Reviewing the facts of the decreased health in our country, one would think Dr. Beasley is right on track. Caffeine is one socially acceptable addictive drug found in coffee, tea, chocolate, most soft drinks and even in some over-the-counter and prescription drugs. This dangerous stimulant causes many problems for the body.

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. 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."

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.  Cola and pepper-like drinks account for 80 to 90 percent of the caffeine added to foods today.

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..

Soft drinks may be even more hazardous than coffee because caffeine is not the only dangerous ingredient in colas. There you will find 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 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."

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.

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!"

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?)"

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. Mary Ruth Swope has more 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 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."

Goyan goes on to say, "that as a general rule, pregnant women should avoid all substances that have drug-like effects."

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."

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.

In 1984, the National Soft drink Association filed suit challenging the regulation. A federal appeals court sided with the Association. It ruled that the USDA did not have the legal authority to ban competitive foods from the cafeteria during lunch. This ruling opened the door for vending machines to invade school lunchrooms and challenged the local school systems to control the sale of competitive foods.

Caffeine requires an increase of intake to prevent withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vision disturbances, irritable and nervousness. Some symptoms go 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. It 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.