Ellen White on the Dangers of Sugary Drinks

Consuming sugary drinks and sweet foods carries significant dangers, impacting one's physical, mental, and moral well-being 🍏🧠💖. God calls for temperance in all aspects of life, including eating and drinking, to ensure we glorify Him in our bodies and minds 1 Corinthians 10:3120MR 9.3+1.

Detrimental Effects of Sugary Drinks and Sweet Foods

• Physical Health Risks 🩹: Sweet foods and desserts are known to cause disturbances in the stomach and disorder the digestive organs, leading to negative effects on one's disposition and potentially a diseased religious experience18MR 352.3+3. Sweet cake, in particular, can injure the stomach and liver, and the sweets children consume can harm their life-current, contributing to impure blood1SAT 215.1. Furthermore, iced lemonade or very cold water taken with meals can impair digestion by diminishing the flow of salivary glands and halting the digestive process until the system warms the stomach sufficientlyHL 163.3.

• Impaired Mental and Moral Faculties 😔: The unrestrained indulgence of appetite, common in the days before the Flood and signaling the Lord's return, enfeebles moral powers, making sin appear less sinful and allowing passions to control the mind, eventually eradicating good principles Matthew 24:38-39CH 24.1+1. Intemperate eating and drinking can blunt one's sensibilities and cloud the intellect, hindering the clear discernment of sacred and eternal truths2T 71.1+1. Moreover, consuming sweet foods can foster impatience and irritabilityCD 321.2. A clear mind, essential for thinking according to God's will, is hindered by sweet things and sweet dessert dishes, making it best to avoid themCD 328.4. Indulgence in appetite can also make it nearly impossible to partake of the divine nature, thereby polluting and defiling the body, which is meant to be the temple of God17LtMs, Ms 77, 1902, par. 17.

• Perpetuation of Perverted Appetites 👪: The strength of natural appetites is greatly influenced by how they are treated, and indulging them can lead to practices akin to "eating and drinking with the drunken," promoting gluttony and other forms of intemperance17LtMs, Ms 77, 1902, par. 17. Parents who succumb to perverted appetites may experience nervous excitability or exhaustion, which can impair their ability to wisely guide their children or discern right from wrongST December 6, 1877, par. 12. Such indulgence, especially with stimulants, can lead to the transmission of depraved appetites and passions to children, requiring future generations to exert even greater moral power to resist intemperance in all its forms1TT 417.1. Allowing appetite to dictate choices, rather than principle, implicates the entire human system, as violating physical law is a violation of God's law, leading to dissipation and unrestrained passions20MR 4.4. Neglecting instructions from the Lord regarding eating and drinking can also lead to carelessness in adhering to other truths He has revealed23LtMs, Lt 162, 1908, par. 9.

• Warning Against Calling Evil Good 🚨: There is a solemn warning against those who "call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter" Isaiah 5:201888 1301.2+5. This applies to misjudging the effects of certain foods and drinks and illustrates how improper choices can pervert judgment1888 1301.2.

The Path of Temperance and Self-Denial

God provides light in these last days to dispel the gloom and darkness caused by sinful indulgences, aiming to lessen the evils resulting from intemperate eating and drinkingT18 67.1. Daniel's example of strict temperance, which directly influenced his physical, mental, and moral nature, demonstrates the benefits of conforming to nature's laws and being accountable to God for all one's capabilitiesYI May 21, 1903, par. 6+1. Strict temperance in eating and drinking is crucial, as the habits formed in this life profoundly affect our eternal interests Romans 12:1-218MR 352.3+2. Parents bear a God-given responsibility to educate their children in the principles of health reform, teaching that self-denial is the only path to safety20MR 9.3. It is a sacred duty to care for our health and advocate against intemperance in all its forms, including in eating and drinking5MR 105.3+1.

While the Bible speaks of occasions for joyful feasting, such as to "eat the fat, and drink the sweet" Nehemiah 8:10MH 281.7+1 this is always understood within the overarching principle of temperance and glorifying God. Our focus should always be on Christ, the "water of life," rather than on indulging perverted appetites John 7:37-38+12SP 346.1+1. The proper treatment of appetite develops character and reveals those who "make a god of their bellies"HR August 1, 1866, par. 6. Therefore, it is essential to prepare healthful, nourishing, and palatable food in homes and institutions, training tastes and encouraging temperance in all things16MR 64.2+5.