Coffee is the third most popular drink in the U.S. and around the world. Coffee pods are very popular because they are convenient and new. They have many of the same health benefits as regular coffee, but they also have some health risks. Coffee pods have about five times more toxic chemicals than espresso or instant coffee. These chemicals can harm the body. So, are coffee pods good for you? Let’s find out!
Coffee pods definitely have some health risks. However, this doesn’t mean you should throw them away or burn them. Instead, let’s talk about how they affect our bodies and if they are a healthy way to drink coffee.
What Do Coffee Pods Contain?
Some coffee pod brands use instant coffee as their main ingredient. However, this usually makes the coffee taste bad. Because instant coffee doesn’t taste good, most coffee pods use ground coffee instead. Ground coffee gives the best flavor.
Nespresso, for example, uses the highest quality beans. They take great care to pulp, ferment, wash, and dry the beans. Then, they blend, roast, and grind the beans before putting them into their ready-to-brew capsules.
Coffee pods contain a toxic chemical called Furan, which is harmful to the liver. Furan is an aromatic compound that is toxic, a pollutant, and potentially carcinogenic for humans.
Coffee pods have more Furan than coffee made in traditional coffeemakers. Javier Santos from the University of Barcelona has studied Furan in coffee. He found that coffee capsules have higher Furan levels than drip coffeemakers. This is because the capsules are sealed tightly, which stops Furan from escaping. This also means the coffee stays fresh longer.
Researchers have also found that the amount of Furan in each coffee pod falls within a safe range. The presence of Furan will only impact your health if you consume it excessively.
What Are Coffee Pods Made Of?
Coffee pods come in two types: soft and hard. Soft pods make traditional drip coffee using non-pressurized machines, not including Keurigs. Hard pods are used to make espresso in pump-style machines.
Coffee pods are made of plastics and aluminum. They take 150 to 500 years to break down in landfills, so they are not eco-friendly. Also, the plastic in the pods may have harmful chemicals that can get into your coffee.
It’s almost impossible to avoid plastics. Many studies show that plastic and heat can cause health problems. Chemicals like BPA, BPF, and BPS in plastics are endocrine disruptors. They can lead to hormonal imbalance, weight gain, and fertility issues. Think about the number of chemicals found in coffee pods.
In addition to the potentially harmful plastics, aluminum components pose several health concerns. Aluminum exposure harms the brain and can lead to depression, anxiety, autoimmune disease, or Alzheimer’s.
Yes – coffee pods are convenient and safe to use. However, shortcuts typically have shortcomings, so opting for pods made from compostable materials or paper is a good idea. To avoid health concerns, you should seek out freshly roasted beans that you can grind and brew with a traditional drip coffeemaker.
How Many Calories Do Coffee Pods Contain?
Nespresso coffee pods are among the most popular options due to their convenience and availability. Due to their popularity, knowing how many calories coffee drinks consume with each cup of Nespresso doesn’t hurt.
Every Nespresso espresso shot contains 0.6 kcal, and every Nespresso lungo pour contains 1 kcal. Adding 100ml of milk will increase your calorie intake by 37kcal for skim milk and 65kcal for whole milk. If you prefer to add sugar to your Nespresso, you’re looking at over 100kcal per serving.
The Dolce Gusto brand is more calorie-dense since most pods feature multiple ingredients to create different kinds of coffee. For example, an Americano pod contains only two calories, and their cappuccino has 80!
The number of calories in your coffee varies on how you take it. Nespresso, by itself, is healthy since it contains almost zero calories. However, additives such as milk and sugar can lead to more calories and make it an unhealthy beverage.
