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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
Hi Sarah, I’m a second year Naturopathy and Nutrition student in Australia and I really enjoy your blog… I too include plenty of healthy, saturated fats, raw dairy, and unprocessed food in my diet and love all that you are doing to promote this 🙂
On this issue though, I have to say I disagree… Almost all foods contain some substance that if consumed in excess can cause problems. Even my beloved red meat contains arachidonic acid which, while essential for good health, in excess can cause hypertension and chronic, systemic inflammation. We would never say to avoid red meat entirely though for this reason, probably just not to eat it in large quantities every single day and to also ensure we get a variety of other animal products in the diet also.
Green smoothies have tremendous therapeutic value, but they are not for everyone. They can be really effective at cleansing the liver, and also feed beneficial flora in the bowel and provide the blood with iron (granted this is the non-heme iron found in plant foods, but in a healthy gut can still be utilised to some extent). For anyone with liver issues or even endocrine issues caused by the liver not effectively metabolising excess oestrogen, for instance, they can really benefit from consuming a daily green smoothie for a therapeutic period of time. There are so many other phytochemicals, antioxidants, and other nutrients that there is no need to throw the baby out with the bathwater that is the oxalates…
I would stress again though that they are not for everybody – some people’s guts are in no shape for raw greens in that quantity, and I believe these should be used as a therapeutic tool for specific ailments and not a blanket “these are great for everybody!” approach that many healthfood stores take. They are gorgeously effective though when the body is calling for them.
Again, great blog. I just wanted to offer a naturopathic/medicinal perspective of where these foods can be beneficial 🙂
x
Wow. Interesting stuff. Is juicing greens okay? I feel great and am so regular with celery, carrots, cucumbers, spinach juiced each morning. My skin is amazing.
I started reading this blog because I’m sick, broke, and need info. This post doesn’t give it, though the discussion has been enlightening. Except for all the time wasting comments about the commenters.
Oops. I had more chronic pain than any time in my life. I think it is important to listen to your body. I wish I had known then the role oxalates were playing in the pain I experienced!
I am one of those very sensitive to oxalates. I couldn’t understand why I felt worse than ever as I tried to maintain weight loss, eating all the “right” things. Unfortunately they weren’t right for me. I was pain
no time to read all of the comments, so maybe this has been discussed, but aren’t NUTS high oxalate?
I think nuts are high in oxalates. I wonder if soaking them lowers the oxalates, or just lowers the phytic acid?
It seemed like one of the things that triggered gallbladder pain was having unsoaked cashews and sunflower seeds.
Soaking nuts prior to eating them lowers both the oxalates and phytic acid x
Hi – obviously by the name of my blog, I’m probably not going to completely agree with your article. I do agree, however, that some leafy greens are higher than others in oxalates, and my opinion is that if you have a history of kidney stones you may want to not consume those as much. But i think for the average, healthy indiv., this is just a fear-inducing tactic and a way to cause controversy. I did a juice fast for about 30 days in February, and have been drinking green smoothies close to once a day since then…usually using 1/2-1 C of frozen spinach of collard greens and haven’t had any bad symptoms, and in fact feel better. I do suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, so according to you, I should not be experiencing any health benefit AT ALL from drinking green smoothies… We’re all entitled to our own opinions, I just think generalizing and saying we should ditch the leafy greens, or if we *have* to eat them, drown them in butter… *sigh* I don’t care if it’s “a fad” or not, I think they are extremely healthy. Also, you don’t mention ways to help — such as adding some fresh lemon to you smoothies/juices, eating low-oxalate foods such as mushrooms, cabbage, berries,.. to offset some of the higher oxalate foods, and making sure to drink plenty of water.
Sarah,
I admire your bravery in posting this. I only read some of the comments and I was already exhausted. Thank you for putting forth real science that is steeped in traditions and not the fads that come and go!
Hm… I will have to disagree – I have been drinking green smoothies for seven years now, daily and I have marvelled at the benefits! x
Wow! this is the most response I’ve seen. had to fast forward through a lot of it. My husband and I drank green drinks for many years. When you posted awhile back about the oxalates I started cooking beets once a week to store in the fridge for a new version of drink 2 or 3 times a week. lately it’s been raw milk kefir, beet, celery, and blueberry and or banana with a little raw butter and we take our cod liver oil at the same time
. not sure about the celery. we only eat spinach & kale cooked now and mostly just from our garden. Does this sound beneficial or would you eliminate the celery?