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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
Nice article, but you may wish to update it to reflect the fact that kale is very low in oxalate and is perfectly safe to use every day in green smoothies. There’s a helpful article from Northwestern Medical school about kale and how it is often mistakenly linked to other high oxalate foods. Here’s a quote:
University of Chicago kidney specialist Dr. Fredric Coe, a professor of medicine who built and has run the university’s kidney stone prevention center for 45 years states that at “Kale offers all the benefits of dark green vegetable but it ranks really low in oxalate. There’s only 17 milligrams of oxalate in a hundred grams (about 3 ounces) of kale. So in every three ounces of kale you get nothing” in terms of oxalate, added Coe. “Essentially, it’s about impossible to eat enough of kale to cause kidney stones.”
Google “KALE SHEDS BUM RAP ON KIDNEY STONES” to read the full article.
Yes, kale is definitely much lower than spinach, but it is still a crucifer and as such, thyroid depressing. I have several friends who blew out their thyroids doing daily kale smoothies.
I just wanted to say that I am so grateful for the honest information you share, even when it flies in the face of current trends and fads. I am a retired nutritionist and current organic, grass-based farmer. One of the reasons I left nutrition practice is because I was tired of dealing with clients that just wanted to be told that what they were doing was right. It takes a brave soul to consider alternative truths, and braver still to implement them. I am still learning, every day, and I can only do this by reminding myself to stay humble and open.
There is always resistance to pointing out the flaws in a food trend from people that have been doing it for “two weeks and feeling great” and “been eating like this for four months and I’ve never been better”. I understand and acknowledge that people feel better for a short time. Come back when you’ve been on these raw drinks for a year or two, maybe three, and tell us what’s happening. I’ve seen it time and time again. Health that’s collapsed under these “healthy” eating ideas. Let’s hear from the longtime implementers of these regimes and what happens to their health. Until then, anecdotes like “I feel great after a week of drinking these green smoothies” have zero grounding in nutritional science and tell us nothing of the long term consequence.
Thank you for being the voice of someone who truly understands that nourishment comes from traditional, wholesome foods.
Not sure it’s a great idea to discourage people from healthy eating.. the oxalates may be a potential issue which is why it is recommended to rotate your greens (so you use kale for a couple of days, move to spinach, chard etc.) But you don’t mention this as a way of avoiding the problem – you just tell people not to bother with it at all. I feel amazing after two weeks of green smoothies and I Look better as well. I make sure to rotate my greens though.
Unfortunately, rotating greens does not solve the dangers of regular green smoothie consumption. You’re just jumping from one set of veggies with anti-nutrients to another. Best to drink them in moderation and if you have them regularly, follow some basic tips to make the experience safe for digestion. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/green-smoothie-safety-tips/
I found “Green for Life” by Victoria Boutenko addressed this topic very well. She discusses rotating greens, and incorporating some cooked food into her diet. She also does a great job educating the reader on the importance of the balance of Omega 3 and Omega 6.
Would you say that eating a salad every day is not a good idea? I know people that have a salad for lunch every day. I don’t liking eating salad, so I will have a green smoothie instead, often every day, to get my greens. Two hand fulls of super greens with fruit, pure cranberry juice and water. Are you saying that it is the combination of greens and WATER that one should avoid? In which case a salad every day vs a green smoothie would be okay? Please clarify when you get a moment, I would greatly appreciate it.
I totally agree with everything in your article having suffered from interstitial cystitis and vulvdynia for nearly all of the last year and only just starting to get some relief after drastically reducing the oxalate content in my diet. I can trace my problems back to last summer when I decided to go on a ‘healthy’ diet which consisted of a green smoothie every day as a replacement for one of my meals. The smoothie contained very large amounts of spinach, rocket, celery and parsley. None of my doctors were able to work out why I was getting persistent problems. It was only after invasive surgery and lots of antibiotics, none if which worked, that I stumbled across high oxalate levels in my diet being the cause of my pain. Thank you for highlighting this.
This article really open my eyes and scared me a bit but then I thought moderation is the key. The link below provides an even deeper review of oxalates.
veganhealth.org/articles/oxalate
Ok…..sooooo I’m vegan…so I shouldn’t eat raw veggies? Like I don’t understand…so fruits and veggies are bad to eat raw? I don’t get it…I mean as a vegan what should one do? because other vegans saw raw diet it is the best but now you’re saying that it’s not…how do I know that this a ploy or set up again vegans and vegetarians? like I need some help with this one because if I heard if you cook them you cook out what you nee…you just made this whole thing more confusing for me
I do agree that there is a little fear mongering going on here, intentional or not.
But I think the key (if not clearly stated) point of the article is “ALL THINGS IN MODERATION”.
There is no one thing that you can put in your body in excess without harming yourself. Even drinking too much water can kill you, so if you’re over doing it with super green smoothies of course it’s gonna have negative affects. But the author is really at fault for not providing a middle ground, she kind of went all or nothing on this.
Enjoy green smoothies in moderation is what I would take away from this.
hi Sarah,
ive been reading on oxalate rich food last year, as i tried to create diet to fight autoimmune disease/hashimoto. also follow anti candida diet, avoid goitrogen food… it became painful to make a meal plan, no sugar, no/low starches, no grains, no/low sugar fruits. i load up on eggs, grassfed beef, chicken soup, and salads, plus avocado a day.
so to confirm, to do it properly, i should cook/steam brocolli, kale, spinach, etc and throw out the water. what veggies can i then make soup with to keep the water, enjoy the soup?
big thanks.
Any veggies that don’t have antinutrients can be used for making soup … carrots, broccoli, zucchini, onion, garlic, celery to name a few.
If you wish to make kale soup or cream of broccoli, for example, just cook the greens first, discard the water and then blend into the broth with the spices and other ingredients.