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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
There is an Iodine Deficiency epidemic going on in Western Countries. Other than Japan, people are massively deficient in most countries. Among dozens of problems, kidney stones are also caused by Iodine deficiency.
I’ve just started making smoothies and trying to eat healthier – now I find out this? I like having a little bit of spinach in it, and I like spinach salad as well. I have fibro also, so I will have to watch my intake of these oxalates. I also hear they interfere with absorption of iron, which most people eat spinach for!
If it is posted on the internet it must be true……
Hello!
Thank you for your article.
I have been reading about this topic for a while, and it seems wherever I look, there is another opinion. I would very much like to see any citation for this information if you have it. Some places say that you can eat a lot of greens if you rotate them and eat them raw only, some say cooking will create oxalates so not to cook greens, some say to only consume them lightly steamed, some say not to eat them at all. What are we supposed to eat? Fruit has too much sugar, meat is too acidic and low in fiber, grains spike the blood sugar, and now leafy greens are too high in oxalates. My head is spinning….
Thanks for any citations you can offer.
Lisa
Hear, hear!
And dairy is mucous forming but raw milk solves all problems, grains have anti-nutrients, and potatoes are too starchy and starch is bad, and cooked foods form acrylimides (sp?), but raw food is hard to digest, it goes on and on . . . .
I have now decided to go on anecdotal evidence and my own trial and error to figure out all these nutritional paradoxes. One such piece of evidence is this: My father has had several oxylate kidney stones. He never touches greens and rarely eats any other food that contains oxylates. He does, however eat a 100% processed food diet and drinks soda instead of water.
For the heck of it, I went online to see what foods HELP get rid of kidney stones and kidney problems in general since I’d be next in line for these problems if this is a hereditary thing. One of those foods was PARSLEY which is very high in oxylates! There were also several anecdotal stories of people curing their kidney stones/problems with parsley.
My 2 cents theory on this one is that the high vitamin k content in the greens keeps all the calcium and oxylate in solution so the stones can’t form.
My verdict is still out on the fruit, meat, grains, etc, . High protein/fat gives me heartburn and constipation, high fruit gives me tooth decay, but green juices help all of these problems, and no oxylate issues after months of consuming. So I’m not ready to give them up yet.
Oxalate is destroyed by Vitamin C – which by the way is also contained in almost ALL green raw vegetables. While the cooking process destroys Vitamin C, it does not destroy oxalates. People get kidney stones not by drinking green smoothies, but by eating cooked, dead vegetables. This article is extremely misleading. Do not fall for this.
I am NOT falling for this either. I have been drinking about 40 ounces of green smoothie about 6 days per week, mostly kales, with some berries and coconut milk, flax, cacao and spirulina, for more than two years. Before this, I HAD previously suffered from very large kidney stones, 8mm and had to have two surgeries to remove them. Then, I stopped taking calcium supplement chews and pills and began getting all my calcium from my foods. I have not had any more stones and feel great. In fact, my diet is completely vegan (for 2 1/2 years now) and I have the best blood work results you will ever see. The food allergies I had before eliminating dairy products are now gone, too, etc. There is NO WAY I’m giving up my greens!
OMG. I will pray for you. Seriously … ? This is really scary what you are doing and not at all healthy.
I just a really good response to this blog post. I’d advise everyone to read this too but above all, listen to YOUR body and trust yourself.
http://kimberlysnyder.net/blog/2012/05/29/response-to-article-how-green-smoothies-can-devastate-your-health/
GOOD GRIEF – I have to worry about genetically modified foods….I have to worry about non organic foods……..oh no, red meats……..watch that you dont eat too much protein…..oh and stick to complex carbs…………no sugar or cut that down too………
NOW Smoothies are bad – WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO EAT – I am ready to throw in the towel
All of these articles are VERY upsetting and worrisome but as I say – WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO EAT and really WHO is the expert as even experts & doctors disagree
so – STOP THE MADNESS SOMEONE PLEASE