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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
Ha everything in this article is completely wrong. Learn how to do real science lady…
With all respect to the OP your article is merely taking a small percentage issue and blowing it out of proportion. The daily benefits of green drinks for 99% of people far out way the potential risks. Yes there are a small percentage of people who have other issues and large consumption of daily greens could be a problem . I’m sorry but I find you posting an article based on very very little clinical facts as just a way of making yourself sound a little more informed than perhaps you are…curious…what are your credentials?
I would say ignorance is bliss, but this is plain, unadulterated stupidly. Really? You should not believe something a quack doctor says, when the majority of the world, including the best in the Medical and nutrition field says the opposite. I can’t ever believe anything you say, so I will not go to this website ever again, until you apologize to your readers for your stupidity
Seriously? You’re kidding, right? I’ve never seen the NIH, AMA or ANY heart health organization, all of which tout the consumption of as many greens as you can, come with a warning to beware of oxylate toxicity. You really lost me at painful sex.
Still here? Troll blogger.
WTF? Please tell me that I didn’t just waste 5 minutes of my life reading this false, negative crap. I can’t believe that anyone would believe this article, it is all nonsense. Not one of my physicians have ever told me to not eat green leafy veggies . In fact, that is usually the first thing that my doctors say if I am complaining about not losing weight. “up your veggie intake, green leafy vegetables should be the basis of all your salads. Try to eat at least one large salad a day, or more.” this person is just plain idiotic
This article just makes me laugh. No research sourced at all, and it mentions that majority of kidney stone problems are oxalate related which according to this article is purely green smoothies fault. Hahahah oh please! That would mean majority of people consume green smoothies which is obviously not the case. I don’t know anyone close to me that puts greens in their smoothies except for myself. In fact I hardly know anyone that drinks smoothies unless its from places like Starbucks or McDonald’s! This author needs to stop waisting their time and write more meaningful articles
Brad i was doing high fruit style eating, thats why i loaded on greens. It worked in the beginning but my then my health just went down hill and i put on alot of weight and was feeling hungry all the time. My body seems to be the total opposite of what other people experience. I was sick a few years ago, so my body is hypersensitive. I’ve been studying diet and nutrition for a long time and have come to the conclusion that i’am meant to eat what my ancestors ate. My body is doing well this way and im losing weight. On the previous diet i had jelly like fat. My fat mass on my stomach was bad and the massage therapist said to me it was unusual. I also suffered hypoglycemia. I guess some diet lifestyles work for some and others dont.
NO where do I see your credentials as a nutritionist, scientist or doctor. This is the problem with so many bloggers. Writing as if they are experts. Please further educate yourself dear reader.
What a load of crap. Maybe we should go back to processed foods, wine and meat. Wake up!!
Sarah thankyou so much for posting this article. If you had not posted this article i would not have known the destructive path i have taken. I was eating greens everyday and having green smoothies and eating salads and juices with greens everyday thinking it was so healthy. I always thought greens were the fountain of youth. My health started to deteriorate and i was suffering chronic fatigue. The fatigue got worser everytime i ate salad believe it or not. My reproductive system(ovaries) had shooting pains go up to my ribs, sex was painful. I put up with it not knowing my problem was too many greens and naively thinking it will keep me young. Actually my skin prematurely started ageing after a couple of years of greens. I was buying organic greens and had allsorts of ideas that the tiredness was from chemicals in environment.
Please keep doing the work that your are doing informing people that these diets long term are causing damage.
Mazza C, Did you little to no fruit?
Mazza C, Did you eat* little to no fruit?
MazzaC – as a high-raw but still some cooked and even occasional meat-eating health-searching fellow being, may I suggest that greens in and of themselves do not usually or necessarily cause the problems that you list above? You don’t mention the rest of your diet, although I’ll assume that you attempted to balance it: if not, then please don’t blame the greens – if so, then I’ll speak from my own experience and say that it seems obvious that there are now and possibly were underlying health issues. I’m currently of the mind that we will each always be searching for our own particular combination of a balanced diet, and that it will probably also evolve and change as we go through life, as very little ever really stays the same. That said, I know it can be disappointing to do what we think is best and have it ‘go south’ so drastically, but can I encourage you to continue working toward a lifestyle of moderation and that word balance again, including having a good amount of leafy greens? We each need to keep searching for what works for us…I hope you find some healthy answers soon!