My Mormon ancestors lived on the stuff, and so did my non_Mormon side of the family.

As a TBM my substitute for caffeinated beverages was ... chocolate. I craved chocolate a LOT. Since leaving TSCC and giving myself permission to live like a real person in the real world, I drink tea and coffee in moderation.

My cravings for chocolate has practically disappeared! I learned from that I have been a lifelong addict to caffeine before I was aware I was.

The fact it may be hereditary helps explain why I need caffeine, maybe more than others - but still in moderation. I consume much less coffee and tea products than I use to crave in chocolate ... that makes sense only because it takes more chocolate to make up for the caffeine levels found in coffee and tea.

Bon appetit, to all you coffee lovers! Where I live it's considered a food staple at the grocers, and not subject to sales tax (unlike candy products.) So, it's all good. :)

"By looking at populations of people in villages in Italy, researchers conducted a genome-wide association study in which they examined markers in DNA and identified a gene called PDSS2 that could play a role in caffeine metabolism. In the study, which was published Thursday in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers asked more than 1,200 people in Italy how much coffee they drank and compared their consumption and genetic results to another population of 1,731 people in the Netherlands.

They found that people with greater expression of the PDSS2 gene also reported drinking less coffee. The gene is thought to regulate the production of proteins that metabolize caffeine in the body, the study authors report. “The hypothesis is that people with higher levels of this gene are metabolizing caffeine slower, and that’s why they’re drinking less coffee,” says study author Nicola Pirastu of the University of Trieste in Italy. “They need to drink it less often to still have the positive effects of caffeine, like being awake and feeling less tired.”

The study isn’t the first to link genetics to a propensity to drink more or less coffee. An October 2014 study analyzed the genes of more than 120,000 coffee drinkers and found six genetic markers that were associated with a person’s responsiveness to caffeine, as TIME reports.

“Coffee, at least to some degree, is protective of some diseases and it may predispose to others—it’s kind of controversial,” says Pirastu. “So understanding what is driving this and how we make food choices is very important.” Coffee has been linked to a variety of health benefits like healthier arteries, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and potentially even a longer life.

Pirastu adds that one of the pathways in the body that metabolizes caffeine also metabolizes some medications. “Knowing the genotype of this gene may [also] explain why people react differently to different drugs,” he says."

http://time.com/4464843/genetics-coffee-consumption-caffeine/?xid=newsletter-brief



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2016 09:01PM by Amyjo.

I've been a coffee or Coke drinker for decades. Never much cared about chocolate. My mormon relatives eat chocolate every single day.

I drink 16oz of coffee a day. I haven't drank Coke since I left the church. I prefer coffee any day.

My exmo hubby drinks coffee every once in awhile. Doesn't like chocolate. His family is the same way.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2016 04:43PM by madalice.

My TBM grandparents, both children of Mormon pioneers, drank coffee on their farms and ranches during their married life, while holding temple recommends. It was a staple of the pioneer community.

My dad told me that the ban on coffee didn't really go into effect until sometime around the 1940's.

16 oz of coffee a day is my limit, when I have any. I also like tea, usually green or black. During the warmest summer days I drink more cold than hot drinks, but I still love em especially when the air gets cooler and the nights longer.

Son is a coffee drinker. My kids were forbidden to drink it during their formative years, but have made up for lost time since. :)

I like coffee. I drink it black and no sugar or sweetener. It is a healthy beverage without the negatives of sugared beverages. I also like tea, hot or iced. Never sugar--sweetened tea is disgusting!

I used to drink diet coke, never coke. I didn't like the sugar.
I now drink unflavored seltzer water--I like the bubbles.

I don't really like lemonade or other sweet drinks. I think hot chocolate is okay every once in awhile (a few times a year) and never with any sweet food. I would much rather have coffee and Bailey's!

Is it genetic? I don't know. Does it matter?

We could make a list of things that are genetic, and then maybe a list that are probably not genetic.

For instance, it is by genetic design that I and all my family love and drive Chevies!

It may have mattered more had I known as a Mormon. For example: I would've traded in my addiction to chocolate sooner than after I left the morg if I'd understood the caffeine connection. The craving wasn't the chocolate after all!

Knowledge is power. The more we know about how our bodies work helps to make better informed decisions about the routines we establish.

Using the healthier source was the right move. The chocolate route increases diabetes. I also have the genetic need and, had I not gone to coffee would have had diabetes. Indeed, I can trace the genetic line back generations. Had I not changed I would be dead due to the effects on my heart.

The genetic factor is not one of addiction but one of necessity.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2016 08:03AM by rhgc.

Hadn't considered that it may be one of necessity.

Thanks for sharing that insight! :)

All my siblings from my birth family love a cup 'o Joe...so it undoubtedly is.

RB

:o)

"Addiction". Such a common word in the world of mormonism...

Using the same logic, I've not heard of anyone accusing anyone of being addicted to water, broccoli, sliced turkey breast, lemon wedges or Cole slaw.

Addicted, schmedicted.

You like coffee and indulge or you don't and don't.

I never liked coffee, still don't. I even stopped drinking iced tea when I joined. That was very hard. It took 5 years , after we moved out of state to finally drink a iced tea from the drive thru. I never did drink it in public, afraid a church member would be at the same place.
Imagine, drinking tea and feeling like you're commuting a big sin, or are drinking whiskey.
When we were kids my sister used to joke that Msrie Osmond couldn't take Midol, because it had caffeine in it. Wonder if she ever did.

My Jack Mormon stepdad's ex-wife is one of those Utah Mormons who lived her whole life in Provo who refused to allow herself or anyone else in the family to take any headache medicine if it had caffeine in it. His TBM daughters from his first marriage were happy when they divorced, as they thought she was crazy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/30/2016 04:40PM by adoylelb.

What do LDS truck drivers take to stay awake?

Even when my dad had his temple recommend, if he was on a long road trip he didn't think twice about stopping to buy a cup of joe for the road, to help him stay alert. He was one of the best drivers I ever knew, with an extremely safe driving record.

He also used common sense, regardless of what the church dictated. Maybe that was where I got my start to think for myself, was from my dad. :)

As for LDS truck drivers, they are likely no different from the rest as to what they like to use to help stave off sleepiness. No-doze for one. Caffeinated drinks are big with LDS people, so long as it isn't coffee or tea. My TBM brother for example when getting his degrees from BYU depended heavily on cola products to help him stay awake while burning the candle at both ends (wife, kids, f/t studies/job etc.)

Wow, I always thought that the caffeine itself was the no-no. I remember when I first became a member, everyone made a big deal out of drinking 7-up or Sprite. One guy drank Mountain Dew all the time and freaked out ( or pretended to) when someone told him that Mountain Dew had more caffeine than Coke.