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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
Please do some of your own research before you stop nourishing your body with the healthiest foods on the planet!!!!
If you have a disorder that predisposes you to high oxelate levels, speak to your doctor about how to keep eating greens while controlling your levels. Personally I have been drinking green juice every morning, including a big bunch of spinach, for the past few years with no problems and amazing results. Oxelate levels is an individually specific issue and should not be geared towards the general public.
http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2012/05/29/response-to-article-how-green-smoothies-can-devastate-your-health/
Sarah in her own words, from a post she wrote yesterday:
The next time a bizarre, modern notion like eating a simple bowl of scrambled eggs is dangerous comes along, just think about what your Great Grandparents ate. If they scrambled their eggs, chances are good that you can safely eat them too!
Just replace a few words and look at what you get. Funny! 🙂
The next time a bizarre, modern notion like eating a *green smoothie* is dangerous comes along, just think about what your Great Grandparents ate. If they *ate greens*, chances are good that you can safely eat them too!
Yeah, and they ate them slathered in pig grease and butter with hamhocks. Oh no!
I think the point is – green smoothies MAY be too much for SOME people.
Green smoothies CAN be devastating for SOME people.
I think you’d better do some more research. Most of these conditions are
1) Extremely rare
2) This toxicity is mainly attributed to high consumption of animal proteins
3) Kidney stones are indicative of other issues within the body, namely a highly acidic state.
I have been drinking at least 3 Green smoothies a day and look and feel amazing (I’m 52).
I am a certified nutritionist and have myself and my clients add good fat (coconut oil) and protein powder (raw rice protein) to them and they are balanced and extremely high in nutrients.
It’s too bad that you read a couple of articles and then deemed it reasonable to publish the ridiculous information you did.
This truly borders on complete stupidity.
What a load of crap. Telling people to enjoy salad, greens, and green smoothies in moderation is the exact opposite of what people need to be doing.
If this was a link bait article you accomplished your goal. Unfortunately, for a few links and page views, you will be adversely affecting the health of people who read this and become afraid of probably the most benign and healthful food they could have. Hope you sleep well at night.
I’m a nursing mother and I have green smoothie daily, I love the way i feel and i love the way i look, from an asian family i was raised eating green leafy vegetable and i can’t imagine living without it. I have never studied nutrition but i do listen to my body very carefully and work very hard to give it what it needs. So far, no kidney stones, no painful sex and no fungal infections that i used to have. I have respect wisdom and knowledge and thank you for kindly sharing your knowledge and your experience with the world.I felt that the article intensions was very brain washing in a very negative way and it needs to stop.
Educate yourselves… If you are having adverse reactions to consuming leafy greens, chances are that you have others things going wrong…
http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2012/05/29/response-to-article-how-green-smoothies-can-devastate-your-health/
two thumbs up, love Kim Snyder.
I’m curious as to which “traditional cultures” cook their vegetables in butter…? What the hell are you even talking about?
In India, greens are traditionally cooked in clarified butter. In Europe butter or olive oil. In parts of Africa, they are cooked in butter,
Traditional cultures did and do consume soups which are made from essentially green smoothie veggies together with their pot liquor. That isn’t so different since cooking likely increases oxalate availability in undrained cooked veggies. Most people who drink green smoothies use them as their primary vegetable source, they don’t live on them. And a lot include yogurt or other sources of calcium or magnesium which will bind the oxalates.
The single article you cite Sarah is not a scientific source, it is an opinion piece by a PhD who I will assume is a scientist. I’ve been scouring pubMed for backup, reading journal articles and checking research. That is where you find scientific sources.
Here is an article on hyperoxularia that provides a quite different take on oxalate build-up (and I cite it as a confirmed carnivore.) http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/444683-overview#aw2aab6b3 :
High-protein (meat) intake is known to be a significant risk factor for calcium stone disease because of its effect on urinary calcium and uric acid. A 2001 European study by Nguyen et al evaluated the effect of a diet high in meat protein on urinary oxalate in healthy subjects versus patients with idiopathic calcium stones and those with mildly hyperoxaluric calcium stones.[33]
The investigators found that approximately one third of those with idiopathic calcium stones responded to the high meat-protein intake with a significant increase in urinary oxalate excretion, while no effect was noted in healthy subjects. This suggests that, in addition to its effects on urinary calcium and uric acid levels, excessive meat-protein intake may increase urinary oxalate excretion.
…………………………….
Incidentally milk or yogurt lowers oxalate excretion:
this is nuts. every person is different. you should tell people to visit their dr to talk about these issues instead of telling people straight out that it is horrible.
reading through these responses boggles my mind. think for yourselves people.