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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
Ok, enough! Now healthy food is bad for you too? For every article touting something healthy, there is another saying it’s not. Eggs are good! Eggs are bad! Eat nuts! Nuts will kill you! etc etc. I’ve had it with this crap. No more reading what everyone else thinks.
I don’t call sitting around a table sucking down Coors Lite a life either, Casey. Or wondering why I feel like complete garbage but it has nothing to do with what I’m consuming.
Everyone line up for your shots of wheat grass. You call that a life?
Has anyone here heard of the Gerson Therapy? Literally thousands of people worldwide have been cured of cancer and many other chronic degenerative diseases. The main component of this radical change of lifestyle (therapy)? Juices. Apple/carrot juices and green juices (leafy green lettuces like romain, water crest, swiss chard, escarole, beet tops, etc.). You have to drink around 10-13 a day. To be fair, they advise against eating raw spinach on the therapy because of the oxalates…but to say that drinking green juices can be detrimental to your health is completely flawed and poor advised. Note: I don’t completely agree with all the philosophy behind the Gerson therapy and I am definitely not anti-meat/protein/animal fat. I love them and consume them daily. However, I am pro-truth…and this article provides little of it. It’s very disappointing to me.
For those interested, here are 2 documentaries on the Gerson Therapy:
Dying to Have Known:
The Beautiful Truth
People please do not forget the emotional nature of diseases. We are energy, and our vibration affects our body. Before blaming the green smoothies for causing any disease on you, I would have a look inside your mind and emotions first. Our body talks to us, please let us listen.
I believe that is more important to be at peace with what we eat, than trying to have the imaginary “perfect” diet, that is not, and never be the same for everybody. Just listen to your body and try to eat natural organic foods.
And just for the record, freens are full of life, that energy that will heal you from everything
The author just says that some people have this condition. I am one, and am so glad I read this because now that I have stopped the smoothies, I am symptom-free. And it was no fun!!
Green smoothies are fine.
http://www.incrediblesmoothies.com/green-smoothies/oxalates-spinach-oxalic-acid-health-concern/
The operative word is “can”. That means they (oxalates) “can” have negative health consequences, but not always. Normal human gut flora contains the Oxalobacter formigenes bacteria which helps the bowels utilize oxalates safely. So if you’re concerned about the dangers of oxalates take a good probiotic that contains Oxalobacter formigenes to help strengthen those colonies and you’ll be fine.
Also, don’t confuse oxalates with oxidation. Oxalate is a stable ion so there aren’t any worries about it doing damage as a “free radical” (if my memory of organic chemistry is reliable it could be oxidized to form a free radical, but it would have to lose 2 electrons in the process which is highly unlikely).
The Benefits FAR Outweigh the Negatives!
I find it hard to believe what is written in this article. To me it sounds like the author is blindly accepting some very poor research, based on one side affect of what is common sense. Eating nutrient rich dark greens like spinach and kale have far more health benefits than these negatives she so speaks of. If you have the ignorance to believe this well I feel sorry for you. Most North Americans have terrible diets to begin with, and adding a green smoothie to your diet in the morning might have some adverse affect, because the body may not be used to such high nutrient intake. So instead of removing the positive healthy green smoothies from the diet, perhaps think about some of the other foods you eat during the day, like the 20oz steak that is not mentioned in a negative light in the article that “The healthy home economist” cited in this article.
I’ve been drinking green smoothies for well over 3 years now, and I’d never go back.
Michael.