Are K-Cups Bad for You? A Look at How They Impact Your Body and Your Environment
Key takeaways:
K-Cups are single-use plastic containers made for Keurig machines to make a cup of coffee. Many people are concerned about how the plastic could harm their body and the environment.
Coffee has antioxidants, which have health benefits. But K-Cups likely release microplastics into your coffee, and these tiny plastics have been tied to some health problems.
K-Cups can also create a lot of plastic waste in the environment. And they can’t always be recycled.
Table of contents
Keurig launched their first machine in the late ‘90s. It quickly became popular in homes and offices because it makes a fast and easy cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. But that convenience comes with a cost. Many people have criticized the machines because of their environmental impact. Others are concerned about the potential health risks of the plastic. So, we took a closer look to find out: Are K-Cups bad for you?
Why are K-Cups controversial?
K-Cups were designed to be a convenient way to make a cup of coffee without brewing a whole pot. But that convenience can come at a cost. K-Cups are controversial for their potential impact on the environment and your health.
Environmental impact
K-Cups are made from #5 plastic and sealed with an aluminum top. To recycle them, you have to separate the plastic, aluminum, and coffee grounds. This can be difficult and not always possible. In some places, #5 plastic can be recycled — but not everywhere. That means people have to check with their local recycling programs.
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It’s also hard to know how much of your waste is being recycled once it gets to a recycling center. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), only about 8% of plastic waste was recycled in 2018. So it’s likely that many used K-Cups end up in landfills.
Personal health impact
People also worry about ingesting plastic when drinking coffee from K-Cups. Tiny particles of plastic called microplastics are everywhere in our environment. And we all encounter them daily. Microplastics have been detected in the human body, but how they end up there isn’t straightforward.
Researchers believe microplastics likely enter the body by swallowing or breathing them in. But we still have a lot to learn about how these particles get absorbed into our bodies and how they affect our health.
Are K-Cups bad for you?
Let’s talk about the main ingredient in most K-Cups — coffee! Coffee has antioxidants, which have a wide range of health benefits. The most well-known benefit is increased alertness, which is why many people drink it every day. But some studies also suggest that coffee drinkers may have a lower risk of some cancers and chronic diseases.
But what about the plastic the coffee comes in? The plastic used in K-Cups meets current food safety standards. They’re now made without bisphenol-A (BPA), a chemical linked to health problems.
Still, it’s hard to know if the plastic in K-Cups is bad for you. No studies have directly tested whether plastic is released into coffee during brewing.
What exactly are microplastics? You might be hearing this term more and more these days. Let’s look at what it means and what we know about microplastics.
A healthy cup of coffee: The health benefits — and harms — of coffee go beyond the beans. Here are some ways to spruce up your coffee with extra health benefits.
Is instant coffee bad for you? If you’re thinking about switching from K-Cups to instant coffee, read this first. Instant coffee may not be as good for you.
Some research on other plastic products — like disposable paper cups lined with plastic — shows that plastic may be released into hot beverages. But more research is needed to know if coffee pods release microplastics or if those particles stay in your body.
Experts are still trying to understand the impact of microplastic exposure on human health.
Some studies show that microplastics in your body can cause stress and inflammation. Others have shown they may lead to issues with reproductive, digestive, and lung health. One recent study even linked higher amounts of microplastics in big blood vessels to a higher risk of heart attack or stroke. But, it’s unclear if the plastic caused these problems or if other factors influenced the study results.
In short, researchers are trying to better understand the impact of microplastic exposure on human health.
Are there ways to make K-Cups healthier?
If you want to make K-Cups healthier, refillable pods may be a good option. They eliminate the waste from using a single-serving K-Cup. And if you’re trying to reduce your exposure to plastic, look for reusable pods made of stainless steel.
Reusable pods are filled with ground coffee before each use. This means you can use freshly ground coffee, which probably has more antioxidants and other healthy compounds. And many people think they make tastier coffee.
Another important consideration is what you put in your coffee after it’s made. Be mindful of added sugar and fat from things like creamer. And if you use non-dairy creamer, remember that some of these products can contain added sugars too.
Frequently asked questions
How many K-Cups per day is safe for you depends on how sensitive you are to caffeine. For most people, 1 to 5 cups a day is OK. One K-Cup has about 75 mg to 150 mg of caffeine. The FDA recommends that adults stay under 400 mg of caffeine each day.
Not necessarily. K-Cup coffee can be flavored in different ways. Some coffee beans have their own unique flavor. Flavor can also be added during the roasting process or by adding spices like ginger, cloves, or cinnamon before coffee is ground.
Artificial flavoring can also be added to coffee. Synthetic (artificially made) chemicals used to flavor foods and beverages need to be studied more to determine how they affect long-term health. But they’re likely safe in small amounts.
Using an expired K-Cup probably won’t make you sick. But coffee starts to lose its flavor as soon as it’s been ground. Old or expired coffee won’t taste as flavorful as fresh K-Cups.
Of course, it’s not recommended to use coffee if it has signs of mold or a bad odor. Because K-Cups are packaged, you can’t inspect the coffee before using it. If you brew it and it seems spoiled, don’t drink it. Also avoid using K-Cups if the packaging appears damaged or they haven’t been stored properly.
The bottom line
Single-use K-Cups make consistent, single-serve cups of coffee. If you’re replacing take-out coffee with K-Cups, you might not be creating more waste. But if you’re drinking several K-Cups a day instead of brewing a full pot, the waste can add up. K-Cups are made with plastic that meets current safety standards. Still, more research is needed to understand how plastic gets into your body and what it can do to your health. If you like brewing just one cup, consider switching to refillable pods. They create less waste and may help you avoid plastic exposure.
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References
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Liu, G., et al. (2022). Disposable plastic materials release microplastics and harmful substances in hot water. Science of the Total Environment.
Marfella, R., et al. (2024). Microplastics and nanoplastics in atheromas and cardiovascular events. The New England Journal of Medicine.
McGinn, D. (2011). The inside story of Keurig’s rise -- a tale unlikely, ultra-caffeinated, and sometimes explosive. The Boston Globe.
Mendes, E. (2018). Coffee and cancer: What the research really shows. American Cancer Society.
Rahman, A., et al. (2021). Potential human health risks due to environmental exposure to nano- and microplastics and knowledge gaps: A scoping review. Science of the Total Environment.
Ranjan, V. P., et al. (2021). Microplastics and other harmful substances released from disposable paper cups into hot water. Journal of Hazardous Materials.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). Plastics: Material-specific data.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Microplastics and nanoplastics in foods.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Spilling the beans: How much caffeine is too much?
Zhu, L., et al. (2024). Tissue accumulation of microplastics and potential health risks in human. Science of the Total Environment.
