Is Coffee is Good for You?

Coffee is getting some good press lately, and Green Mountain is upping the game with a "Wellness Brewed" series.


coffee beans
Coffee beans image via Shutterstock

According to Harvard Medical School, coffee has some surprising health benefits. When sipped in moderation, coffee can help protect against diabetes and certain cancers. The Mayo Clinic says that coffee can help prevent against Parkinson’s Disease and has a high content of antioxidants.  But both recommend the old “everything in moderation” rule, meaning that chugging a Venti of your favorite pumpkin latte a day may not help you ward off disease. Too much caffeine can lead to anxiety and irritability.

Vermont-based Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is entering the “wellness market” by creating a collection of “Wellness Brewed” K-Cups, which were created for coffee drinkers that want something extra in their beverage. The “Antioxidant Blend” infuses Vitamins C and E into fair-trade certified coffee and the “Focus Blend” infuses 50 mg of L-Theanine (an amino acid said to reduce stress and boost mood) into each cup. There is also a collection of Celestial Seasonings teas and vitamin bursts.

Whether or not these blends are just a marketing ploy or really have health benefits is up to the consumer. But it is hard to forget the fact that while the popular K-Cups are formulated without BPA and constructed using FDA-approved food safe materials, they are still not recyclable and are filling up landfills.

Do you love K-Cups? What do you think about K-Cups and the environment?