The reason why we shouldn’t drink caffeinated drinks (soda, energy drinks, etc.) is simply because it violates the spirit of the word of wisdom (see D&C 89). But so does eating an entire package of Oreo’s in one sitting, and eating an entire cow at a barbeque, and eating fatty fast food every day of the week. It simply isn’t healthy, which is one of the purposes of the word of wisdom. However, caffeine poses another problem with the spirit of the word of wisdom: addiction. Although the Church has no official position on drinking caffeinated beverages, “The leaders of the Church have advised . . . against use of any drink containing harmful habit-forming drugs”( Quoted in “Policies and Procedures,” New Era, May 1972, 50). Some of the side effects of caffeine-related medical conditions include jitteriness, agitation, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, gastrointestinal disorders, osteoporosis, acid reflux, weight gain, and decreased blood flow (See Thomas J. Boud, “The Energy Drink Epidemic,” Ensign, December 2008, 49–52. See also Russell Wilcox, “Energy Drinks: The Lift That Lets You Down,” New Era, December 2008, 30–33).