Mountain Dew and Coke are two of the most popular soft drinks. As such, they have a lot of similarities, such as their sugary flavors and canning. Another similarity between Mountain Dew and Coke is the fact that they both contain caffeine. After all, most sodas include some amount of caffeine, except for specifically marketed caffeine-free drinks.
Although both drinks contain caffeine, the amount of caffeine differs in these drinks. Mountain Dew has 4.5 mg of caffeine per ounce, while Coke only has 2.8. Keep reading to learn which of these sugary soft drinks have the most caffeine and by how much.
A Quick Look at Caffeine Content: Mountain Dew vs Coke
| Mountain Dew | Coke |
| 4.5 milligrams per ounce | 2.8 milligrams per ounce |
How Much Caffeine is in Mountain Dew?
Mountain Dew has nearly twice as much caffeine as Coke. For every ounce of Mountain Dew you drink, you are consuming about 4.5 mg of caffeine. Here is a look at how much caffeine is in a bottle of Mountain Dew by popular serving sizes:
| Serving Size | Caffeine |
| 7.5 fluid ounces | 34 milligrams |
| 8 fluid ounces | 36 milligrams |
| 12 fluid ounces | 54 milligrams |
| 16 fluid ounces | 72 milligrams |
| 20 fluid ounces | 91 milligrams |
In case you were wondering, Diet Mountain Dew has the same amount of caffeine as regular Mountain Dew.
How Much Caffeine in Coke?
Even though Coke has less caffeine than Mountain Dew, it still has quite a bit of caffeine. Here is how much caffeine is in Coke based on the same serving sizes as above:
| Serving Size | Caffeine |
| 7.5 fluid ounces | 21 milligrams |
| 8 fluid ounces | 23 milligrams |
| 12 fluid ounces | 34 milligrams |
| 16 fluid ounces | 45 milligrams |
| 20 fluid ounces | 57 milligrams |
Even though Diet Mountain Dew and regular Mountain Dew have the same amount of caffeine, the same is not true for Coke and Diet Coke. Here is how much caffeine is in Diet Coke:
| Serving Size | Caffeine |
| 7.5 fluid ounces | 28 milligrams |
| 8 fluid ounces | 31 milligrams |
| 12 fluid ounces | 46 milligrams |
| 16 fluid ounces | 61 milligrams |
| 20 fluid ounces | 76 milligrams |
Where Does the Caffeine Come From in Mountain Dew & Coke?
You might be wondering why caffeine is used in soda in the first place. There are two main reasons to explain this addition.
Firstly, soft drink companies claim that caffeine is added to enhance the flavor of certain drinks. For example, the bitter bite from Coke is largely from caffeine, or so they say. If you take the caffeine out of the drink, it has a different flavor. However, some studies have suggested that caffeine does not change the flavor at all.
If caffeine does not have any additional flavor, why is it used? Easy! Caffeine is a stimulant that causes your nervous system to go out of control. As a result, you are more likely to crave the drink later on. In other words, caffeine helps you to become addicted to the drink so you will buy more in the future. The caffeine and high amount of sugar make soda highly addictive.
The Bottom Line
With all of this in mind, Mountain Dew has a lot more caffeine than Coke. If you’re trying to eliminate caffeine from your diet, start by diminishing the amount of Mountain Dew, Coke, and other sodas you drink.
It may be difficult to give up Mountain Dew, Coke, or any soda because of its caffeine content, though. Even though soda companies won’t outright tell you this, caffeine is largely used to increase their sales by increasing cravings. So, you will have to fight your cravings to give up Mountain Dew and Coke.
Featured Image Credit: (L) Anil Xavier, Unsplash | (R) Mae Mu, Unsplash
