Both VP candidates drink Diet Mountain Dew, Kamala likes white wine with ice, Trump goes for Diet Coke--plus a visit to Atlanta's World of Coca-Cola museum
Oh it has been SO LONG and you still got it Ruth. This was a lot of fun. Part of my work career was adjacent to the food industry. I was frequently exposed to how most everything is made. That includes Mountain Dew. Sit down for this but I think you will find it to be funny. As a type-2 diabetic I don't drink much beyond water, green tea, tomato juice cocktail (virgin bloody Mary mix) instead of other juices like the old days. I was never much of a pop drinker but once in a while...anyhow here we go.
My favorite ingredient in Mountain Dew which gives it that slippery texture in your mouth is propylene glycol. For those of us in colder climates that is what airlines use to de-ice the wings. This is antifreeze. Why is this funny/absurd. Beyond the fact that some absurd characters are drinking 20 cans of pop per day to wash down their QPCs, I suppose like most things it is the edge case that matters. It would seem if you are drinking 20 sodas person day you would need a catheter or at least a name brand diaper... There is not enough propylene glycol in a bottle to hurt you (that is what government regulators are for) -- good they are still around and we've so far resisted the deregulation zealots.
The real problem is when they mix the concentrate for dispensers. It turns out that birds like to land and explore the bung on the drum and have a taste. An absurd version of the canary in the coal mine I suppose. So for those Substackers who prefer their Mountain Dew from the bubbler, don't dwell on the impact on all those birds...
Every chemical in this world (even water) has a toxicity limit that will kill you. It just seems silly that we would accept the addition of antifreeze in our daily diets. Go figure.
OMG, Mark! You always go to the heart of the matter--and it's so very good to hear from you again! The idea of antifreeze in our sodas is horrifying, though I didn't see propylene glycol listed as an ingredient in either regular or Diet Mountain Dew. Could it have been disguised as a different ingredient? In the food coloring perhaps? I did look it up and find out it's in many other foods, like donuts, popcorn, sour cream and potato salad (I'm assuming in commercial varieties, not homemade), as well as a huge number of prescriptions we take. Yikes! I almost don't want to know. But, thanks as always, Mark, for telling it like it is. I miss your smart writing, but I imagine you're staying occupied and fulfilled pursuing your many interests. All the best in all of it!🤗
I think different version of soda pops may or may not contain depending on the flavoring. I just took a quick peek and it is also nowadays in Coca Cola -- it's the real thing! US chemical law is very interesting. On average we have a pretty strong regulatory environment. After WW II the United States adopted some pretty stringent guidance on new chemical introduction into the consumer market. However, we chose to EXEMPT and grandfather in the usage of products already in the marketplace. This is why, to this day, chlorine bleach is so prevalent and sold everywhere as a reasonable product. Especially in Europe they have chosen to restrict the use of bleach especially in consumer facing products and even in commercial markets. This is why, for example that Europeans tend to wash clothes in warmer water and don't use bleach and tend to use less drying. The very basic principle of organic chemistry is that if you want to kill tissue, use chlorine. That is why it is in bleach and why getting it on your skin is so bad even beyond the chemical burns. While perhaps close to paranoid I shy away from products and processes that use chlorine.
I mostly find it humorous that propylene glycol is in soda pop. Old fashioned antifreeze, ethylene glycol was too toxic for birds and other animals licking up leaks and there were a fair number of poisonings because it was bright colored and sweet.
I am going to try to carve out some time to read some of my favorites again and that includes your Substack. Still a blast.
Bleach, chlorine--oh dear! I'm afraid so much of it is detrimental. I'm going to have to do more research on the products we use and what we consume. I can see that "ignorance is bliss" is a recipe for bad health. Thanks, Mark! I always learn something from you. I will have to work a little harder knowing you might happen to read something I post! Definitely a good thing!🤩
Ironically Aspartame is linked to possible cancer, obesity and diabetes. The fact that its safety is unresolved is enough for me to stay away from it. I drink tea of all types - hot, iced, or herbal.
Ironically Aspartame is linked to possible cancer, obesity and diabetes. The fact that its safety is unresolved is enough for me to stay away from it. I drink tea of all types - hot, iced, or herbal.
I’m a tea lover too and in agreement on feeling alarm at the possible side effects of some of the additives in diet drinks. Some of these artificial sweeteners have been around a long time, so I wonder at the “unresolved” aspect of the safety issues. I wonder if there’s more known about them than we’ve been told. Thanks so much for your comment.
What a brilliant and fascinating post, Ruth! What they drink really does give an indication of how they eat and feel about the ever critical food politics of the nation! Drinking diet mountain dew to me is an utterly wild concoction to put in a human body. Get those VP candidates some tap water ASAP as you suggest!
I’m in agreement 100%, especially after reading about the possible ill effects of some of the ingredients in diet soft drinks. Moderate alcohol consumption does sound like a better choice.🍷
Another great article Ruth. I love the way you do the research and bring it all together with your personal experience.
We call soda ‘soft drinks’ in Australia, or occasionally ‘fizzy drinks’, but soda fountains are very popular and are are a healthy option. I’ve never been a soft drink person myself (too sweet for me and I hate the taste of artificial sweetener), but I do like the occasional glass of wine, tea and coffee. I’m currently drinking nonalcoholic wine as I’m having a little break from the booze and it tastes pretty good. Not too sweet and okay with ice.
I wonder if soda fountains in Australia are similar to the ones we used to have here, long with long counters and jukeboxes and a 50s vibe. You can still find them in some small American towns when you take a road trip.
I’ve never gotten into non-alcoholic wines, but I’d be interested to find out if there are any good ones.
We call the 50s style ones soda syphons but the ones I was referring to also use gas cylinders to carbonate the water. I just realised they are called soda streams (brand name) not soda fountains!
Non alcoholic wine isn’t as good as the real thing! 🤭
Thanks for the clarification, Marg. Soda fountain here has two meanings—a dispenser of soda (often called fountain drinks) and a place where such drinks are served. And yes, I assumed nonalcoholic wines couldn’t compete with the real thing—kind of like fake meat vs real.
I admit, when I lived in OH (born and raised) I was addicted to Mountain Dew but since I've been in MB CA (33 + yrs) I haven't had a pop (still say pop) since ! too many disgusting ingredients (says the woman who drinks Monster energy drinks ; )*** I am also comforted to know Kamala likes her wine ... can't imagine having the job of POTUS without it !?! GO KAMALA !!!
Yay, Ohio! (I’ve got family in Columbus.) I’ve never tried a Monster energy drink—of course there has to be caffeine and lots more in that drink. In MB, CA, it’s definitely called soda. In parts of Boston where I once lived, I think it was tonic (pronounced “tah-nik). I agree the stresses of being POTUS might call for wine!🍷 Thanks
Great article. I do hope our leaders and certain loved ones don't get brain damage from all the crap that's in their sodas. I never drink soda and always just have water when I'm at a restaurant, but today I had a yen for an iced tea. I was shocked when the bill came and it cost was $4.99. I wonder what a soda costs.. Another reason to just drink water.
Thanks, Judy! Absolutely right. Water is the answer--it's cheaper, no likelihood of brain damage, no waste in a reusable container like you have, and much better for your health. Multiple wins! I can't believe how much restaurant drinks cost now--coffee's practically unaffordable. And what's worse, after you've paid top dollar for a cup that you get at the counter, you're asked to tip. It's crazy. I'd rather make my own.
My husband just got a bunch of different teas from the brand Pukka. One is called Love which has been really good and then there is a ginger/lemon I really like. How about you? What are you drinking?
I do gravitate toward Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast for an everyday tea (I drink it each morning with milk, switching to coffee later). I’m also a fan of green tea, especially a roasted green tea I brought back from Japan, but others too. I do drink herbal teas too—mint, ginger/lemon, and recently a delicious orange-flavored rooibos I bought at a farmers market. I’d like to get more into herbal teas because I’m a bit addicted to caffeine! Thanks for the question, Julie!
Fascinating! Didn't know there was a "Mountain Dew Belt" but I can say for sure that growing up on the East Coast, Mountain Dew was more popular with the country folk I knew than the city folk. Love the politics connection!
Thanks so much for your comment, Anna, and for the share! I knew nothing of a Mountain Dew Belt either, but it is fascinating how regional and segmented soda preferences can be and how identified people can become with them. Of course the advertising/marketing folks have known this forever and capitalize on it. Mountain Dew's origin as a moonshine mix ("mountain dew" was once slang for moonshine) probably affected its image and demographic legacy too.
I'm with Andy Bashear's in that I never would have imagined that Mountain Dew is so popular, and I agree with you about the benefits of sticking with tap water for health and the planet! Thanks for adding a light touch to the campaign. Also, thank you very much for the shout-out and link. It is much appreciated! I imagine that Atlanta is very hot in August.
Me too, Vicki! I hadn't heard of Diet Mountain Dew or tried it until now, but clearly when you're in the political eye of the storm, landmines are everywhere, even in the world of soda pop!😆 Re shoutout--you're welcome. I really would like try making that ginger ale. If/when I do, I'll let you know how it comes out. And yes, August isn't the preferred month to visit Atlanta, but we were lucky enough to have relatives with excellent A/C, a pool and lots of ice cream treats!
Ha, ha, Jeff! I wish you would too! But I think it's more than the bubbles that has you hooked on Diet Coke--caffeine maybe? Can't be the caramel coloring...
Love this, Ruth! Tab was THE DRINK, wasn’t it? I never made the switch to Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, I feel like you do about the aftertaste. I’ve never had a Mountain Dew, will try! Thanks for your fun research! 🥤 Xx
Thanks so much Jolene! Glad you enjoyed this. I didn't think the aftertaste was so bad with the Diet Mtn Dew, but I might sample again to see if first impressions last. I thought the tang counteracted some of the off-taste of the aspartame, but it may just be my imagination.
I really did love Tab, and I know a lot of others who did too. It was first sweetened with a mix of cyclamates and saccharin, then later just saccharin after cyclamates were banned. I read that some folks really enjoyed it for its bitter taste. I think I was one of them. I used to have a bottle of little white saccharine pills when I was a teen. When I wanted a hit of no-cal sweetness, I'd put one on my tongue and enjoy the fizz. It's a funny but slightly horrifying memory.😆
Oh it has been SO LONG and you still got it Ruth. This was a lot of fun. Part of my work career was adjacent to the food industry. I was frequently exposed to how most everything is made. That includes Mountain Dew. Sit down for this but I think you will find it to be funny. As a type-2 diabetic I don't drink much beyond water, green tea, tomato juice cocktail (virgin bloody Mary mix) instead of other juices like the old days. I was never much of a pop drinker but once in a while...anyhow here we go.
My favorite ingredient in Mountain Dew which gives it that slippery texture in your mouth is propylene glycol. For those of us in colder climates that is what airlines use to de-ice the wings. This is antifreeze. Why is this funny/absurd. Beyond the fact that some absurd characters are drinking 20 cans of pop per day to wash down their QPCs, I suppose like most things it is the edge case that matters. It would seem if you are drinking 20 sodas person day you would need a catheter or at least a name brand diaper... There is not enough propylene glycol in a bottle to hurt you (that is what government regulators are for) -- good they are still around and we've so far resisted the deregulation zealots.
The real problem is when they mix the concentrate for dispensers. It turns out that birds like to land and explore the bung on the drum and have a taste. An absurd version of the canary in the coal mine I suppose. So for those Substackers who prefer their Mountain Dew from the bubbler, don't dwell on the impact on all those birds...
Every chemical in this world (even water) has a toxicity limit that will kill you. It just seems silly that we would accept the addition of antifreeze in our daily diets. Go figure.
OMG, Mark! You always go to the heart of the matter--and it's so very good to hear from you again! The idea of antifreeze in our sodas is horrifying, though I didn't see propylene glycol listed as an ingredient in either regular or Diet Mountain Dew. Could it have been disguised as a different ingredient? In the food coloring perhaps? I did look it up and find out it's in many other foods, like donuts, popcorn, sour cream and potato salad (I'm assuming in commercial varieties, not homemade), as well as a huge number of prescriptions we take. Yikes! I almost don't want to know. But, thanks as always, Mark, for telling it like it is. I miss your smart writing, but I imagine you're staying occupied and fulfilled pursuing your many interests. All the best in all of it!🤗
I think different version of soda pops may or may not contain depending on the flavoring. I just took a quick peek and it is also nowadays in Coca Cola -- it's the real thing! US chemical law is very interesting. On average we have a pretty strong regulatory environment. After WW II the United States adopted some pretty stringent guidance on new chemical introduction into the consumer market. However, we chose to EXEMPT and grandfather in the usage of products already in the marketplace. This is why, to this day, chlorine bleach is so prevalent and sold everywhere as a reasonable product. Especially in Europe they have chosen to restrict the use of bleach especially in consumer facing products and even in commercial markets. This is why, for example that Europeans tend to wash clothes in warmer water and don't use bleach and tend to use less drying. The very basic principle of organic chemistry is that if you want to kill tissue, use chlorine. That is why it is in bleach and why getting it on your skin is so bad even beyond the chemical burns. While perhaps close to paranoid I shy away from products and processes that use chlorine.
I mostly find it humorous that propylene glycol is in soda pop. Old fashioned antifreeze, ethylene glycol was too toxic for birds and other animals licking up leaks and there were a fair number of poisonings because it was bright colored and sweet.
I am going to try to carve out some time to read some of my favorites again and that includes your Substack. Still a blast.
Bleach, chlorine--oh dear! I'm afraid so much of it is detrimental. I'm going to have to do more research on the products we use and what we consume. I can see that "ignorance is bliss" is a recipe for bad health. Thanks, Mark! I always learn something from you. I will have to work a little harder knowing you might happen to read something I post! Definitely a good thing!🤩
Ironically Aspartame is linked to possible cancer, obesity and diabetes. The fact that its safety is unresolved is enough for me to stay away from it. I drink tea of all types - hot, iced, or herbal.
Ironically Aspartame is linked to possible cancer, obesity and diabetes. The fact that its safety is unresolved is enough for me to stay away from it. I drink tea of all types - hot, iced, or herbal.
I’m a tea lover too and in agreement on feeling alarm at the possible side effects of some of the additives in diet drinks. Some of these artificial sweeteners have been around a long time, so I wonder at the “unresolved” aspect of the safety issues. I wonder if there’s more known about them than we’ve been told. Thanks so much for your comment.
Agreed!
What a brilliant and fascinating post, Ruth! What they drink really does give an indication of how they eat and feel about the ever critical food politics of the nation! Drinking diet mountain dew to me is an utterly wild concoction to put in a human body. Get those VP candidates some tap water ASAP as you suggest!
Absolutely! Thanks so much for the comment, Lolly, and for sharing.🤗
Recovering TAB addict here…
🙋♀️ 🥤
Ha, ha! I’d like a sip right now!💕
We're with Kamala all the way in her beverage choice, Ruth. The leader of the free world should have their wits about them!
I’m in agreement 100%, especially after reading about the possible ill effects of some of the ingredients in diet soft drinks. Moderate alcohol consumption does sound like a better choice.🍷
Another great article Ruth. I love the way you do the research and bring it all together with your personal experience.
We call soda ‘soft drinks’ in Australia, or occasionally ‘fizzy drinks’, but soda fountains are very popular and are are a healthy option. I’ve never been a soft drink person myself (too sweet for me and I hate the taste of artificial sweetener), but I do like the occasional glass of wine, tea and coffee. I’m currently drinking nonalcoholic wine as I’m having a little break from the booze and it tastes pretty good. Not too sweet and okay with ice.
Thanks so much for your comments, Marg!
I wonder if soda fountains in Australia are similar to the ones we used to have here, long with long counters and jukeboxes and a 50s vibe. You can still find them in some small American towns when you take a road trip.
I’ve never gotten into non-alcoholic wines, but I’d be interested to find out if there are any good ones.
We call the 50s style ones soda syphons but the ones I was referring to also use gas cylinders to carbonate the water. I just realised they are called soda streams (brand name) not soda fountains!
Non alcoholic wine isn’t as good as the real thing! 🤭
Thanks for the clarification, Marg. Soda fountain here has two meanings—a dispenser of soda (often called fountain drinks) and a place where such drinks are served. And yes, I assumed nonalcoholic wines couldn’t compete with the real thing—kind of like fake meat vs real.
Indeed!
I admit, when I lived in OH (born and raised) I was addicted to Mountain Dew but since I've been in MB CA (33 + yrs) I haven't had a pop (still say pop) since ! too many disgusting ingredients (says the woman who drinks Monster energy drinks ; )*** I am also comforted to know Kamala likes her wine ... can't imagine having the job of POTUS without it !?! GO KAMALA !!!
Yay, Ohio! (I’ve got family in Columbus.) I’ve never tried a Monster energy drink—of course there has to be caffeine and lots more in that drink. In MB, CA, it’s definitely called soda. In parts of Boston where I once lived, I think it was tonic (pronounced “tah-nik). I agree the stresses of being POTUS might call for wine!🍷 Thanks
so much for your comment, Beth!
I think I’m going to go with “tah-nik” from now on 😉
Great article. I do hope our leaders and certain loved ones don't get brain damage from all the crap that's in their sodas. I never drink soda and always just have water when I'm at a restaurant, but today I had a yen for an iced tea. I was shocked when the bill came and it cost was $4.99. I wonder what a soda costs.. Another reason to just drink water.
Thanks, Judy! Absolutely right. Water is the answer--it's cheaper, no likelihood of brain damage, no waste in a reusable container like you have, and much better for your health. Multiple wins! I can't believe how much restaurant drinks cost now--coffee's practically unaffordable. And what's worse, after you've paid top dollar for a cup that you get at the counter, you're asked to tip. It's crazy. I'd rather make my own.
Very interesting and fun post! I don't drink soda but use to in college. Now it's water and coffee. :)
Thanks so much, Julie! Coffee and water are my choices too--and tea. Healthy hydration and good fuel for a runner!
Indeed! :) I'm starting to try those herbal teas at night.
Do you have a favorite?
My husband just got a bunch of different teas from the brand Pukka. One is called Love which has been really good and then there is a ginger/lemon I really like. How about you? What are you drinking?
I do gravitate toward Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast for an everyday tea (I drink it each morning with milk, switching to coffee later). I’m also a fan of green tea, especially a roasted green tea I brought back from Japan, but others too. I do drink herbal teas too—mint, ginger/lemon, and recently a delicious orange-flavored rooibos I bought at a farmers market. I’d like to get more into herbal teas because I’m a bit addicted to caffeine! Thanks for the question, Julie!
orange-flavored rooibos — this sounds so good!!
Fascinating! Didn't know there was a "Mountain Dew Belt" but I can say for sure that growing up on the East Coast, Mountain Dew was more popular with the country folk I knew than the city folk. Love the politics connection!
Thanks so much for your comment, Anna, and for the share! I knew nothing of a Mountain Dew Belt either, but it is fascinating how regional and segmented soda preferences can be and how identified people can become with them. Of course the advertising/marketing folks have known this forever and capitalize on it. Mountain Dew's origin as a moonshine mix ("mountain dew" was once slang for moonshine) probably affected its image and demographic legacy too.
Re: moonshine mix – that makes so much sense! The more you know…
Pop!
Phenylketonuric isn’t an ingredient, it’s a person with a metabolic disorder… unless “Mountain Dew is … people!”
Ah, I stand corrected. Thanks for being a close reader, Moira. The ingredient list apparently is an alert to those with a genetic condition called Phenylketonuria (PKU) that the soda contains an amino acid called Phenylalanine. I will change the piece to reflect that. It's in a lot of artificial sweeteners, including aspartame and supposedly isn't a problem for most people, but is for those with this condition. Here's link to a Mayo Clinic article that makes me think perhaps top political leaders should be tested for PKU before being allowed to consume huge quantities of diet drinks! https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/phenylalanine/faq-20058361#:~:text=Phenylalanine%20is%20an%20amino%20acid,conditions%20are%20passed%20through%20families.
Now you'll start seeing the warning everywhere, including on the label for Trident chewing gum.
Yup! I’m going to look from now on. Amazing the scary stuff that’s hidden in plain sight, isn’t it?
I'm with Andy Bashear's in that I never would have imagined that Mountain Dew is so popular, and I agree with you about the benefits of sticking with tap water for health and the planet! Thanks for adding a light touch to the campaign. Also, thank you very much for the shout-out and link. It is much appreciated! I imagine that Atlanta is very hot in August.
Me too, Vicki! I hadn't heard of Diet Mountain Dew or tried it until now, but clearly when you're in the political eye of the storm, landmines are everywhere, even in the world of soda pop!😆 Re shoutout--you're welcome. I really would like try making that ginger ale. If/when I do, I'll let you know how it comes out. And yes, August isn't the preferred month to visit Atlanta, but we were lucky enough to have relatives with excellent A/C, a pool and lots of ice cream treats!
Enjoy your visit!
Thanks, Vicki!
I'd love to kick the soda habit too and switch to water. But love the carbonation!
Seltzer!
Ha, ha, Jeff! I wish you would too! But I think it's more than the bubbles that has you hooked on Diet Coke--caffeine maybe? Can't be the caramel coloring...
Love this, Ruth! Tab was THE DRINK, wasn’t it? I never made the switch to Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi, I feel like you do about the aftertaste. I’ve never had a Mountain Dew, will try! Thanks for your fun research! 🥤 Xx
Thanks so much Jolene! Glad you enjoyed this. I didn't think the aftertaste was so bad with the Diet Mtn Dew, but I might sample again to see if first impressions last. I thought the tang counteracted some of the off-taste of the aspartame, but it may just be my imagination.
I really did love Tab, and I know a lot of others who did too. It was first sweetened with a mix of cyclamates and saccharin, then later just saccharin after cyclamates were banned. I read that some folks really enjoyed it for its bitter taste. I think I was one of them. I used to have a bottle of little white saccharine pills when I was a teen. When I wanted a hit of no-cal sweetness, I'd put one on my tongue and enjoy the fizz. It's a funny but slightly horrifying memory.😆
What a memory about the pills! Yes, I liked the bitter taste of Tab. Now I drink Negronis instead 😆!
Yum! Gonna try that soon!🍹