| Sodas, Caffeine & Brain Disease | |
|
|
Caffeine is an addictive drug found in coffee,
tea, chocolate, most soft drinks and even in some over-the-counter and
prescription drugs. This dangerous, but socially accepted, stimulant
causes many problems for the body. Americans alone drink 137 billion
cups of coffee annually. That is over 50 tons of caffeine per day! Even more caffeine is consumed in the form of
soda pops. These products with caffeine artificially stimulate the body
and increase the heart rate. While this artificial stimulation
temporarily arouses the intellect and fatigue seems to disappear, it is
short-lived. The excess stimulation depletes the body of vital energy as
it struggles to deal with this poison which has entered its system.
There are many effects from the consumption of
caffeine, including increased incidence of bladder and stomach cancer,
raised blood pressure, increased heart rate, and it aggravates diabetes
and damages the lining of the stomach. Caffeine contributes to or causes
birth defects in children, at least six kinds of cancer and provides the
body with zero nutrition. Vending machines allowing children to purchase
colas can be found in most schools, shopping malls, grocery stores, and
even in some churches. Soft drinks are being sold and marketed to even
the youngest children and their unsuspecting parents. In 1980, the U. S.
Department of Agriculture attempted to limit the sale of soft drinks and
other junk foods in schools. The department adopted a regulation that
prohibited schools from selling soft drinks, gum and hard candy before
the last lunch period ended. For an idea of how much caffeine is found in coffee,
colas and some over-the-counter prescriptions: Maxwell House coffee (electric perk) has 97 mg. of
caffeine per 6 oz. serving, “decaffeinated” coffee has 2 to 5 mg…
One ounce of chocolate has 35 mg.. Colas range between 34 and 49 mg. per 12 ounces.
Comparing the colas, Mountain Dew topped out at 49 mg. per 12 ounces,
while the lowest was Diet Pepsi and Pepsi Light at 34 mg. Coca-Cola has
42 mg. While regular Pepsi-Cola has 35 mg. Espresso in a 2-oz. Serving
100 mg. But caffeine is not the only dangerous ingredient in
cola. Artificial coloring, including Amaranth (red), Bordeaux (brown)
Orange I (yellow) and Ponceau (scarlet) dyes, all of which are unfit for
human consumption. Sugar
free ingredients have been shown to cause MS and other neurological
problems. In his book, Water Can Undermine Your Health, Dr. N.
W. Walker writes, “Supposing you knew that Soft Drinks could cause
your brain to disintegrate, would you drink them? More than a million
children today are afflicted with cerebral lesions (injury to the brain
that causes sudden discharge of excessive nervous energy) and other
afflictions caused by Soft Drinks!” Other dangers with caffeine products are: Over-the-counter drugs that have caffeine and creating
potential hazards to our health include Nodoz 100 mg. of caffeine per
tablet, Vivarin 200 mg., Excedrin 64.8 mg., Sinarest 30 mg., Dexatrim
200 mg. and Pre-Mens Forte 100 mg.. In a speech at Loma Linda, Hans Diehl, M.D.,
made the following statement: “All kinds of soft drinks are very
acidic, especially colas. In order to neutralize a glass of cola, it
takes 32 glasses of high pH alkaline water. It is well known by the
medical profession that disease loves acid. In fact, another physician
from Loma Linda University said in a speech that if we could get our
cells to maintain a normal pH (slightly alkaline), cancer could not grow
in our bodies.” Francisco Contreras, M.D. of the Oasis of Hope
Contreras Cancer Care Center in Tijuana, Mexico, said at an AIM
Convention in 1990 that cancer “can’t live in an oxygen-rich
environment. Cola drinks make our bodies poor in oxygen.” Beatrice Hunter in her book, “Consumer
Beware” (1971), states: “Nutritionally, soft drinks are low in
value. Their food energy comes solely from refined sugar. Every element
of nutritional importance, except calories is zero. Soft drinks have much in common with hard
liquor, claimed the co-discoverer of insulin, Dr. Charles Best.
Cirrhosis of the liver has been found among teenagers who drink large
quantities of soft drinks, as well as among chronic alcoholics.” In a
report found in the FDA Consumer, October 1980, we read, “Most soft
drinks, including the cola and pepper-type drinks contain caffeine and
are the number one beverage in the United States today, with coffee
second. Caffeine is a drug, which stimulates the central nervous system.
In the amounts presently being consumed, it can cause insomnia,
nervousness, irritability, anxiety and disturbances in the heart rate
and rhythm. Cola and pepper-like drinks account for 80 to 90 percent of
the caffeine added to foods today. Its long-term effects on people are
not clearly known.” In making a public announcement regarding
caffeine’s possible dangers to unborn children, past FDA Commissioner
Dr. Jere Goyan urged pregnant women to avoid the use of caffeine
products. He stated, ”So while further evidence is being gathered on
the possible relationship between caffeine and birth defects, a prudent
and protective mother-to-be will want to put caffeine on her list of
unnecessary substances which she should avoid.” Goyan goes on to say,
“that as a general rule, pregnant women should avoid all substances
that have drug-like effects.” Dr. Mary Ruth Swope in her article titled, “Why I
Don’t Drink Soft Drinks and I Wish You Didn’t,” makes the
following statement: “Cola drinks contain caramel coloring, which,
according to some researchers, has genetic effects and is a
cancer-causing suspect. olyethylene glycol is used as an ingredient
sometimes. Glycol is used in anti-freeze in automobiles and
as an oil solvent. Perhaps you have noticed that pouring cola drinks on
your windshield in a snow or ice storm will keep the windshield from
freezing over with ice.” She also comments that, “Soft drinks use
predominately three types of sweeteners - saccharin or aspartame in the
diet type and sugar, cane syrup or corn syrup in the regular drinks.
These substances enhance taste appeal and come touted as
‘refreshing’ and ‘high energy.’ The truth is that saccharin has
been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals and Nutra-sweet and
Equal are linked to convulsions, depression, insomnia, irritability,
weakness, dizziness, migraine headaches, mood changes and mental
retardation. (Which of these, I ask, is something you really want in
your life?)” She goes on to say, “ A government warning was once
issued to the manufacturer of a certain world-famous refreshing soft
drink for its suspected effect on the bones of children because of the
large amount of phosphoric acid in it. Pour coke over an extracted baby
tooth or a 10-penny nail and see it totally dissolve in a few days!”
Dr. Swope’s article also states: “Diet sodas that are low in
calories are high in sodium. Six ounces of regular Pepsi-Cola have 5 mg.
of sodium; Diet Pepsi has 31 mg. (But who only drinks 6 oz. at a time
now?) Classic Coke has 19 mg. Of sodium. High blood pressure is a very
common ailment in our society; I wonder why!” And who shouldn’t have
high sodium in their diets? My personal answer to that question is that
any condition which causes a person to have high blood pressure should
be considered a condition where limiting sodium intake would be helpful.
Here are a few of those: certain tumors, kidney disease, adrenal or
thyroid or pituitary gland malfunctioning—even diabetes and
arteriosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Soft drinks, in my estimation, should be off-limits to
persons with these conditions.” An article titled “Confessions of a
Soft Drink” makes the following statement about soft drinks “The
bubbles and fizz in soft drinks can potentially burn human insides: this
is caused by the phosphoric
acid and carbon dioxide. The phosphorus in the acid upsets the body’s
calcium-phosphorus ratio and dissolves calcium out of the bones. This
can eventually result in osteoporosis, a weakening of the skeletal
structure, which can make one susceptible to broken bones. Also, the
phosphorus fights with the hydrochloric acid in human stomachs and
renders it ineffective. This promotes indigestion, bloating and
gassiness in many individuals. Carbon dioxide is a waste product exhaled
by humans, but they ingest it when they drink cola drinks.” Dr.
George M. Halpern, Division of Allergy at the University of California
Davis School of Medicine, reports that diet soft drinks may cause
allergies. “The potential problem may be due to toxicity because of
the increase in consumption of diet drinks. Acute or chronic hives may
be symptoms caused by this low-calorie, artificial sweetener.” In her 1971 book, “Consumer Beware,” Beatrice
Hunter writes, “Dr. Clive McCay, working at the Naval Research
Institute, placed extracted human teeth in cola drinks. Within two days,
the teeth became very soft, and the enamel surface lost much of its
calcium. Rats, well fed but given nothing to drink except cola
beverages, after six months had their molar teeth dissolved down to the
gum line. When Dr. McCay reported years ago that the rat experiments
before the Delaney hearings on chemicals in foods, a lawmaker reminded
him that the soft drink industry represented huge economic investments.
He suggested that these alarming findings be soft-pedaled to avoid
disrupting the industry and the economy as a whole. Dr. McCay countered by stating that the health of the
nation’s children might be as important as the welfare of the
soft-drink industry.” The research is abundant and I believe the case
is clear; colas and other soft drinks are detrimental to all of God’s
children no matter what their age and should be eliminated from the diet
immediately. James Beasley, M.D., of the Ford Foundation Project
stated that “If Americans do not change their eating and drinking
habits within twenty years we will have nutritional obliteration.”
Reviewing the facts of the decreased health in our
country, one would think Dr. Beasley is right on track. Caffeine requires an increase of intake to prevent
withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vision disturbances,
irritable and nervousness. Some symptoms to the extreme of vomiting.
These symptoms if not given more caffeine will last from 1 to 7 days. When caffeine withdrawals occur most people will opt for
ending them by taking more caffeine rather than withdraw completely.
Withdrawal can be done fairly easily by starting to cut caffeine intake
in half or thirds for a couple of days then cut it in half and continue
cutting until completely off caffeine. Will take from one to three weeks
to withdraw without symptoms. In your lifetime, you and your family will be
exposed to countless advertisements, commercials and “scientific”
studies designed to promote meat, dairy products, sugar, white flour and
other processed foods, as well as drugs such as coffee, cigarettes,
alcohol, etc. We hope you will carefully consider your response to these
issues as you plan meals for yourself and your family. Make these
decisions as if your life—and the lives of your family members—are
at stake, because this is truly the case. People are dying every day
because of what they eat, drink and medications given by their
physicians or take from over the counter ads. Making the right decisions
about your lifestyle can prevent these premature deaths. And
heavy-caffeine-drinkers generally smoke more, drink more alcohol, and
eat more fatty foods than non-caffeine-drinkers effecting their health
even more so. ``````````````````````` |
