One of the most controversial articles on this site is how the green smoothie diet can actually be dangerous rather than beneficial to health over the long haul.
Since the original publishing date of that article in 2012, I have received dozens of emails from people who unfortunately discovered firsthand how green smoothies can negatively affect health, sometimes devastatingly so.
The typical scenario described was an initial energy and health boost (likely due to the detoxification effects), but over a period of months or even years, a dramatic health reversal or crisis occurred such as hospitalization due to tissue pain or organ malfunction from oxalate crystals. Sometimes, a strict, low oxalate diet was required to facilitate recovery.
Another significant health risk is blowing out your thyroid from overconsumption of the goitrogenic cruciferous vegetables commonly used in green smoothies. These include kale, broccoli, collard greens, arugula, maca, bok choy and others.
On the positive side, I have also received messages from people who were able to finally resolve chronic kidney stone or fibromyalgia issues once they significantly reduced or eliminated their green smoothie intake in favor of salads and/or veggies cooked in a healthy fat.
As mentioned in that original article, the main problem with green smoothies is overdoing it. This is unfortunately the typical scenario in Western culture. If something is good for you (like green vegetables), more is always better right?
Wrong.
While I myself don’t consume green smoothies, there are simple ways to incorporate them that won’t trigger the problems of excess if you truly enjoy them.
Here are some tips to consider the next time you visit the juice bar or fire up the blender.
Symptoms of Green Smoothie Excess
Ayurveda is a system of traditional medicine from India based on the 3 doshas (physical and emotional tendencies): Â Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
The Ayurvedic perspective on green smoothies is that they aggravate the physiology of many people, particularly the Vata dosha. Those for whom the Vata dosha predominates are characterized as being constantly on the go with an energetic and creative mind. Imbalances are experienced as one or more of the following symptoms:
- Inconsistent appetite
- Gas or pain after eating
- Bathroom issues (constipation or loose stools)
- Dry/rough skin and hair
- Variable energy
- Poor circulation
- Pain or cracking in the joints
- Mental agitation
- Restlessness
- Flightiness
- Anxiety
- Poor concentration
- Poor memory
- Changeable moods
- Insomnia
In addition, Ayurveda warns that green smoothies are hard to digest in general due to the high fiber content which is experienced as long lasting fullness. Most people think this is a good thing, but it is not! It is actually an indication of indigestibility.
Finally, Ayurveda cautions that greens smoothies are associated with catabolism or the breaking down of tissues. This is experienced over time in the following ways: bone issues, compromised nerve conduction, hormone issues, infertility, auto-immune woes, chronic fatigue, other diseases of depletion.
7 Tips for Safer Green Smoothies
The tips below are recommended by Everyday Ayurveda as ways to make the occasional green smoothie a healthier practice and more in accordance with traditional Ayurvedic principles for a smooth, easy digestive experience:
- Add a pinch of turmeric and ginger and a squeeze of lemon to the mix to aid digestion.
- Be sure to never drink cold green smoothies. Make sure they are at room temperature or at least add a little hot water. While pleasurable on a hot day, cold drinks are actually very hard on the digestion and can impede mineral absorption.
- Keep the ingredients to a minimum – simple and less dense is better.
- Add a little coconut oil to offset the dry, fibrous qualities of the veggies. The addition of fat also serves to facilitate better absorption of the nutrients.
- Try them without fruit.
- Avoid the addition of superfoods like maca powder or protein powder. They make them even heavier. Collagen hydrolysate would be well tolerated by most people, however.
- Only have a green smoothie a couple of times a week at most. Not daily!
Another reason to avoid the addition of superfoods particularly if they are green powders is because these powders are prone to rancidity even if they are refrigerated or packaged in capsules (1). The one exception to this is kelp which is very salty which seems to serve as a natural preservative.
Cooked Veggies in a Green Smoothie?
Another alternative to the typical raw green smoothies is to make them with cooked vegetables instead. While cooking vegetables does result in some loss of nutrition and enzymes, the gains to overall digestibility more than compensate.
This can be accomplished one of two ways according to Dr. Lawrence Wilson MD, a pioneer of nutritional balancing. These are the only methods for preparation of green drinks that he suggests to patients who want to drink them (2).
Using a Vita-mix
Place some roughly chopped vegetables in your Vita-Mix and turn on the speed to maximum. Continue the mixing process for a full 5 minutes after the machine chops up the vegetables very finely. This continued spinning actually serves to lightly cook and warm the vegetables.
Using a Blender
Cook up the vegetables you wish to include in your green smoothie over the stovetop for at least 25 minutes. You may wish to include some carrots or onions for sweetness.
Next, put the cooked vegetables into a standard blender or use a hand held blender to whip it up into a thick drink. Do not add a lot of water, as this interferes with digestion by diluting digestive juices. Using a hand held blender will require less water added, and so is the preferred option.
Do you drink green smoothies? If so, what precautions have you found encourage better digestion to avoid the downside of oxalates and goitrogens in so many of the most popular green smoothie vegetables?
Hi Sarah,
do you have any more recipe for green smoothies?
My husband is diabetic and travels a lot.
Thanks
Linda
I always believed that cooking greens for the smoothie is healthier and better for digestive system. However, once foods containing oxalic acid are cooked, according tothe author of Raw Vegetable Juices, Dr. Norman Walker, the oxalic acid becomes dead and irritating substance to the system. He feels that in its cooked form it binds irreversibly with the calcium and prevents calcium absorption. An excess of cooked oxalic acid may also form oxalic acid crystals in the kidney. In the live organic form of oxalic acid, Dr. Walker claims oxalic acid stones and calcium blockage do not occur because the organic oxalic acid can be metabolized appropriately. Can you please share your thoughts on this? thank you.
Eventually, people are going to become very allergic to green smoothies. Spinach is particularly nasty. Raw, that is. You can’t eat too many COOKED greens. The more cooked greens the better. I would leave raw greens alone, though, unless its lettuce. Lettuce has been breed over hundreds of years to be a harmless green that can be eaten raw. As for the others like cooking greens, they are meant to be cooked because they contain plant poisons such as oxalate acid… and probably other poisonous stuff that really adds up the more you eat it.
After reading the article I weighed the spinach that went into my smoothie this morning. It was 28gm. The smoothie is such a convenient way of getting all sorts of nutritious foods into me that would be difficult otherwise. A typical one contains………. Spinach or kale, celery, coriander leaf, pear, dried goji berries,fresh blueberries, coconut oil, turmeric paste (homemade), cinnamon, fresh ginger, black pepper, chia and flax seeds, psylium husk, milk kefir, raw egg vit c powder, magnesium powder, ashwaghanda powder, macca powder, organic beef gelatin. Is it the quantity of spinach/kale that is an issue and what would you say about the 28gm and the other ingredients? Thanks.
Sarah,
Your interesting article has left me confused. I’m a life long (50 years) vegetarian and have been on the AIP diet for a year trying to fix an undiagnosed leaky gut and the problems that result from that. I’ve been having a Vitamix green smoothie for breakfast for probably 5 years. I really can’t stomach meat and haven’t been able to reintroduce foods except some goat cheese and almond butter. Any breakfast suggestions?
Thanks, Melissa
Not quite sure how you can be on AIP if you don’t eat meat and bone broth? They are a staple to this healing diet. I don’t really have any suggestions for you … the complete protein and healthy fats in animal foods are really key to a good breakfast particularly if you aren’t eating any grains so a simple bowl of oatmeal with butter and cream is out.
I regularly have a smoothie which contains one banana, one avocado, full fat organic yoghurt, a raw egg and some Pumpkin spice mix sprinkled over it (I mix up the Pumpkin spikes myself, it’s cinnamon, allspice, ginger and cardemon). Would this upset the stomach as well?
perhaps eating greens surpasses smoothies for the fact that we have to chew and that stimulates digestive juices?
Yes, that is one reason why eating greens rather than drinking them is the better way to go.
I went on David Rainoshek’s (now calls himself David Rain, I think) Juice Feasting program for 92 days a couple of years ago and felt absolutely wonderful on it. Ilost most of my excess weight but unfortunately I have since put it on and am now trying the juice feasting again.
The meals are not smoothies but juices prepared in a Vita Mix and then strained so only juice is consumed and very little else.
Do you think this is as dangerous as exclusively drinking smoothies?
Thanks
I have been using a form of greens powder organic for two years now. I am now aware of any negative effects. I drink most days and I usually have a salad. Are you saying this is bad?
I personally wouldn’t use green powders ever. People use rancid vegetable oils and eat processed foods with rancid GMO oils (like soy and canola) from the supermarket for years too and seemingly don’t have any issues until something major happens.
If you’ve ever ground herbs from your own garden then you know that green don’t last long when powderized or mashed up. They get rancid very fast.
Interesting article! Do the same things apply to eating these green veggies raw? Such as in a kale or spinach salad?
Thanks!
Yes … while an occasional spinach or kale salad is fine, don’t make it a daily habit for the same reasons especially if you are prone to oxalate issues.
so I’m vegan what would you suggest? I know ppl that are raw vegans is that a bad thing? because you leave me so confused…don’t eat that…eat this…like are you for or against vegans?
Vegan is not a healthy way to eat … you may feel great initially from the detox but most ex-vegans I know started experiencing debilitating health problems within 1-5 years and had to re-incorporate animal foods to their diet to resolve chronic nutritional deficiencies.