Brenda Khan
Mountain Dew is a popular soft drink, ranking fourth in popularity among sodas. Its diet version, Diet Mountain Dew, is a low-calorie alternative to the original formula. Diet Mountain Dew is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar. The drink contains a blend of three artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose. These low-calorie sweeteners were designed to impart a sweet taste without the calories or glucose effects of sugar. However, some people dislike the taste of Diet Mountain Dew, describing it as having a bitter aftertaste.
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What You'll Learn
Diet Mountain Dew contains artificial sweeteners
Diet Mountain Dew is a low-calorie alternative to the original Mountain Dew drink, which contains 290 calories. Diet Mountain Dew is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar.
The drink contains three artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium (or acesulfame K), and sucralose. These low-calorie sweeteners are designed to impart a sweet taste without the calories or glucose effects of sugar. However, there is insufficient evidence that they reduce overall calorie intake, aid with weight loss, or improve overall health.
In fact, some sources suggest that consuming low-calorie sweeteners may have negative effects on health. For example, they may condition people to crave sweet foods and therefore eat fewer servings of healthy foods. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that schools do not serve diet foods or beverages to young children.
Despite the potential health concerns, Diet Mountain Dew remains a popular choice for those seeking a low-calorie alternative to regular Mountain Dew. It was introduced in 1984 and was originally branded as Sugar-Free Mountain Dew before being renamed Diet Mountain Dew. In 2006, PepsiCo created a new formula called "Tuned Up Taste," which is used in both Diet Mountain Dew and Mountain Dew Zero.
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Aspartame, Acesulphame Potassium, and Sucralose are used
Diet Mountain Dew was introduced in 1984 or 1986 as a low-calorie alternative to the original Mountain Dew, which contains 290 calories. It is similar to, but a separate drink from, Mountain Dew Zero Sugar. The drink is marketed in several countries as "All Dew, No Sugar" and has undergone several formula changes since its introduction.
Mountain Dew Zero Sugar was released in the United States in 2020, but a PepsiCo employee confirmed that it was not intended to replace Diet Mountain Dew. Instead, both drinks remain available. Diet Mountain Dew has also been sold in Canada, Denmark, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, and Romania, sometimes under different names.
While Diet Mountain Dew provides a low-calorie alternative to the original Mountain Dew, it has been described as having a bitter aftertaste and an acrid bite from the artificial sweetener. Some reviewers have also noted that it tastes nothing like the original Mountain Dew.
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It has a bitter aftertaste
While some people love the taste of Diet Mountain Dew, others find it has a bitter aftertaste. This may be due to the artificial sweeteners used in the drink.
Diet Mountain Dew is a low-calorie soda that was introduced in 1984 as a sugar-free alternative to the original Mountain Dew. It is sweetened with a blend of artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium (also known as Acesulfame K), and sucralose. These low-calorie sweeteners were designed to impart a sweet taste without the calories or glucose effects of sugar.
However, some people find that the artificial sweeteners in Diet Mountain Dew give it a bitter or acrid aftertaste. This may be because the sweeteners used in the drink are not as pleasing to the taste buds as natural sugar. In addition, artificial sweeteners may condition people to crave sweet foods and, therefore, consume fewer servings of healthy foods.
It is worth noting that taste preferences can vary from person to person, and some people may prefer the taste of Diet Mountain Dew over regular soda. However, for those who are accustomed to the taste of regular Mountain Dew or other sugary drinks, the switch to artificial sweeteners may take some time to adjust to.
Overall, while Diet Mountain Dew may have a bitter aftertaste for some, it remains a popular choice for those looking for a low-calorie alternative to regular soda.
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It's marketed as a low-calorie drink
Diet Mountain Dew is marketed as a low-calorie drink, with only 10 calories compared to the 290 calories in the original Mountain Dew. It is sweetened with artificial sweeteners instead of corn syrup or sugar. The drink contains a blend of three artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium (or acesulfame K), and sucralose. These low-calorie sweeteners are designed to impart a sweet taste without the calories or glucose effects of sugar.
However, there is insufficient evidence that these low-calorie sweeteners reduce overall calorie intake, aid with weight loss, or improve overall health. Some sources even suggest that consuming them may condition people to crave sweet foods and, therefore, eat fewer servings of healthy foods. For this reason, the IOM recommends that schools do not serve diet foods or beverages to young children.
Despite the lack of evidence for health benefits, the popularity of Diet Mountain Dew and other low-calorie drinks may be due in part to successful marketing campaigns. For example, Mountain Dew spent $120 million on advertising in 2018 and currently ranks fourth in popularity among sodas.
It is worth noting that the taste of Diet Mountain Dew is noticeably different from that of the original, sugary version. Some describe the diet version as having a "bitter aftertaste" or an "acrid bite" from the artificial sweeteners.
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It's been sold internationally under different names
Diet Mountain Dew is a no-calorie Mountain Dew that was first introduced in 1988. It was formerly known as "Sugar-Free Mountain Dew" until 1986 when it was renamed. In 2006, Diet Mountain Dew was reformulated with a blend of sucralose, aspartame, and acesulfame potassium as sweeteners. The drink has been sold internationally under different names, including Mtn Dew in some countries, and colloquially as Dew in others.
Mountain Dew has had a number of promotions and campaigns that have involved the public in electing new flavors, colors, names, packaging, and advertisements. One such campaign was called "DEWmocracy," which began in 2007 and allowed the public to vote on various aspects of upcoming Mountain Dew products. As part of this campaign, online voters selected from three choices: Supernova (strawberry/melon flavor), Revolution (a berry flavor), and Voltage (a raspberry/citrus flavor). Each of these flavors included ginseng. Another similar promotion was "FanDEWmonium," which was a competition between new flavors to become permanent. This campaign included five diet versions of previous DEWmocracy flavors and two new flavors.
Mountain Dew has also been known to market its sodas to specific subcultures, such as the video-gaming community with its "Game Fuel" flavor variant. In 2007, Mountain Dew introduced a citrus cherry-flavored soda with the Game Fuel name, coinciding with the release of the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. The soda featured promotional artwork for the game and was available for 12 weeks before being discontinued. Two years later, two new Mountain Dew Game Fuel flavors were introduced to promote the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft. One of these flavors was the original citrus cherry from the Halo 3 promotion, with updated packaging.
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Frequently asked questions
Diet Mountain Dew uses a blend of three artificial sweeteners: aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose.
Diet Mountain Dew purists claim that the diet version may look like the regular soda but its taste is nothing like it. It is said to have a bitter aftertaste and an acrid bite.
While Diet Mountain Dew has fewer calories than the original Mountain Dew, it is probably still unhealthy. There is insufficient evidence that low-calorie sweeteners reduce overall calorie intake, aid with weight loss, or improve overall health.
Diet Mountain Dew is sold in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Romania, and Spain.
