain Dew Kickstart contains 90 mg caffeine, an amount that is minimal compared to entry-level energy drink brands like Monster which contains 160 mg for every 16 fl. oz. 

Also, the level of caffeine in other hardcore energy drinks like Bang is almost triple than that of Mountain Dew Kickstart.

This explains why Mountain Dew Kickstart is not officially considered an energy drink but more of an “enhanced soda.”

Here’s a clip that explains why Mountain Dew Kickstart is not considered an energy drink.

Watch this video to learn why Mountain Dew Kickstart isn’t considered an energy drink.

Does Mountain Dew Kickstart have more caffeine than regular Mountain Dew?

Mountain Dew Kickstart does not have more caffeine than regular Mountain Dew. In fact, regular Mountain Dew typically contains a higher caffeine content than Mountain Dew Kickstart. A 16-ounce can of regular Mountain Dew contains about 72mg of caffeine, while Mountain Dew Kickstart has an average of 90mg same size.

It’s worth noting that the caffeine content may vary slightly depending on the specific flavor variant of Mountain Dew Kickstart. However, as a general rule, regular Mountain Dew tends to have a higher caffeine content compared to Mountain Dew Kickstart.

Is Mountain Dew Kickstart suitable for people with dietary restrictions?

Mountain Dew Kickstart contains high fructose corn syrup, which may not be suitable for individuals with dietary restrictions or those seeking to limit their sugar intake. It is important to read the nutritional information and ingredient list on the specific flavor variant to assess its compatibility with your dietary needs.

Additionally, some individuals may need to consider the caffeine content in Mountain Dew Kickstart, especially if they are sensitive to or trying to limit their caffeine intake. If you have specific dietary concerns or restrictions, it is advisable to consult with a healthcare professional or nutritionist.

Is Mountain Dew Kickstart healthy?

Mountain Dew Kickstart is healthy. However, Mountain Dew Kickstart is not a healthy beverage choice due to its high sugar and caffeine content with too much consumption. Consuming large amounts of sugar and caffeine can have adverse health effects, such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and decreased hydration.

It is important to limit your consumption of energy drinks and to choose a balanced and nutritious diet that includes a variety of foods and beverages. If you need a boost of energy, it is better to turn to healthier options.

What are the side effects of Mountain Dew?

Mountain Dew Kickstart, like many energy drinks, can have potential side effects due to its high sugar and caffeine content. Some common side effects of consuming energy drinks may include increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, difficulty sleeping, and dehydration.

It is important to note that individual sensitivity to caffeine and sugar can vary, and some people may be more susceptible to the effects of energy drinks than others. Additionally, consuming energy drinks in large quantities can increase the risk of experiencing adverse effects.

The Bottom Line

Mountain Dew Kickstart is a unique drink in the beverage industry. It contains a combination of juice, caffeine, and dew.

This drink contains 90 to 92 mg of caffeine that varies depending on the flavor, 80 calories, and 20 grams of sugar. 

All of its ingredients are well within the recommended daily intake, however, you should still exercise caution when consuming it.

Mountain Dew Kickstart is sold in five different flavors mainly:

  • Kickstart (Energizing Orange Citrus)
  • Kickstart (Energizing Fruit Punch)
  • Kickstart (Energizing Black Cherry)
  • Kickstart (Energizing Limeade)
  • Kickstart Hydrating Boost (Energizing Strawberry Kiwi)

These flavors ensure you’ll have plenty of choices on how to start your day.

What are you waiting for? Go and grab a can of Mountain Dew Kickstart today!

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