Mormons, can you explain why coffee and tea are unhealthy?
June 30, 2010
Today’s BBC News has an article which lists coffee and tea (as well as red wine) among twenty life-prolonging “superfoods” that “…have been identified by Gary Williamson, professor of ‘functional foods’ at Leeds University, and he recommends that we should all make them part of our diets”.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1078864/Revealed-The-20-functional-foods-eating-long-active-life.html
This is not the first such study that I have seen, and I was just wondering: in this modern age, where science is able study foods extensively for the various benefits they provide, and where the health benefits of coffee and tea in particular (antioxidants, for instance) are common knowledge…
Are there any Mormons left who actually believe that the Word of Wisdom is the most salubrious and practical health code that their divinely-inspired prophets could produce? Or is it merely obedience for obedience’s sake?
If you believe the former, could you please explain to me exactly what the negative health effects of these drinks are?
Thanks. 
More links:
Benefits of caffeine: http://health.msn.com/nutrition/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100196512#
Caffeine and Coffee: http://men.webmd.com/features/coffee-new-health-food
Green tea: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/green-tea-000255.htm
Red wine: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080604074908.htm
Nina: Yes, I’m aware of the actual wording; I’m an exmormon. However, I have never met a Mormon who wouldn’t drink hot cocoa. And iced coffee and tea are still no-nos. So this doesn’t hold up.
Those of you who mentioned caffeine should keep in mind that chocolate contains caffeine as well, and that many Mormons have no problem with caffeinated soft drinks.
tshnobodysfool: Thank you for your viewpoint. And may I just point out that too much of ANYTHING can be a problem. If that’s the reasoning behind it, I wonder why the WoW doesn’t just say that.
falisrm: Thank you for your usual smarta$$ contribution. 
Now that I think about it, the no-coffee rule clearly only applies to pregnant women. D’oh!
R. Rosskopf: Would you humor a skeptic and provide a source for the claim you’re making? Thanks.
phrog: I’m curious: if the WoW is about common sense, as you say, then how come it doesn’t say anything about avoiding foods that are high in sugar, fat, and/or cholesterol? Do you know any Mormons who are significantly overweight? Do you think this might have been a beneficial thing for God to tell his prophet about?
Also, from the webmd article linked above: “Overall, the research shows that coffee is far more healthful than it is harmful.”
LindaLoo: your answer intrigues me more than any of them, because I can see that you get your information from apologist sources.
What tea and coffee contain are naturally occurring tannins, NOT tannic acid. Tannic acid is a man made substance, and it is not added to food.
Foods besides coffee, tea and wine which contain tannins (list not exhaustive): pomegranates, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, smoked meats, apple and grape juice, cloves, tarragon, cumin, thyme, vanilla, cinnamon, most beans, and… your friend and mine: chocolate.
If you know that you have a predisposition for addictive behavior, and choose to avoid alcohol for that reason, good for you. But this is not true for everyone. Most people can drink a glass of wine or two without becoming an alcoholic. So, I do not see why it is reasonable to make a blanket rule for an entire group of people based on what-ifs. You might as well command them not to cross the street, because they COULD get hit by a bus.
phrog: Yeah, I have. You’re telling me that all of the important things it’s missing should be implicitly covered under the blanket statement “to be used with prudence” (which, btw, is clearly used in reference to herbs and fruits specifically, but whatever), and yet, it singles out “hot drinks”. I want to know why. What is soooo terrible about coffee, which puts it on par with tobacco, while other harmful things are not even mentioned?
Clearly, some Mormons don’t get the whole “common sense” thing. Do you know how many Mormons I’ve known who follow the no coffee, tea or alcohol rule fastidiously, and yet, are MORBIDLY OBESE? These are people who treat me like I’m a criminal or something if I drink a cup of green tea, and all the while, they’re sucking down Krispy Kremes like a bunch of pot-smoking cops.
So, to answer papa smurf: Yes, I do think a lot of Mormons need to be told every little thing to do. You let them micromanage everything from your underwear to your eating habits.
royalbird: Wow, where did you go to mind-reading school? That’s incredible!
Actually, I did want an answer. I wanted to know if you could tell me the reasoning behind this “commandment”. I’m of the opinion that rules should have logical reasoning behind them. And what I’m hearing from you is, “No, I can’t.” Good to know.
By the way, in case you’re interested, 1oz of dark chocolate has the same amount of caffeine as an 8oz cup of green tea (3oz chocolate = 8oz of dark-roast coffee).
slcbtf: “Do you think the Jews asked themselves the same questions when they were introduced into the Law of Moses?”
If they didn’t, they should have, and they were just as blindly acquiescent as you are. Is this a vote for “obedience for obedience’s sake”? Does your God give you illogical commandments without a reason, just to see if you’ll do it? Does he want you to use your brains or not?
It is absolutely simply obedience for obedience’s sake, given all the contradictions that come up when this kind of question is asked. Some say it’s “not the caffeine,” because they think it’s perfectly okay to have chocolate or caffeinated sodas. Others say it is the caffeine (though caffeine in chocolate is apparently okay). Others say it’s “hot drinks,” but hot chocolate or herbal tea are allowed, while iced tea and coffee are not.
It’s clearly not for health benefits, as your articles blow away that argument. I’ve yet to meet anyone who was truly physically addicted to coffee or tea–they’re a habit, not an addiction.
Nothing like religion to get people following rules that make no sense just because they’re told to do it.
Organic Coffee: is it Worth the Price?
June 29, 2010
Heaps of premiums are thrown onto environmentally sound products in the marketplace. Recycled paper is typically more expensive than standard paper. Lettuce and tomatoes made without the use of pesticides and fertilizers also enjoy above average market rates as well. Certified organic coffee has achieved a reputation for being pricey because of many reasons. For starters, it was produced without the use of environmentally harmful chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides. In turn, organic coffee has received a seal of approval for being healthier than your standard coffee.
Does organic Coffee justify the higher price though? Many industry experts and coffee enthusiasts alike claim so because of the intense labor required by poorer farmers in countries like Bolivia and Ecuador in navigating coffee bean fields for collection and transport. Citing the injustices of poor pay by coffee merchants towards poor farmers (paying less than 50 cents a pound in some cases), major coffee companies have taken initiative in building supply chains linking these poor producers. These organic coffee supply chains guaranteed a fair wage for workers and reinvestment of organic coffee profit back into the community in these Third World countries.
A dollar spent on a 12 oz. bag of dark roasted organic coffee goes a long way towards helping coffee producing communities. It is money spent towards a generous overhead, which is the continuation of the supply chain that guarantees a reasonable price for production. Buying organic coffee supports the social work major companies are going to improve supply chains in these regions. Remember, farmers have to go through an extensive evaluation process in having their coffee called organic. With profit differences between standard coffee crops and organic coffee groups similar, many farmers can easily opt to stick with the former. All in all, organic coffee is worth the price for the reasons outlined above.
For more information on organic coffee or for organic coffee recipes
Scott Wilson
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/organic-coffee-is-it-worth-the-price-115799.html
Get Healthy Antioxidants From Your Morning Coffee
June 26, 2010
Millions of Americans drink at least one cup of coffee every morning and usually more throughout the whole day. It gives them the energy they need to make it through the day and get everything on their list accomplished. But you have to ask yourself is coffee really healthy?
Many studies show that coffee helps to clear the drinker’s mind and of course give them energy like we stated previously. What most people don’t know is that besides it rich taste it also has the ability to provide many healthful antioxidants than most other foods and drinks that Americans consume on a regular basis.
But with every positive there is always a negative to balance things out. Too much of a good thing is never good and when you drink too much coffee it can turn you into a jitterbug and can raise your levels of cholesterol. That is why the majority of food experts say that when you drink coffee you need to do it in moderation.
Joe A. Vinson a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania performed a study and learned the health benefits from coffee. “The point is, people are getting the most antioxidants from beverages, as opposed to what you might think,” Vinson said.
Researchers believe that antioxidants help to fight against cancer and to give our bodies other beneficial health benefits. Most antioxidants are found in tomatoes, grains, fruits, and vegetables. Vinson chose to study coffee after first researching the health benefits of tea and chocolate.
Both he and his team were able to analyze the amount of antioxidants in over 100 different foods that included nuts, spices, fruits, oils, vegetables, and some of the more common beverages. After doing this they were able to use the Agricultural Department information on the average patterns of food consumption to help them calculate how much these antioxidants help to contribute to someone’s diet.
Their results showed that an average adult will eat 1,299 milligrams of antioxidants from coffee on a daily basis. Many fruits and vegetables ranked in at 76 and 72 milligrams. But despite these good numbers Vinson does not believe that Coffee is a good substitute for vegetables and fruits.
“Unfortunately, consumers are still not eating enough fruits and vegetables, which are better for you from an overall nutritional point of view due to their higher content of vitamins, minerals and fiber,” Vinson said.
nlwest21
http://www.articlesbase.com/coffee-articles/get-healthy-antioxidants-from-your-morning-coffee-701255.html
Is Caffeine The Next Nutritional Border For Our Country?
June 24, 2010
America is being bombarded by 16 ounce lattes and mega energy drinks. It is now acceptable for our youth to consume several sugary coffee drinks or highly caffeinated energy drinks each day. Health officials will soon admit what I have been known to be brewing the last several years: We are a nation low on energy and in need of quick fixes!
Are you low on energy? You must not be alone. Coffee and energy drinks have become big business in this country. There seems to be a high profile espresso shop on every down town corner and in every large office building. The other day I walked into a convenience store and counted the energy drinks offered in the cooler. I was amazed to find 32 different brands and types being offered. (I live near a large college campus.) Energy drinks are now part of the American Culture. “Do more and get more.”
Why are health officials concerned about this new “coffee and energy drink culture”? Highly caffeinated and sugary drinks quickly deplete our natural energy abilities. Caffeine tells the adrenal glands to produce more adrenaline. One big problem. We do not have an unlimited store of energy in our bodies. Energy reserves are restored by proper sleep, low stress and a proper diet. More than one or two cups of Coffee a day is going to eventually empty your natural energy reserves.
By drinking more than two or three coffee drinks a day you are robbing your body of the ability to keep a worthwhile store of energy available for use. It is a brutal cycle. The more coffee and energy drinks you consume, the less energy you actually have in your natural energy bank. Too much coffee and energy drinks causes poor sleep, detrimental weight gain and also weakens your immune abilities.
Don’t get me wrong, an occasional coffee or energy drink will not kill you. Just like alcohol, beer and wine you must use moderation. The less you consume (both alcohol and caffeine) the healthier you will be. Here are five things you can do to push the energy balance in your favor:
1. Get proper sleep. Much harder than it sounds. When your body “tells” you that it is tired, that means it is time to recharge, not refill your coffee cup. Try not to consume caffeine after noon time. Caffeine can stay in your system for eighteen to thirty hours and disrupt proper sleep.
2. Stay away from high simple sugar content foods such as sodas. Simple sugars elevate then drop your blood glucose levels. This is very hard on the body and leads to more damaging diseases down the road.
3. Add a good green superfood to your diet. Because most of us consume a very processed diet we are missing many of the trace minerals and micro nutrients our system needs to achieve maximum energy and immunity levels.
4. Add adrenal building herbs to your diet to help rebuild your energy storing glands, the adrenals. Some good examples, ginseng, licorice, cayenne, garlic, gotu kola and hawthorne berry. By drinking less caffeine and adding some of these adrenal building herbs as your daily supplements you will be surprised at how this will help you get more from just one cup of coffee versus needing three or four to keep going.
5. If you need a boost from caffeine try something that contains guarana. Guarana is similar to caffeine, but it releases its energy more slowly and evenly into your system. This does not give you the energy roller coaster effect that most people experience when drinking high doses of caffeine.
Marty Meshek
http://www.articlesbase.com/nutrition-articles/is-caffeine-the-next-nutritional-border-for-our-country-128495.html
The Coffee Culture in the USA
June 21, 2010
It wasn’t until I moved to the US that I started drinking coffee regularly and became what they call in the Netherlands a ‘koffieleut’, which translates literally into ‘coffee socialite.’ Although the average European drinks more coffee per year than the average American, the cultural importance and its effects on the average European seems to me smaller than that on the average American. After all, coffee is a cultural obsession in the United States.
Chains with thousands of branches like Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks dominate US daily street life. Especially in the morning (90% of coffee consumed in the US is in the morning), millions of white foamy cups with boldly imprinted pink and orange logos bob across the streets in morning rush hour and on the train. Coffee drive-ins are a saving grace for the rushing army of helmeted and tattooed construction workers. During lunch break, men and women in savvy business suits duck into coffee shops.
Students chill out from early afternoon till late evening on comfy couches at coffee lounges around campus. Police officers clutch coffee cups while guarding road construction sites on the highway. In short, coffee drinkers in the United States can be found just about anywhere you go.
This mass-psychotic ritual causes Americans to associate Europe above all with cars that oddly do not contain cup holders (to an American this is like selling a car without tires), or with the unbelievably petite cups of coffee European restaurants serve, so small that my father-in-law had to always order two cups of coffee. It is my strongest conviction that the easily agitated and obsessed nature of the ‘New Englander’ can be blamed on the monster-size cups of coffee they consume. Not without reason is the word ‘coffee’ derived from the Arab ‘qahwa’ meaning ‘that which prevents sleep.’ Arabs have cooked coffee beans in boiling water since as far back as the 9th century and drank the stimulating extract as an alternative to the Muslims’ forbidden alcohol.
These days coffee is second only to oil as the most valuable (legally) traded good in the world with a total trade value of $70 billion. Interestingly, only $6 billion reaches coffee producing countries. The remaining $64 billion is generated as surplus value in the consumption countries. Small farmers grow 70% of world coffee production. They mainly grow two Kinds of Coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. About 20 million people in the world are directly dependent on coffee production for their subsistence.
Table 1: production in 2002/3
country % 70% Arabica
30% Robusta
Brasil 42.03% Arab/Rob
Colombia 8.88% Arabica
Vietnam 8.35% Robusta
Indonesia 4.89% Rob/Arab
India 3.74% Arab/Rob
Mexico 3.54% Arabica
Guatemala 3.1% Arab/Rob
Uganda 2.53% Rob/Arab
Ethiopia 2.44% Arabica
Peru 2.24% Arabica
Table 2: consumption in 2001/2world consumption % kg per capita (2001)
USA 30.82% Finland 11.01
Germany 15.07% Sweden 8.55
Japan 11.47% Denmark 9.71
France 8.89% Norway 9.46
Italy 8.59% Austria 7.79
Spain 4.90% Germany 6.90
Great-Brittain 3.63% Switzerland 6.80
the Netherlands 2.69% the Netherlands 6.48
Although the consumption of coffee per capita in the world is decreasing (in the US alone it decreased from 0.711 liter in 1960 to 0.237 liter presently), world consumption is still increasing due to the population explosion. Considering that coffee consists of either 1% (Arabica), 2% (Robusta) or 4.5%-5.1% (instant coffee) caffeine, the average American consumes at least 200 to 300mg (the recommended maximum daily amount) of caffeine a day through the consumption of coffee alone.
The place I frequent to down a cup of coffee is the Starbucks in Stamford, Connecticut. The entrance can be found on the corner of Broad Street and Summer Street, to the left to the main public library with its plain pediment and slim Ionic columns. The location right next to the library harmonizes with Starbuck’s marketing plan. At the entrance of the coffee shop a life-size glass window curves around to the left, providing superb voyeuristic views of pedestrians on the sidewalk. As you enter, you step directly into the living room area with stacked bookshelves against the back wall. Velvet armchairs face each other with small coffee tables in the middle, creating intimate seating areas. The velvet chairs near the window are the prime seats, which people unfortunate to score a wooden chair prey upon. At the back of the long rectangular room is the coffee bar and a small Starbuck’s gift shop. There is a dark wooden table with electrical outlets suited for spreading out laptops and spreadsheets, dividing the living room area from the coffee bar.
Since I have been cranky for weeks I hesitate to order a regular black coffee. It is very easy to get cloyed with a favorite food or drink in the US because of the super-sized portions served. The smallest cup of coffee is a size ‘tall’ (12oz.=0.35l.), after which one can choose between a ‘grande’ (16oz.=0.5l.) and a ‘venti’ (20oz.=0.6l.). Half a liter of coffee seems a bit over the top, and it sounds absolutely absurd to my European mind. I finally end up choosing a ’solo’ espresso.
Sitting in one of the booth-like seats against the back wall, unable to obtain a prime seat, I feign to read my book while eavesdropping on conversations around to me. Three middle-aged men sit in three ash gray velvet chairs and converse loudly. A vivid dialogue develops, exchanged with half roaring, half shrieking, laughter. They mock a colleague in his absence and then clench their brows in concern while discussing the teeth of one of the men’s daughter. Two African-American women sit at a small table opposite the reading-table in the murky light, one of them with a yellow headscarf with black African motifs. Close to the entrance, in the seating area next to the animated conversation, a vagabond is playing solitaire. One by one he places the creased cards with rounded backs over one another, as if he attempts to stick them together. He rendered a couple of dollars in exchange for a small coffee to feel, in the warmth of the front room, nostalgia for a cozy living room and relives a sense of intimacy of having your own house.
It’s a bright, sunny, early autumn day, a typical New England Indian summer. Sunbeams radiate through the coloring, flickering foliage, and throw a puzzle-shaped shadow into Starbuck’s window. Autumn’s hand turns her colorful kaleidoscopic lens. The green ash tree near the sidewalk resembles, with its polychrome colors, somewhat a bronze statue: its stem sulphur bronze, its foliage intermittently copper green and ferric-nitrate golden. On the other side of the cross walk the top of a young red oak turns fiery red. These are the budding impressions of the autumn foliage for which Connecticut is ‘world famous’ in the US.
In the world of marketing and entrepreneurship, Starbucks is a success story. It is one of those stories of ‘excellence’ taught as a case study at business school. Founded in 1971, it really began its incredible growth under Howard Schultz in 1985, and presently has 6,294 coffee shops. But what does its success really consists of? A large cup of Coffee at Starbucks is much more expensive than at Dunkin’ Donuts: $2.69 compared to $3.40 for a Starbucks’ ‘venti’. But while Dunkin’ Donuts offers only a limited assortment of flavors like mocha, hazelnut, vanilla, caramel and cinnamon, you will find exotic quality beans at Starbucks like Bella Vista F.W. Tres Rios Costa Rica, Brazil Ipanema Bourbon Mellow, Colombia Nariño Supremo, Organic Shade Grown Mexico, Panama La Florentina, Arabian Mocha Java, Caffè Verona, Guatemala Antigua Elegant, New Guinea Peaberry, Zimbabwe, Aged Sumatra, Special Reserve Estate 2003 – Sumatra Lintong Lake Tawar, Italian Roast, Kenya, Ethiopia Harrar, Ethiopia Sidamo, Ethiopia Yergacheffe and French Roast. So Starbucks offers luxury coffees and high quality coffee dining, reminiscent almost of the chic coffee houses I visited in Vienna.
Every now and then, I grin shamefully and think back at my endless hesitation choosing between the only two types of coffee available in most Dutch stores: red brand and gold brand. Even up to this day I have no clue what the actual difference is between the two, apart from the color of the wrapping: red or gold. Not surprisingly, Starbucks appeals to the laptop genre of people: consultants, students, intellectuals, the middle class, and a Starbucks coffee is a white-collar coffee, while a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee is a blue-collar coffee. In Dunkin’ Donuts you will run into Joe the Plumber, Bob the barber, and Mac the truck driver. But what is it exactly, that attracts the white collared workers in the US to fall back into the purple velvet chairs?
I imagine their working days filled with repetitive actions and decisions within a playing field of precisely defined responsibilities. How many of the players in these fields get through the day with its routines for simply no other reason than being able to enjoy their daily 30 minutes-escape into the Starbucks intimacy where, for a brief moment in the day, you regain the illusion of human warmth and exotic associations of resisting the coldness of high finance?
For 15 minutes you fall back into the deep, soft pillow of a velvet chair and randomly, and alas how important is that moment of utter randomness, pull a book from the shelves. While, in the background, soothing tones resound of country blues, with its recognition of deep human suffering, a blaze of folk with the primary connection with nature and tradition, or of merengue reviving the passionate memories of adventure and love, you gaze out the window and ponder about that simple, volatile reflection in the moment, strengthened by the physical effect of half a liter of watery coffee that starts to kick in and the satisfaction of chewing your muffin, bagel, cake, brownie, croissant or donut.
It is, above all, that bodily ecstasy caused by a combination of caffeine, sugar and the salivating Pavlov effect. You remember the struggling musician behind the counter taking your order, the amateur poet as you pay her for the coffee and give a full dollar tip, feeling a transcendental bound in your flight from reality. You stare with a fastened throbbing of the first gulps of coffee at the advertisements and poems on the bulletin board, and dauntlessly you think: They are right, they are so right! and what do I care? Why should I care?
But then you look at your watch and notice you really have to run again. ‘Well, too bad, gotta go!’, or people will start gossiping for being so long away from your desk. And while you open the door, an autumn breeze blows in your face, the last tunes of the blues solo die out as the Hammond organ whispers: ‘I throw my troubles out the door, I don’t need them anymore’.
Coffee in the US is a subculture that massively floated to the surface of the consumer’s society. Starbucks is more than coffee, it’s more than just another brand on the market, it is a social-political statement, a way of perceiving how you would like to live, in other words it is a culture. Starbucks is the alternative to Coca-Cola and so much more than just coffee: it’s chocolate, ice-cream, frappuccino, travel mugs with exotic prints, cups and live music, CD’s, discounts on exhibitions and even support for volunteer work.
About The Author
Remko de Knikker is a contributor to Szirine.com (personal website: www.mindxp.com). Remko studied West European history in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. He is currently employed as a bioinformatics programmer at Yale University. He wrote two short stories ‘A Short Story about Andrzej and Roman’ (© 2003) and ‘Theombrotus or the Pharmacia’ (© 2003), is the editor-in-chief for Boilingpoint.nl, and a columnist for Sargasso.nl. He was a winner of the Bulkboek songtext contest (Stef Bos: Het verlangen vrij te zijn), and published two CDs: ‘Blockbuster’ (© 2003 Blockbuster) and ‘Handful of maggots’ (© 1999 Blockbuster).
