is green tea okay?


ALittleLost
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I've heard that green tea is quite the debate when it comes to the word of wisdom, much liked caffeinated soda. I've heard some people say it's fine to drink, like herbal tea, and other's say its not. I've always heard that green tea is good for you. So is drinking it breaking the Word Of Wisdom? Or is it arm in arm with herbal tea and okay to consume? Thanks for your input in advance!

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So essentially, there is a tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Black tea, green tea, and white tea all come from various parts of the plant. That is the tea that is not okay. Herbal teas are made from other plants or from fruit. Sometimes, though, other herbs or fruit are blended with black or green tea, so it appears herbal when it's not.

I've never heard anyone debate about green tea. It really is the same thing as black tea; the leaves are just cooked differently.

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From a Word of Wisdom point-of-view .... ??? I'm not going to wade into those waters.

A Medical point-of-view:

ALL hot drinks, even hot chocolate & hot cider & hot herbal teas, irritate the throat. Frequent irritation results in frequent inflamation of the tissues & has a direct link to throat cancers.

The Word of Wisdom is a Law of Health, keeping your body healthy & able & your mind clear.

So, take from that what you will.

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But then again, the OP asked about it from a Word of Wisdom point of view.

From a WofW point of view..yes it is against it.

I guess for me to address it from the W of W point-of-view I'd want more info, specific info, as to why the question was being asked .....

A gentleman came in for a TR Interview. I happen to know he has a cup of fresh perulated coffee each morning (a single cup, luke warm).

He brought the matter up voluntarily.

He explained that a single cup of percolated coffee each morning relaxes his muscles & relieves him of much if not all his pain (He has MS).

Those effects last well into the afternoon (more then 9 hours of relief) & he is able to function as a "normal" human being without any additional need for pain meds or muscle relaxants. He is even able to work a part time job each day.

The alternative is some very powerful chemical based man-made prescription narcotic pain meds that relieve only a portion of the pai & muscle relaxants that don't do much at all. Both type of meds leave him feeling drugged, drowsey & not able to think clearly or function or able to work his part-time job. (in reality these meds, taken every 4 to 6 hours around the clock, are probly more harmful to the body then is that cup of coffee).

Hmmmm. Stake Pres expressed absolutely no concern but he still consulted with Area Seventy a few weeks later at a Preisthood Leadership Training.

The response was to review the couple of versus that immediately preceed the W o W where it speaks of the W of W being adapted for the weak .... & to consider the fact that certain things such as alcohol & tobbaco are very habit forming & harmful even to the strong .... then a little humor, "I don't smoke because it's against the W of W but I just ate 20 Big Macs" (french fries or anything of the like would work too) neither one is good for the body or your health ..... Then he said very clearly, "Don't get hung up on details .... Apply common sense to each situation".

So, before I wade into the W of W point-of-view I'd want to understand more specifics as to why the question is being asked.

In general, the answer would be a very sound No, Green Tea Is Not Acceptable.

Edited by Sharky
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I guess for me to address it from the W of W point-of-view I'd want more info, specific info, as to why the question was being asked .....

Does there really have to be a reason why it was asked? Couldn't it just be someone wanted to know if it breaks the word of wisdom and nothing more?

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I guess for me to address it from the W of W point-of-view I'd want more info, specific info, as to why the question was being asked .....

A gentleman came in for a TR Interview. I happen to know he has a cup of fresh perulated coffee each morning (a single cup, luke warm).

He brought the matter up voluntarily.

He explained that a single cup of percolated coffee each morning relaxes his muscles & relieves him of much if not all his pain (He has MS).

Those effects last well into the afternoon (more then 9 hours of relief) & he is able to function as a "normal" human being without any additional need for pain meds or muscle relaxants. He is even able to work a part time job each day.

The alternative is some very powerful chemical based man-made prescription narcotic pain meds that relieve only a portion of the pai & muscle relaxants that don't do much at all. Both type of meds leave him feeling drugged, drowsey & not able to think clearly or function or able to work his part-time job. (in reality these meds, taken every 4 to 6 hours around the clock, are probly more harmful to the body then is that cup of coffee).

Hmmmm. Stake Pres expressed absolutely no concern but he still consulted with Area Seventy a few weeks later at a Preisthood Leadership Training.

The response was to review the couple of versus that immediately preceed the W o W where it speaks of the W of W being adapted for the weak .... & to consider the fact that certain things such as alcohol & tobbaco are very habit forming & harmful even to the strong .... then a little humor, "I don't smoke because it's against the W of W but I just ate 20 Big Macs" (french fries or anything of the like would work too) neither one is good for the body or your health ..... Then he said very clearly, "Don't get hung up on details .... Apply common sense to each situation".

So, before I wade into the W of W point-of-view I'd want to understand more specifics as to why the question is being asked.

In general, the answer would be a very sound No, Green Tea Is Not Acceptable.

But that is just it Sharky... none of us here are the priesthood leader to the person in question, we don't have the discernment or the authority to say what is a valid exception. All we can say is, in general no (like you did), and discuss it with your priesthood leader if you think you might have valid exception.

It will not matter if they tell us their story or not, or if we find their story worthy of an exception, because we are not in a position to make that call. Worst case we put them on a false path. I know personally I would not want to be responsible for doing that.

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I actually asked my bishop about this. His answer was that he was comfortable with its use as a weight loss aid, and in fact his dad (I think) used it with good results. I think he gave me the disclaimer that I ought to pray about it, but as far as he was concerned, green tea is fine. In the end, though, I couldn't feel good about using it.

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I guess for me to address it from the W of W point-of-view I'd want more info, specific info, as to why the question was being asked .....

A gentleman came in for a TR Interview. I happen to know he has a cup of fresh perulated coffee each morning (a single cup, luke warm).

He brought the matter up voluntarily.

He explained that a single cup of percolated coffee each morning relaxes his muscles & relieves him of much if not all his pain (He has MS).

Those effects last well into the afternoon (more then 9 hours of relief) & he is able to function as a "normal" human being without any additional need for pain meds or muscle relaxants. He is even able to work a part time job each day.

The alternative is some very powerful chemical based man-made prescription narcotic pain meds that relieve only a portion of the pai & muscle relaxants that don't do much at all. Both type of meds leave him feeling drugged, drowsey & not able to think clearly or function or able to work his part-time job. (in reality these meds, taken every 4 to 6 hours around the clock, are probly more harmful to the body then is that cup of coffee).

Hmmmm. Stake Pres expressed absolutely no concern but he still consulted with Area Seventy a few weeks later at a Preisthood Leadership Training.

The response was to review the couple of versus that immediately preceed the W o W where it speaks of the W of W being adapted for the weak .... & to consider the fact that certain things such as alcohol & tobbaco are very habit forming & harmful even to the strong .... then a little humor, "I don't smoke because it's against the W of W but I just ate 20 Big Macs" (french fries or anything of the like would work too) neither one is good for the body or your health ..... Then he said very clearly, "Don't get hung up on details .... Apply common sense to each situation".

So, before I wade into the W of W point-of-view I'd want to understand more specifics as to why the question is being asked.

In general, the answer would be a very sound No, Green Tea Is Not Acceptable.

Is this a situation you have first-hand knowledge of? Or did you hear about it somewhere?

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I actually asked my bishop about this. His answer was that he was comfortable with its use as a weight loss aid, and in fact his dad (I think) used it with good results. I think he gave me the disclaimer that I ought to pray about it, but as far as he was concerned, green tea is fine. In the end, though, I couldn't feel good about using it.

I know Mormons who will get the green tea in the pill form and whatnot.

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Is this a situation you have first-hand knowledge of? Or did you hear about it somewhere?

Yes. I was the Bishop's Counselor doing the TR Interview when the matter ws initially brought up.

Things are not always as cut & dried as we frequently want them to be.

Much of it, even with W of W matter, has to come down to personal revelation & the revelation/counsel of you local priesthood leaders.

I do have a couple of questions or thoughts to add here though ...

1st: The Brothern interpreted "after-the-fact" that hot drinks means Tea & Coffee .... Have they ever specified a specific type of tea or simply tea?

(I'll look into tha a little more when I get to the Chapel in a little bit).

2nd: Many of the items listed in the W of W do serve medicinal purposes if use properly & correctly. The Brothern have said we should use medications etc as prescribed by a physician when they are needed & used in a prudent manner.

3rd: What does the W of W say about the use of Herbs?

Some herbs or parts there of can be toxic or hallucinagenic if used at the wrong time of the growth cycle, yet fine & healthy if used at other times of the growth cycle

4th: Is the W of W all inclusive or are there other items that would have been included if say the revelation were received to day?

Many of God's laws are not as clear cut as we tend to think or want them to be.

In my humble opinion, the W of W is one of those things.

I am to be at PEC early mornign 2nd Sunday each month. If I pass an elderly widow on the road who has a flat tire ... whihc of God's Laws do I follow. Do I attend my meetings & fullfill my duties there or do I assist this elderly women?

Is it wrong on Sunday morning when emergncy pagers sound that 2 members of Bishopric & a counselor of the Stake Pres all get up & walk off the stand to respond to a fire or medical call? (& yes, wven though we are volunteer we do receive minimal compensation for our time if the time exceeds a specified amount).

Or whem my wife gets called into the clinic & ends up working Sundays? (she's an NP & RN).

Is attending sporting events on Sunday breaking the sabbath? If so, then is watching sporting events on Tv breaking the sabbath?

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I actually asked my bishop about this. His answer was that he was comfortable with its use as a weight loss aid, and in fact his dad (I think) used it with good results. I think he gave me the disclaimer that I ought to pray about it, but as far as he was concerned, green tea is fine. In the end, though, I couldn't feel good about using it.

I agree with your Bishop. Green tea as a health aid for weight loss or just as a health supplement is fine. There really are differences between green and black tea. Just like wine is different than grape juice. Same fruit, different process to make.

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The WoW is not against medicine. Some of the things which we consider as "against" the WoW are medicines. I've been counseled by more than one Bishop about this.

I have chronic pain (and other health issues) ... 24 years in November. What I was told is that if I have drinking Green Tea, Black Tea for recreational purposes then yes I'm breaking the WoW. If I'm having a cup of Green Tea to keep from throwing up instead of taking a phenergan, then No, I'm not breaking the WoW.

Another example: My grandfather was prescribed coffee for his heart problems. He had a written prescription. He had been a Bishop and he held a current temple recommend all his life.

Another example: I had Braxton Hicks contractions with my first child. My OB was not LDS and told me to drink Vodka to stop them. I was 20yos and could not legally buy it. He gave me a written script. (I'd rather drink paint thinner.) My Bishop had no problem with it. Today there are other ways to stop Braxton Hicks contractions.

Everything on this earth was put there for our use. Where we get in trouble with the WoW is when we misuse what Heavenly Father gave us.

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IMHO, the Word of Wisdom isn't just about health (the fact that it proscribes relatively innocuous substances while - as we interpret it - permitting substances that are just as harmful). I think that, like kashrut, it's primarily a way that the Lord has given His followers to identify themselves and set themselves apart from the world.

There will inevitably be situations where some individuals, for whatever purpose, cannot obey all aspects of the WoW. But of course, the attitude should always be to look for opportunities to obey; rather than looking for loopholes to excuse disobedience.

For every person who genuinely needs - say - coffee to eliminate some kind of bona fide chronic health issue, I daresay there are a good ten to fifteen clowns who would use the same justification to smoke weed to relieve one contrived symptom or another.

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IMHO, the Word of Wisdom isn't just about health (the fact that it proscribes relatively innocuous substances while - as we interpret it - permitting substances that are just as harmful). I think that, like kashrut, it's primarily a way that the Lord has given His followers to identify themselves and set themselves apart from the world.

There will inevitably be situations where some individuals, for whatever purpose, cannot obey all aspects of the WoW. But of course, the attitude should always be to look for opportunities to obey; rather than looking for loopholes to excuse disobedience.

For every person who genuinely needs - say - coffee to eliminate some kind of bona fide chronic health issue, I daresay there are a good ten to fifteen clowns who would use the same justification to smoke weed to relieve one contrived symptom or another.

I have always found the WofW very interesting, especially when put in context with the verses 1 - 4 of Section 89.

All to often we forget to read or study or teach those 4 verses.

The WofW was received "... not by constraint or commandment, but by revelation .... showing forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days - ...." (verse 2).

hmmm, "temporal salvation", not spiritual or eternal salvation.

Based on the words "temporal salvation" I interpret much of the WofW as a means of keeping your body healthy & able & your mind clear for God's purposes.

One can not serve God & bring about his purposes in this life/world, or even serve one's fellow man, if one does not first tend to ensuring they are able, both body & mind.

One can not defend themselves or defend the Church or provide for themselves (self-reliance/preparedness) if they are not healthy both in body & in mind.

Making a concious decision to go against the WofW is to make a decision knowing that it could put at risk your ability to meet God's purposes as well as putting at risk your ability to heed other revelation, direction, & commandments that have been given.

That is not to say that proper medical use, with restraint, of substances identified in the WofW is or is not wrong.

Another brief reference from vs 3 "...adapted to the capacity of the weak ...".

For me, or to me, I would take that as the specifics mentioned in the WofW are to help identify some of the more serious concerns & to be a guide. The WofW IMHO is simply a foundation, there are many more things in todays world that are equally or more devestating to the mind & body ... & ultimately devestating to the "temporal salvation".

Edited by Sharky
removed improperly placed "the"
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Speaking in the Tabernacle on April 7th 1876 Brigham Young had this to say about tobacco:

"I used it for toothache; now I am free from that pain, and my mouth is never

stained with tobacco. It is not my privilege to drink liquor nor strong tea and coffee, although I am naturally a

great lover of tea. Brethren and sisters, it is not our privilege to indulge in these things, but it is our right and

privilege to set an example worthy of imitation."

Substances used for medicinal purposes are not necessarily against the word of wisdom, but note that once the ailment was resolved, he quit using tobacco. Green Tea can be used as a weight loss aid, but just as we don't use tobacco for toothaches anymore, I wonder if there isn't a better way to supplement weight loss than green tea extract.

Are you in Asia by any chance? The only place that I have heard a big debate over green tea being for/against the WOW was in Taiwan, where many member still drink it regularly.

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Yes. I was the Bishop's Counselor doing the TR Interview when the matter ws initially brought up.

Things are not always as cut & dried as we frequently want them to be.

Much of it, even with W of W matter, has to come down to personal revelation & the revelation/counsel of you local priesthood leaders.

I do have a couple of questions or thoughts to add here though ...

1st: The Brothern interpreted "after-the-fact" that hot drinks means Tea & Coffee .... Have they ever specified a specific type of tea or simply tea?

(I'll look into tha a little more when I get to the Chapel in a little bit).

2nd: Many of the items listed in the W of W do serve medicinal purposes if use properly & correctly. The Brothern have said we should use medications etc as prescribed by a physician when they are needed & used in a prudent manner.

3rd: What does the W of W say about the use of Herbs?

Some herbs or parts there of can be toxic or hallucinagenic if used at the wrong time of the growth cycle, yet fine & healthy if used at other times of the growth cycle

4th: Is the W of W all inclusive or are there other items that would have been included if say the revelation were received to day?

Many of God's laws are not as clear cut as we tend to think or want them to be.

In my humble opinion, the W of W is one of those things.

I am to be at PEC early mornign 2nd Sunday each month. If I pass an elderly widow on the road who has a flat tire ... whihc of God's Laws do I follow. Do I attend my meetings & fullfill my duties there or do I assist this elderly women?

Is it wrong on Sunday morning when emergncy pagers sound that 2 members of Bishopric & a counselor of the Stake Pres all get up & walk off the stand to respond to a fire or medical call? (& yes, wven though we are volunteer we do receive minimal compensation for our time if the time exceeds a specified amount).

Or whem my wife gets called into the clinic & ends up working Sundays? (she's an NP & RN).

Is attending sporting events on Sunday breaking the sabbath? If so, then is watching sporting events on Tv breaking the sabbath?

I was curious about this one specifically, as I have M.S., am being treated by a renowned expert in the field, and this "remedy" has never come up. Which, if it is so effective, surprises me. Nor do I know of anyone else using this remedy. I am always searching for new and effective ways to deal with M.S.

It also begs the question of whether or not bishops simply accept a member's word for their ailments/treatments, or if some documentation is needed. Anyone could go in and claim they "need" marijuana for x ailment, for example.

As for some of your comparisons, I cannot imagine that anyone would object to medical and emergency professionals responding to those needs.

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Not being a Mormon, I can't answer from a spiritual standpoint. But here's my take on it- green tea has caffeine. Caffeine affects your heart. I used to drink soda- some with caffeine. When I started working out I had no problem reaching my maximum heart rate for cardio. Then I cut out caffeine. After I cut out caffeine I had to work out at a higher lever to get an aerobic conditioning level heart beat. The caffeine had sped up my heart and I hadn't even realized it. Anything that effects your heart so much can't be good. Why not just enjoy some seltzer with lime? No sodium, so sweeteners, no caffeine, but a really good taste!

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Hi Leah.

There is some medical basis, research etc, to show & leads to a belief that caffiene in & of itself does have decreasing effect on pian levels. In addition, caffiene has been shown to significantly increase the ability of certain pain relieving medications; however, combining the 2 isn't always safe or wise.

Caffiene can also be an atagonist, or pain trigger.

Coffee does have some compounds in it that can also reduce inflamation in the body & in turn reduce pain. My wife would be able you name the compound but I can't & my understanding is that it is not effective with "instant" coffees.

Here again coffee can also be an atagonist, causing inflamation.

So both can be an aid & both could be a tigger for pain, so it probly depends on the person, the pain, & possibly other factors. Caffiene & coffee can as well interfer with many medications.

The surgeon after my shoulder surgery told me that if the pain meds didn't seem to be working or not lasting long enough (he wanted me to go 6+ hrs between doses) to try taking them with a Mtn Dew. He cautioned against the "power" type energy drinks because of too much caffiene & said the pain meds with Mtn Dew worked for some & didn't for others.

I don't like the idea of MMJ. Marajuana has some 30+ complex compounds in it, of which they have only been able to isolate 3 or 4 in the lab for actual medical studies. Any time you combine multiple compounds you increase the risk of complications & other problems. So while it may benefit it also has serious risks ... like any other drug, except with MMJ we don't fully understand if the benefits outweight the risks.

I'd be highly surprised if the church officially accepted or approved the "legal" use of MMJ. Your state may sau it's legal but the feds continue to say it is not & could still prosecute anyone using MMJ.

I know my wife as an NP sometimes gets irritated with doctors because they "write off" many of the medical studies & patint claims & other times they just overlook the most basic simplist treatments.

A common MS experience that many docs "write off" is heat making the pain worse, a lot of docs just don't believe that.

An example that immediately comes to mind of a wrtten-off simple treatment:

The wife once prescribed vinegar with a couple of copper pennys desolved in it (they used copper wire) for soaking ringworm on the skin ... the doc in the clinic had a fit he believed she should have prescribed a cream that would have cost over $130. A week later there was no sign of the ring worm ever having existed & the cure only cost a few copper pennys.

Another time was a patient in our little 6-bed hospital with a rash that was actually of bacteial origin. The wife precribed vinegar, this time though the only thing said was by the medical director asking her to write it out as the type of acid 5% rather then the term vinegar. Same thing just the "official name".

As for Bishop's being told & believing things that may not be true .... isn't that about all the Bishop can do in most cases. He can only make a decision in an Interview based on our answers to the questions .... he doesn't know if one is being honest or not & unless the Spirit bares otherwise, the Bishop kind of has to go based on our answers.

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