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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
thehealthyhomeeconomist, you are very brave to do a post like this. There is a green smoothie revolution happening and a lot of people very strongly believe in the health benefits of raw veggies (mixed with some raw fruits). We were drinking green smoothies for awhile. I got onto someone’s e-mail list who is highly prolific in the green smoothie niche. I suspect she’s the one who took them mainstream. Anyhow, we put spinach, kale and chard in ours. Sometimes lettuce or raw broccoli.
It didn’t really do that much for us (and our overall diet was about 90% healthy, organic with healthy fats, grains, etc). My kids didn’t really like the taste and the smoothies seemed to make them hyper. We stopped and we only have fruit-based smoothies (occasionally, not on a regular basis).
One of the main reasons we stopped was because years ago (long before green smoothies became popular), I read about oxalates (and the health risks of eating too much of them) in some raw greens from Donna Gates (The Body Ecology author) and Dr Mercola. They both wrote that foods like spinach, kale and chard needed to be steamed before eating to help remove some of the oxalates.
I have fibromyalgia and I’m interested in checking out the idea of oxalate crsytals. Thank you so much for your article!
While I appreciate this article explaining the pitfalls of yet another fad in the “Get Healthy Quick” community, instead of presenting just the “scary” bits of information to increase website hits and create a buzz, which seems to be the standard journalistic tendency, it would have been nice to read a complete article that would offer solutions or guild lines to include juicing into a healthy life style. My wife and I have recently started a juicing regiment and my main concern has been at what proportions and intervals to consume the fruits and vegetables. I’ve been trying to get more information on what a juiced ounce of any particular item has, what it should be combined with, and what will happen if I consume too much. What I’ve found so far is just like your article, enough information to expose my ignorance, but nothing to help me. A list of recommended reading or websites would have been nice.
Now that you’ve scared everyone, let’s see an intelligent follow up.
Does wheat grass have oxalates? We juice every morning, but we use cucumber, apple, carrot, ginger, orange and beet. Hope that is ok, because it sure is good, and my kids love it!
Glad I read this. I actually have a green smoothie recipe on my site, that I have made a few times. It is good and has its health benefits, but probably shouldn’t be consumed on a daily basis. I have found that when I tried to replace a meal or two with it, my energy drops(obviously not enough calories) and then nausea hits. Once I eat a regular meal I am ok within an hour or two, but its definitely not a fun experience. If I do have a green shake now, I will have it with my meal, instead of in place of. Eating greens in their raw natural state wouldn’t normally be bad for us, but I think having a green smoothie on a daily basis is giving us concentrated doses of everything that’s in them, good and bad. If you were out scavenging for spinach leaves in the wild, you probably wouldn’t be eating that much of it, especially not every day.
For your recipe, how about replacing the high oxalate or goitrogenic veggies with ones that aren’t, like avocado, lettuce, carrot, zucchini, celery and cucumber? As for the energy drop, I would guess consuming protein and fat would help since they provide sustained energy. Add pasture-raised egg yolk, coconut oil, and shredded coconut, for example. Might be worth experimenting and see how you feel.
Great idea Beth! Next time I think I will. Although I have been a little hesitant to try coconut oil, I cook with it daily and use in my deodorant and sunblock, but wouldn’t putting in it the shake thicken it pretty drastically, especially if it’s cold? Is it not very noticeable or does it make it tougher to drink?
I take that back about oxalates in carrots and celery. Apparently they are high. Here’s a chart, click on veggies:
http://www.lowoxalate.info/recipes.html
Yogurt or kefir, preferably homemade, but full fat in any case, would be another option for adding fat and protein. I make kefir smoothies a lot and add coconut oil and shredded coconut. The oil can sometimes end up in tiny balls if I add something cold, like frozen blueberries, but I don’t mind it at all. It and the shredded coconut add texture, and it helps you to remember to “chew” the smoothie anyway, which is a good practice since it mixes with saliva, initiating the digestive process (don’t gulp down).
Thank you so much for posting this. The trend never made any sense to me, but people would actually get angry with me if I said I didn’t buy into the seat on the band wagon. To me, traditional is key. Eat like your grandparents did, and their grandparents before them–real, whole food and traditional fat.
I, sadly, just un-liked your page on FB. The odd thing is: I don’t even drink green smoothies — no matter how one makes it, they’re too high in sugar/carbs for me, even natural fruit sugars. But, it does truly bother me how you, Sarah, make sweeping generalizations about the health of others, like this: “Given that the majority of people today suffer from gut imbalance/fungal issues caused by antibiotic and prescription drug use along with consumption of processed foods, a high oxalate diet which includes green smoothies is an unwise practice for virtually everyone.” Only 20% of the population is susceptible to oxalate troubles (which you do mention), and one’s own liver produces oxalates! I remain unconvinced that avoiding all foods with oxalates causes more good than harm; so many amazingly healthy foods contain oxalates. A better route is to digestive and overall health is to eat organically-produced, fresh, unprocessed, whole foods. Consuming oxalates is not going to increase the body’s Candida production; your logic on this issue does not follow. Consuming sugars (and even starches) and no probiotics/fermented foods will produce Candida. Recommending a diet low in sugar and high in fermented foods (which you do) is helpful to the general health of all. Stating flat-out that green smoothies (when in fact, as others have mentioned, kale is low in oxalates; only spinach is high) are “unwise” for “virtually everyone” is irresponsible and alarmist. It’s your alarmism that deeply disturbs me, which is why I will no longer read you; I’ll stick to wise sources of information that don’t try to garner more readers by scaring them.
Read the article more carefully, she is not advocating eliminating these foods from your diet, just not eating it in huge quantities as are generally present in the green smoothies that you find at the health food store and/ or juice bars. She is talking about the daily drinking of these smoothies. I actually know people who are on a green juice diet exclusively for weeks and weeks at a time. This article is meant for those people.
^^^ exactly
Very well said Karen.
Thanks Karen for the laugh. Your post is so full of errors and just well, a perfect example of googlechondria where one believes what one reads because some ‘guru’ said it was true.
Newsflash: Candida is a normal inhabitant of the intestinal tract. It only becomes invasive if one severely restricts carbs. Why? Because you’ve starved it of the food it craves, so it goes elsewhere looking for it.
And that’s just one of many errors in your post…
My family does have an oxalate issue! Plus I’m on a forum where lots of us suffer from it. Kidney stones are very painful. Many kids with autism also suffer from oxalate and it can be devastating to your health. I think the author was explaining how one person’s food is another person’s poison. I don’t understand why people are taking such offense to this information. I can consume dairy just fine and am not offended by articles explaining how people are intolerant from it.
Amen!
Sarah, what about juicing? Same health risks from that? Thanks!
Wow, Sarah, I was reading the source article for your post on the Weston Price website just last night. So many times we are on the same wavelength.
I was reading up on oxalates after remembering that spinach was extremely high in them and after suffering headaches two nights in a row after eating steamed spinach now abundant at the farmers’ markets. I was interested to learn the other high oxalate foods cited in the article:
Soy (the highest)
Spinach (second highest)
Black pepper
Chocolate
Instant coffee
Leeks
Lemon peel
Lime peel
Okra
Parsley
Peanut butter
Peanuts
Pecans
Pokeweed
Rhubarb
Sweet potatoes
Swiss chard
Tea
Tofu
Wheat germ
It was fascinating to learn about how it relates to fibromyalgia, autism, and vulvodynia, and how using calcium citrate can mitigate the effects when consuming any of these foods. So, last night I took 2 calcium citrate pills after finishing off that last of our spinach and no headache. Interesting, eh?
I agree that the green smoothies are not as prudent as people might hope, especially when you also factor in the goitrogenic, thyroid-disrupting effects of some of the foods people use.
I also thought it was interesting that spinach and soy are on the no-no list on Dr Louisa Williams’ detox protocol (www.radicalmedicine.com).
Great list thanks! So I’m assuming these foods should just be cooked with butter not excluded from the diet entirely right?
This title is just….ridiculous. Over the top, much? Green smoothies, I’ll say, have CHANGED my life. Especially considering I was quite addicted to sodas. Leafy greens with butter is better for me? How in the world? Of course I know one size doesn’t fit all but encouraging people to STOP drinking something that many of us have several benefits from is just crazy to me.