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Green smoothies are all the rage these days. Many people are drinking them every day or at least several times a week in an attempt to get healthy and “alkalize” the body.
Whenever I visit the cafe of my local healthfood store, there are usually several people in gym clothes lined up to order a green smoothie to sip after their workout.
Green smoothies are made by blending large amounts of raw leafy green vegetables with fruit to soften and sweeten the taste. Typical vegetables included in green smoothies are cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, collard greens, maca (usually as a supplemental powder) as well as others like spinach, swiss chard, celery, and parsley.
Is the green smoothie fad a truly healthy habit over the long term? Or, could regular consumption of these seemingly healthy drinks contribute to serious health problems over time?
Raw Leafy Greens Contain High Oxalate Levels
Frequent consumption of large quantities of raw, leafy green vegetables blended up as green smoothies can be deceiving at first. This is because green drinks facilitate an initial detoxification process that makes a person feel great. This is especially true when coming off a highly processed, nutrient poor diet.
While very nutritious, the vegetables used in green smoothies are almost without exception high oxalate foods. Over time, a high oxalate diet can contribute to some very serious health problems particularly if you are one of the 20% of people (1 in 5) that have a genetic tendency to produce oxalates or if you suffer from candida or other fungal challenge. In those cases, a high oxalate diet can deal a devastating blow to health.
Oxalate Toxicity Not a New Problem
The effects of oxalate toxicity have plagued humankind since ancient times. For example, scientists discovered an oxalate kidney stone about the size of a golf ball in a 2000 year old mummy from Chile using x-ray analysis.
Build-up of shards of oxalate crystals can occur almost anywhere in the body. Whatever tissue contains them, pain or worse is the result.
75-90% of kidney stones are oxalate related with 10-15% of Americans afflicted at some point during their lives. As the star shaped crystalline stones pass from the kidney, they cause pressure and pain in the bladder and urethra and can actually tear up the walls of the urinary tract.
Oxalate Stones from Excessive Green Smoothies
Oxalate stones can show up in any body tissue including the brain and even the heart.
Crystals comprised of oxalates resemble shards of glass. They can become lodged in the heart causing tiny tears and damage to this vital muscle. With every single contraction, more damage is caused as the heart pumps life giving blood to the rest of the body.
Oxalate crystals which end up in the thyroid can cause thyroid disease by damaging thyroid tissue.
A frequent location for oxalates to end up is skeletal muscle which will cause pain with even normal movement and make exercise nearly impossible. Dr. William Shaw, Director of The Great Plains Laboratory for Health, Nutrition and Metabolism who has studied oxalates extensively, is convinced that oxalate toxicity is a factor in fibromyalgia the pain of which can absolutely devastate a person’s life (1).
Vulvodynia – Painful Sex
Cases of women experiencing painful sex are on the rise with oxalates a possible culprit.
Vulvodynia is a condition causing pain in and around the vagina. It is linked to oxalates deposited in this delicate reproductive tissue. Oxalate crystals are very acidic and they cause irritation, burning, and stinging sensations for affected women. An accompanying feeling of rawness is typically experienced during sexual relations.
Oxalates Are Fungal in Origin
A surprising finding is that oxalates are produced in large amounts by fungus. Large stones have been found in the sinuses and lungs of people suffering from systemic fungal infections such as candida or Aspergillus.
Therefore, anyone who suffers from any sort of candida overgrowth or other fungal challenge like fungus nails or dandruff would be wise to be very concerned about oxalate intake via the diet.
Consumption of green smoothies would not in any way contribute to improvement of health in these situations. The majority of people today suffer from gut imbalance and candida (yeast) issues caused by antibiotic and prescription drug use including the Pill. This renders a high oxalate diet which includes frequent green smoothies an unwise practice for virtually everyone.
Does Cooking Destroy Oxalates?
What about cooking the greens first? Would this reduce the risk of oxalate overload and make consuming greens safer?
Not really, because oxalates are extremely stable. While cooking high oxalate foods and discarding the cooking water does reduce the level of anti-nutrients, it remains quite high.
Green smoothies are usually consumed frequently by those who swear by them. As such, a light steaming of the veggies first would not make a significant difference over the long term if they are consumed regularly. If you consume green smoothies only occasionally, however, a light steaming is a good idea. This practice adds a degree of safety to the process. Other tips for preparing safe smoothies are contained in this linked article.
Healthier Alternatives to Green Smoothies
The best course of action for health, then, is to opt out of the green smoothie diet fad. This is especially important if you have any sort of gut imbalance or candida issues.
If you enjoy green leafy vegetables, be smart about it. Don’t overdo like so many in the health community are doing with the best of intentions. Enjoy green drinks in moderation in salads. Or, cook them and carefully drain and discard leafy green cooking water. Never use it in soups and sauces!
Be sure to serve cooked leafy greens with a healthy fats like butter or coconut oil. Avoid margarine or any factory fats synthesized with rancid and/or GMO vegetable oils like Smart Balance. Using natural fats will facilitate maximum absorption of minerals.
Another option is to drink raw cultured vegetable juice or eat raw cultured vegetables. Not only will you get enhanced nutrition from the culturing process which adds enzymes and nutrients, but you will also get a beneficial and therapeutic dose of probiotics to help balance gut function and improve digestion. It also suppresses fungal overgrowth like candida.
Wheatgrass an Excellent Alternative!
Another option is to do shots of fresh, green wheatgrass juice.
Wheatgrass juice is very low in oxalic acid.
Here is a link to my favorite green juice recipe using wheatgrass and ginger. It is safe to drink regularly, daily if you like, instead of green smoothies. It is also an excellent drink for gently detoxing before pregnancy. The ginger assists with morning sickness issues too if you are already pregnant.
What to do if a Green Smoothie Diet Has Already Harmed Your Health
Are you already are suffering from some of the ailments described in this article? Do you suspect a high oxalate diet which includes green smoothies or a daily spinach salad may be the cause? If so, stop this practice immediately and consult with a holistic physician. You will likely need professional assistance to guide you on the road to recovery. Ridding your body of oxalate crystals that are potentially irritating one or more of your body tissues is no simple task! It is not advisable to attempt this protocol on your own.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist, author, Get Your FATS Straight
References and Additional Information
The Role of Oxalates in Autism and Chronic Disorders, William Shaw PhD
Top 4 Cleansing Myths to Watch Out For
N.W. Walker pretty well known authority on juicing claims to never eat spinach cook because of release of oxalic acid.I have owned his book since 1971 and made that a golden rule
It’s stuff like this that makes me want to give up even trying to be healthy! WTH??? What IS good for us. I’m pissed right now.
total rubbish
I don’t agree with this at all :).
Sarah,
I just wanted to say that I understood what you were trying to relay in this post. You were simply pointing out a flaw in a common fad and wanted others to know that despite it seeming all healthy, there are concerns with it.
So many people think that if it’s a vegetable or whole grain or whatever than it must be healthy but they do not take the time to realize that some foods are best eaten when prepared a certain way or not eaten in excess.
Thank you for your post and keep up the good work!
I really don’t think anyone is going to go on a green smoothie rage ONLY putting leafy greens into a smoothie for weeks at a time. This article is totally written from an alarmist point of view and rather pointless.
I recommend smoothies all the time as Certified/Registered nutritionist to my clients, especially those who are breakfast skippers. However, I always suggest they mix things up, include a quality protein source as well and keep the variety going with the fruits and veggies.
Perhaps that would be a great follow up to this post — to talk about the benefits of greens, but to make sure you have variety.
It’s too bad you chose this direction for your article as it sends the wrong message.
I’m always telling my husband who loves large green salads all the time, that salads make me sad. I was joking but maybe not! 🙂
This post is offensive.
There is a huge difference in a smoothie and a salad. The action of grinding up food in a blender and in your mouth are not nearly the same. Humans were designed to chew their food not to drink it on ice. While a smoothie can be a treat it is more benificial to consume your greens the way nature intended. Adding fruits to balance the Ph of your smoothie would aslo be better for you.
I’m dismayed at your attack on green smoothies, to the point that you are scaring people away from taking one of the most important steps towards healing they could make. Whilst there is a tiny tiny bit of truth about oxalates in the brassica family there are far more GOOD points about green smoothies. As a detox coach and certified raw chef I advocate blended foods for anyone going into recovery and transition to live foods, green smoothies containing small amounts of fruit (ONE banana or some mango for example) avocado, green leaves including lettuce family, some spinach or kale and LOTS of cucumber, some courgette and celery are very alkaline, detoxifying, hydrating, healing and full of enzymes, amino acids and plant based calcium. Blended foods are very easy to digest as the process is done in the blender, allowing the digestive system to adjust to the enzyme rich contents that ignite the highly diminished ‘fire’ from a life of eating DEAD cooked foods. go a step further into JUICING and health is enhanced even more and often faster. One of the big issues I often see, and have experienced personally, with green smoothies is the temptation to eat far too much sweet FRUITS in the attempt to disguise the taste of the greens…fine for a short time of say a week, while getting used to a new way of eating, but once we move into that new space, cut out the sweet fruit entirely for the most beneficial effects. Sweet fruit is far better enjoyed eaten WHOLE and in small amounts. Stick to the super low glycemic fruits like apple, summer berries in season and ORGANIC, but again go easy unless you are a performance athlete and can convert all the glucose to energy and not fat. Your advice to cook vegetables in lots of butter really is NOT healthy at all, and would do exactly the opposite of making the lovely leafy veg digestible.