Coffee is Bad for You?

Just think of the benefits of having coffee! It gives you the jitters, it can be bitter if burned, it stains when you spill it, it stains your teeth and (bonus) it gives you bad breath. I love the stuff!

According to http://www.living-traditionally.com/top-13-nutrition-lies-made-world-sick-fat/, coffee has gotten a bad reputation in the past. It is true that coffee can mildly elevate blood pressure in the short term (49).   However, long term studies show that coffee may actually reduce your risk of some serious diseases. Coffee drinkers:

Have up to a 67% lower risk of Type II diabetes (50, 51). Are at a much lower risk of getting Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (52, 53). Have up to an 80% lower risk of liver diseases like cirrhosis (54, 55).

Caffeine also helps to mobilize fatty acids from the fat tissues, boost metabolism and increase exercise performance by an average of 11-12% (56, 57, 58).   Many studies have examined the effects of caffeine on the brain, showing that it can improve mood, memory, reaction time, vigilance and overall brain function (59).  

You may be surprised to hear that coffee is also loaded with antioxidants. In fact, it is the biggest source of antioxidants in the modern diet, outranking both fruits and vegetables, combined (60, 61). If you’re sensitive to caffeine or it tends to disrupt your sleep, then green tea has many of the same health benefits but a smaller amount of caffeine.  

Bottom Line: Coffee contains very large amounts of antioxidants. Studies show that coffee drinkers are at a much lower risk of developing many serious diseases.

Interestingly enough, I live in a state who's largest religious base, says no coffee drinking. In fact, no hot drinks at all. That's what the "Word of Wisdom" declares. It is found in the "Doctrine of Covenents", section 89. “9. And again, hot drinks are not for the body or belly."

Which hot drinks? It's not clarified. Later on, it was somehow interpreted as coffee and non-herbal tea. Even though hot chocolate is a hot drink and has far fewer benefits than coffee, it is deemed proper to drink.

Why am I writing about this? Am I trying to bash Mormons? No! I'm just very confused about banning a drink that is so good for you. It just doesn't make sense to me and I would welcome a healthy dialogue with an LDS person regarding the entire word of wisdom.

This is a strange state in which to live. It's beautiful, and that's the biggest reason my wife and I still live here. Somebody please help me understand.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy my morning cup of jo.

See you tomorrow.