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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
I cannot believe this ! I went camping on Saturday and this battle was raging and I came home today and it’s still going on ! GOOOOOO SARAH! WHOOOOOOOOO! Love ya girl!
Sarah … and people who are aware of the animal protein link … perhaps you should read this .. and then give us your thoughts. Greens with EVERY meal are excellent for your health.
http://rawfamily.com/news/2012/05/12-05-04.html
Thank you
Thank you Bryan, I replied to Sarah’s reply telling her that after being raw for 2years if I eat anything with any form of an animal product even if its a trace of milk, my body reacts immediately and that anyone consuming the raw greens should abstain from any animal products completely 🙂
I just read the most recent newsletter from the Raw Family website about oxalates and it appears there is more evidence to indicate that animal product is more the culprit
I just read the most recent newsletter from the Raw Family website about oxalates and it appears there is more evidence to indicate that animal product is more the culprit
This is so interesting!!!! I’m a nursing mother and in order to pack in a lot of nutrition I was having a green smoothie daily. After a few weeks of this new practice I started getting horrible bloating and gas. I originally chalked it up to the recent re-introduction of dairy back into my diet after a two week break for my nursling {it didn’t help}. But it didn’t really make sense because dairy makes up a large portion of my diet, especially while pregnant or nursing, and I’ve never in my life had an issue with dairy. Our son’s doctor suggested that I always had an issue and didn’t realize it or perhaps it was the probiotics I was taking, which could be true I suppose, but I started laying off the smoothies and my symptoms started subsiding. Again I chalked it up to my body adjusting to the dairy. Then I had a smoothie for the first time in a few weeks and there again was that horrible bloating, cramping and gas. I could not believe it was the smoothies! I even bought new spinach thinking maybe I had a funny batch. I still don’t know with 100% certainty that it was the smoothies but my instincts of late have been to avoid them. This just proves that everything in moderation is best 🙂
Agents of misinformation like this Sarah —no last name- are actually doing humanity a favor. They help us weed out the dumb and stupid who believes in this anti propaganda BS. So go ahead and if you were on Green Smoothie and want to stop it, great. You just leave more fresh green for the rest of us. Go and eat your GMOs, the Good American Beef and contribute your last dollars to the ecological problems by giving your dollars to Big business who funds these misinformation agents.
Bluehat – with all due respect, big AG/gmo are not part of those who follow this blog, your comment is out of ignorance to a traditional foods diet.
personally I purchase a great majority of my foods from a local organic farmer who is in network with other like farmers. No gmo’s…no big AG.
Please educate yourself with the “ins and outs” of a traditional foods diet before making assumptions.
Definitely checking into this further. We have a child with Multicystic Dysplastic & only one healthy kidney. We make green smoothies & juice a couple time a week. Plus, I add Amazing Grass to these drinks. Sarah, I appreciate your willingness to share this post. I do believe all things in moderation and making sure fruits/veggies are organic and GMO free is a must…BUT…for our family, knowing that oxalates could cause kidney stones is a sincere concern. It amazes me that nephrology specialists didn’t warn us about kidney stones caused from certain veggies. We must be our own advocates!! Thank you for making us aware. Now it is up to us to research and make the healthiest decision for our child and family. Blessings –
More research is being done at this moment on oxalates. Besides already being in the body they are in fruits, vegetables, nuts & seeds, legumes, grains, chocolate, blk tea and cocoa. The problem is humans overdo everything especially when it comes to food. All of our bodies are different, some people do fine with lots of oxalates in the diet. Listen to your body it will tell you what you need and what it does not tolerate. Our body is always talking to us and It’s only when we refuse to listen or when we don’t understand what to listen for, that our bodies “turn up the volume” in an effort to get us to pay attention. This can often result in a manifested illness or dis-ease in the body. Here is a wonderful chart for those of you that want to pay more attention to their oxalates in the diet.
Thank you for the great article that alerted me to the oxalate levels in my vegetables. I definitely agree that naturally occurring fats are the only good fats for you. My husband and I were raised on margarine and processed foods and have resigned myself to the fact that I will probably die of cancer, however, slowly but surely we are changing the foods that we eat. It is not a change that is easy on $40 a week food budget for 5 people.
I find it interesting that there are people who comment about vegan and raw diets helping cure cancer and believe it is true. A friend of mine dealt with cancer in this way. I believe people need to realize your advice is given to have a healthy life if one is not facing a life threatening disease, or a severe allergy. Obviously, if one has such a condition you treat that condition first. I haven’t seen the author contradict that the RAW diets have helped those suffering from cancer. This article seems to deal with a more specific ailments caused by too many oxalates in one’s diet.
Holy cow. There’s a lot of people upset and saying that you are wrong. But you’re very clear that this applies to SOME PEOPLE.
Well, I’m “some people”, and am astounded. I’ve been feeling bad for years and years, like I’m doing something wrong, because I feel like certain foods or ways of eating disagree with me. In fact, EVERYthing you mentioned is what bothers me! I’m blown away. Thank you so much. Once again, I need to be OK just listening to my body. I’ve been feeling guilty because I cook almost all my veggies, and can’t bring myself to eat things like kale. Well, no more! It’s amazing how having a name for a condition makes it OK in my head, but there it is.
Once again,
Thank you! And for everyone so upset—cut it out. This is helpful to some people. If it doesn’t apply to you, then pass the article by.