California seems deeply confused when it comes to some matters of health, as they are about so many things.
The latest “brew-haha” involves acrylamide, a chemical that can form in small amounts during the roasting of coffee beans. (Acrylamide can also be found in many foods, such as potatoes, during high-temperature cooking.)
Acrylamide is considered a carcinogen, and research shows that high doses can cause cancer in animals. Brewed coffee only contains trace amounts.
But that didn’t stop a Los Angeles Superior Court judge from ruling that acrylamide must be included in Proposition 65, a state law that requires manufacturers to warn consumers that their products contain known carcinogens.
This ruling would have meant that consumer coffee products sold in California would have to carry a warning about causing cancer. But since California is such a large market, manufacturers and retailers were considering labelling all their products nationally to avoid additional costs and complications with this loony local law.
Science contradicts proposed law
Solid, ongoing research strongly links drinking three to five cups of coffee per day with lower risks of cancer, heart disease, and dementia. Plus, as you probably know, drinking coffee boosts mental function (except maybe in California) and energy levels over the short-term.
Scientists think coffee seems to work by boosting cellular energy and cellular hydration. I reported about this concept in the October 2014 issue of my Insiders’ Cures newsletter (“Drink up: Coffee won’t dehydrate you”). Not yet a subscriber? No worries — it only takes one click!
Yet the state of California was all set to ignore the mounds of solid research on the benefits of coffee.
But then, an unlikely hero stepped in to apply some common sense…
FDA blocks court ruling on coffee
In August 2018, right before the judge’s looney ruling would have gone into effect, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually stepped in to set things straight.
Yes — even the FDA acknowledges the science showing that moderate coffee consumption benefits health. And according to FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, a cancer warning on coffee, “would be more likely to mislead consumers than to inform them.”
If this ruling would have gone through, California would have begun to actually treat coffee consumption as some kind of “vice.” Which is ironic considering the state seems to have no problem promoting other real vices — such as marijuana…
California’s on quite a roll…
In addition to the coffee fiasco, California has been making quite a few other poor decisions lately that negatively affect the health and wellness of its residents.
For one, the state has made plastic straws illegal in restaurants and food establishments due to environmental concerns (rather than taking the sensible approach of requiring them to be recycled). Yet they hand out free, disposable plastic syringes so drug addicts can “shoot up” intravenously — a measure intended to prevent the spread of infectious diseases . (No word yet on recycling that plastic.)
Plus, as the homeless population continues to grow (thanks to the enormous disparity of wealth in the land that preaches equality), law enforcement has seemingly begun to turn a blind eye to defecation on the streets — a major, real public health hazard.
The last time the modern sewer system failed in San Francisco was during the Great Earthquake of 1906.
But today, “progressive” California has turned the clock back and created this disturbing public health disaster in its city streets. Worse yet, some physicians — who should know about the danger of contracting infectious diseases via feces — seem to applaud the state for its politically correct stances.
I also take issue with California’s mishandling (literally) of mercury…
The same state Prop 65 limits the levels of heavy metals in foods, consumer products, and landfills — as it should.
But, their zero-tolerance policy means they can never discard those lousy, “efficient” CFL light bulbs, which contain mercury, anywhere in the state. (Despite their supposed “efficiency,” these bulbs DO burn out and need to be discarded.)
In all fairness, California once led the country in some areas of health and environmental policy. But lawmakers have allowed political correctness to overcome both science and common sense (which obviously isn’t in great supply there anymore).
As the bad laws continue to pile up, California seems to be turning into a third world country, with the middle class moving out in droves, leaving only the rich and the poor. What a future vision for America…
Stick to Florida where the taxes are lower and we can enjoy a cup o’ joe in peace.
Source:
“No need for coffee warning, says FDA,” Medscape (medscape.com) 8/30/2018