I stopped drinking Mountain Dew for years after being ‘informed’ that the light-green soft drink lowers sperm count in men. To this day, I still believe that Mountain Dew is indeed ‘The Sperm Killer,’ but is this claim scientifically true? This issue derived from a 1999 report from Wall Street Journal that discussed the effects of Mountain Dew on various states in the U.S. There have not been consistent studies or actual confirmations to bolster the belief that Mountain De
w has effects on sperm count. In fact, there have been a various amount of misconceptions.
The main reason why people believe Mountain Dew reduces sperm is based on the ingredients of the soft drink. A bottle of Mountain Dew, typically, has 290 calories, with 91 milligrams of caffeine. Like other soft drinks, this one has a lot of sugar and calories. However, the particular ingredient that has concerned people is tartrazine, also known as the mighty ‘Yellow Dye No. 5,’ which contributes the neon color of the soft drink. In the mid-1990s, there were many claims that drinking Yellow Dye No. 5 in Mountain Dew affected masculinity, specifically shrinking testicles.
Cap of Mountain Dew, showing ingredient Yellow Dye No. 5
While this claim was devoid of scientific proof, a study involving mice from different countries connected consumption of tartrazine with a lack of sperm. However, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), have implied that there is evidence proving that Yellow Dye No. 5 has opposite side effects, like increasing sperm cells. Also, the soft-drink’s corporation, PepsiCo, have also dismissed these claims and revealed no complaints of sperm reduction.
Conclusion? Mountain Dew is not a SPERM KILLER! It’s just a claim with a lack of evidence and history. While these claims have caused havoc, it’s obvious people will still drink Mountain Dew because of its popularity. Mountain Dew is one of best-selling drinks. Grant, it is best to be aware of what ingredients are in certain soft-drinks. Yes, soft drinks are definitely not as healthy as a bottle of water. There have been no specific claims to prove that Mountain Dew is dangerous for men.
Sources:
1. http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/fooddrink/a/mountain_dew_2.htm
2. http://www.livescience.com/36492-yellow-dye-5-tartrazine-mountain-dew-sperm.html
3. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/12/15/flame-retardant-in-your-mountain-dew-yep/
This by far one of the weirdest but funniest blog post. I have never heard that Mountain dew kills sperm it just doesn’t make any type of sense. People think that because of the chemicals that the drink contains is the reason for this myth. I don’t know how much information you can find about this topic because it doesn’t seem something that can occur.
Wow, this post caught my eye. I never knew about this or heard about this but very interesting topic. I enjoyed reading all of you live link articles. I found it super interesting that people can have their own opinion on a “fact”. At first, when I was beginning to read your article I thought this was a proven fact, but people believe all different types of things. Thanks for sharing your opinion, along with what the websites say. Heres an article that tells food and drinks that cause infertility.. I wonder if these are proven facts: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/12/09/can-food-make-you-infertile-foods-to-eat-and-avoid.html
Thank you so much for your thoughts! I enjoyed reading the article you linked. I never knew that other foods and drinks were considered to cause infertility.
I’ve heard from many people that Mountain Dew lowers sperm count and your article confirmed that for me! If Mountain Dew lowers sperm count, why are we letting consumers drink it? It would certainly have other adverse health affects. A few years also I remember seeing on the news that a person found a whole rat inside a mountain dew can. I know I’ll never pick up a can ever again. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2081767/Mountain-Dew-dead-mouse-lawsuit-Ronald-Ball-wrong-dissolve.html
Really? I heard something similar about a dead rat inside of a Monster Energy can. It was disgusting!
Hi Trae,
Great post! I am not even kidding you when I tell you that my mom would always yell at my dad for drinking Mountain Dew when I was younger for this reason of a lower sperm count. I think I kind of always grew up not liking the drink and believed that so when I see guys drink Mountain Dew, I kind of cringe a little bit out of a normal reaction for no reason. I think that someone is always going to say something and if someone wants to drink it, let them- there’s no hard evidence 100% that it does/doesn’t kill sperm so drink away…We can’t live in fear. Here’s an article on the dye specifically mentioned in your post-https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jason_Hofstein/publication/264533191_Determination_of_Artificial_Dyes_in_Mountain_Dew_Products/links/53e28a3e0cf275a5fdd9a08d.pdf, enjoy!
Nothing like a nice, controversial blog post. I had always heard this from friends growing up but was never too sure about it. Its not a drink I go out of my way to have, but I do enjoy a nice Mt. Dew every so often. With no scientific proof though, it is hard to say whether it does or does not decrease sperm count. I found this article with some interesting claims as well: http://www.newhealthadvisor.com/Does-Mountain-Dew-Kill-Sperm.html. Interesting and out-of-the-box topic, well done.
I have always heard the opposite. I have heard that Mountain Dew increases sperm. You mentioned that after mentioning that it is said to decrease sperm count. I am not a guy, so either way it doesn’t matter to me, and I don’t think most guys drink Mountain Dew for that purpose but it is good to have some information on studies performed on the question of whether it has any effect on sperm count. Thanks for sharing!!
Sometimes, people believe what they want to believe, you know? I guess I made that decision and refused to drink any Mountain Dew for years. And then that’s when I arrived to Penn State and drank a bottle! Thanks for your thoughts!