Chai Tea

[MarginOfError]

Originally Posted by RachelleDrew

I was under the impression that it was the tannins, not the caffeine, that was the reason tea was spoken against in the WoW. If it were a case of the caffeine alone, we'd all be screwed. You can find it in a ton of stuff that's not mentioned in the WoW.

On another note, most chai has regular black tea leaves in it like Assam. It just has a lot of spices in it to create it's flavor. However, because chai has so many spices and flavors in it, it's REALLY easy to create the taste of hot or iced chai tea without having any actual tea in it.

So if your friend got a regular chai tea, chances are it does have tea leaves in it.

I learned something interesting about tannins when I was on a canoeing trip in Canada this past summer. During the trip, we started about 15 miles upriver of the Georgian Bay. We made our way to the bay, spent a couple days down there, then came back up river to our starting point.

For the entire trip, the only option we had for water was to filter water from the river (or bay) through a hand pump we brought with us. At the start of the trip--15 miles up river--the water was a little yellowish, even after going through the filter. As we got closer to the bay, the water became more clear. While we were on the bay, the water we pumped was so clear you could see right through the water jugs. But as we went further upstream, the water started to turn yellow again.

I asked why the disparity in color of the water, and the answer I got was that the water upstream spent more time in contact with the plant-abundant land, allowing the water to absorb more of the tannins. Tannins are found abundantly in nature and to say that we shouldn't consume any tannins almost like saying that we shouldn't eat or drink.

From the wiki-Gods I provide a list of foods that contain tannins: tea, wine, pomegrantes, persimmons, cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts, foods smoked with cherry, mesquite or oak, beer, fruit juices, cloves, tarragon, cumin, thyme, vanilla, cinnamon, legumes (beans), and chocolate.

The health effects of tannins can be either positive or detrimental depending on chemical structure and dose. They are currently being researched for potential to treat cancer.

[MarginOfError]

Originally Posted by wildbean98

Only black, green, white, and oolong teas are covered by the WoW. They are made from the leaves of the camellia sinensis plant. The level of oxidation and what part of the plant that is used is what makes them different. Black tea is more heavily oxidized than green and white.

Herbal tea is defined as any tea not made with camellia sinensis.
Tea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rooibos tea is made from a completely different plant so it doesn't break the WoW, just like chamomile and rosehip tea are made from different plants and also do not break the WoW.

I think it's important to remember that this statement is neither authoritative nor binding. This is your interpretation of the Word of Wisdom. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but I will say it is inappropriate to say that this is the interpretation of the Word of Wisdom.

Originally Posted by wildbean98

Believe me, I've done a lot of research on this because my wife suffers from horrible migraines and chai made from black tea was one of the few things we found that would make the headaches go away. Coffee was another one that worked but it was too upsetting to her stomach. We originally thought it was a caffeine addiction but other drinks with caffeine had no effect. We had some pretty serious issues about giving it up.

The authorities have been pretty specific about which teas are bad and which ones are okay to drink. Herbal teas are regularly used by members. If you want to avoid anything with the word "tea" in it you can, but it's not what the WoW asks us to do. We need to make clear distinctions between what we choose for ourselves and what the church asks of us.

Chai only refers to the spices used. You can put the same spices in milk and have chai milk, or make chai ice cream or chai jello or chai whatever. Traditional chai tea is made from black tea which is against the WoW but that doesn't mean all chai tea is against the WoW. You could make a perfectly acceptable herbal tea and put chai spices in it and have chai tea that even the Prophet could drink.

Any other plant besides camellia sinensis that is boiled in water is referred to as herbal tea which has been stated by the church authorities as not against the WoW.

Bigelow Lemon tea: Rose Hips, Lemon Grass, Natural Lemon Flavor, Lemon Peel, Lemon Verbena, Peppermint Leaves, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Hibiscus Flowers, Citric Acid.
Does not break the WoW.

Bigelow cinnamon tea: black tea, cinnamon.
Does break the Wow.

As it turned out, something in coffee and black tea was causing her migraines. Our stake president happens to be a neurologist and helped us figure it out. We slowly reduced her intake of tazo chai and replaced it with rooibos chai and her migraines have pretty much dissapeared. There is definately something in camellia sinensis that is bad for us which is probably why the WoW refers to tea made from that plant.

I take issue with the bold statement unless you can provide references from the leaders of the Church that support what you say. As far as I'm aware, the only clarification on the Word of Wisdom that involves tea is that "hot drinks" are interpreted as "coffee and tea." I'd welcome any authoritative statements you could provide to support your assertion.

[Wingnut]

It's not the caffeine. It's not the tannins. It's the "because I said so." The woman's father shouldn't have told her what he did without being able to produce a reference (which I strongly doubt exists). I'm with the OP, though -- if you have to ask, you already know the answer.

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by wildbean98

Rooibos tea is made from a completely different plant so it doesn't break the WoW, just like chamomile and rosehip tea are made from different plants and also do not break the WoW.

We can take comfort that this Rooibos was valiant. Despite being valiant, I think Chamomile is nasty tasting.

[Cassie]

Thanks for this thread! The missionaries and I had an investigator ask about this just last night. We basically told him that we(the missionaries and myself) avoid all teas, but we would get back to him on it. He said he coud give up his black and green tea as long as he could still have his chai tea, so I will give him some info from here on it. Thanks!

[sixpacktr]

I think that we as humans like to have a definitive answer as to the whys of something. In effect, we're all 2 year olds that have learned that most annoying of questions: why? The simple reason is 'because I said so'. It isn't the caffeine, the tannins, the color, the aroma, that mouthwatering sweetness or deliciousness of it.....sorry, I digressed. Our HF doesn't have to give us reasons why or why not. We simply are commanded to obey. Then we have a choice: do I or don't I?

As for which teas are 'good' and which are 'bad', I'll go with what I learned many many years ago in Japan. Tea leaves are bad. We aren't to drink drinks made, dunked, saturated, steeped, boiled or chilled with them. In Japan you will not hold a TR if you drink them, which include green, brown, black, oolong, chai and a myriad other teas made with tea leaves. Other teas, such as buckwheat tea (a personal favorite) and other herbal teas that are made from things OTHER than tea leaves are okay (unless, of course, you are drinking 'crack tea'). Check your label if in doubt.

The Prophet Joseph was counseled in the D&C that there would be conspiring men in the last days that would try to make money doing things that aren't for our benefit. I remember when I was at BYU many, many years ago when wine coolers first came out how some of the people there drank them because they thought it wasn't 'really' wine. Huh?? This is the same type of justifying, IMO. We need to be vigilant, and not LOOK for ways around what we've been commanded.

My hope is that the tea restriction will be lifted in the CK. I plan on making up for my time here by having sweet tea ALL of the time....

[RachelleDrew]

Margin, that is REALLY cool information. On another note, sweet tea six? EWWWWWW.

We are selling sweet tea at McDonald's and it's awful. I drank someone's by accident when I grabbed the wrong cup and thought I was drinking my diet coke. One jug of sweet tea has an entire package of sugar in it. It's foul.

[Questionable]

Just as an aside, a lot of hot drinks in China and other parts of Asia are called "tea" even though they aren't actually tea, and there is nothing "tea" about them.

[sixpacktr]

Originally Posted by RachelleDrew

Margin, that is REALLY cool information. On another note, sweet tea six? EWWWWWW.

We are selling sweet tea at McDonald's and it's awful. I drank someone's by accident when I grabbed the wrong cup and thought I was drinking my diet coke. One jug of sweet tea has an entire package of sugar in it. It's foul.

Miss Rachel,

It is just obvious that you didn't drink good sweet tea. It only had ONE package of sugar in it?

No wonder it was foul....

[wildbean98]

Originally Posted by MarginOfError

This is your interpretation of the Word of Wisdom. I'm not saying it is right or wrong, but I will say it is inappropriate to say that this is the interpretation of the Word of Wisdom.

I take issue with the bold statement unless you can provide references from the leaders of the Church that support what you say. As far as I'm aware, the only clarification on the Word of Wisdom that involves tea is that "hot drinks" are interpreted as "coffee and tea." I'd welcome any authoritative statements you could provide to support your assertion.

What people are getting tripped up on are definitions here.

Tea is defined as a drink made by boiling the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. If it's not made from that plant then it is not tea.

The term "herbal tea" is a misnomer. The actual name for drinks made from plants other than Camellia sinensis is "tisane", or "ptisan." Calling those drinks "herbal tea" is incorrect because they are not tea. We just use that term because it's convenient and very few people know about the word "tisane."

We have been told, and it has been covered in Ensign and other places, that we shouldn't drink "tea" but other drinks like "herbal teas" are acceptable. They could have used the word "tisane" but nobody would know what they were talking about.

D&C 89:
10 And again, verily I say unto you, all wholesome herbs God hath ordained for the constitution, nature, and use of man—
11 Every herb in the season thereof, and every fruit in the season thereof; all these to be used with prudence and thanksgiving.

This scripture tells us that "herbal teas" are good for us, as long as the plant is wholesome. I imagine hemlock or foxglove would probably not be considered wholesome.

The WoW is actually pretty clear and specific about what you can consume and what you can't. The problem isn't with interpreting what the Prophet has told us, but with understanding definitions in the english language.