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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
This brochure about oxalate states kale as quite low per 100g…spinach is 600mg, Swiss Chard at 645mg while kale is only 13mg! It sets the “high” range to be above 50.
If this is the case why is kale being mentioned along with Spinach whenever it’s talked about as though they are identical?
Then again today is the first day I’m learning about oxalate…and it’s totally ruining my life lol…I do everything to stay AS healthy as possible now I feel like I need to start from scratch! On a raw food diet and Adore my spinach, kale and Swiss chard, and green juices…grrr. I don’t suffer from anything, but I also have an inability to ignore info like this:(
I also Adore my raw cacao, almonds!
Rhubarb 800mg yikes! Good thing that’s never been a part of my life.
The site also mentions contradicting info to what’s shared here…saying fat is reduced to help not added! the quote “Excess fat will bind with calcium in food, thus leaving oxalate by itself to be reabsorbed by the colon and back into the blood stream. If too much oxalate is absorbed, it will combine with calcium in the kidney and can lead to calcium oxalate stones.”
Goes on to say too Little calcium also increases risks of producing excess oxalate…good Lord lol, now I’m more confused as ever about what’s the best diet for my health!
I think you’re right to eat them in moderation. I tend to alternate between cooking my spinach and swiss chard (and discarding the water) and throwing a few leaves into a smoothie every now and again to eat raw.
Here’s an article I posted about the topic, with links to a lot of research:
http://www.cravingfresh.com/2011/04/good-news-eating-raw-spinach-might-be.html
i wouldn’t poo the whole theory of green juices. there are some therapeutic diets like gerson and gaps that use juices with success as they are good for chelation. the wahl’s diet is very heavy on dark leafy greens and she reversed ms with her diet. i have read too that adding baking soda to the cooking water will neutralize oxalic acid, so that may be worth a try too for the others (as well as discarding the water as you say).
I so agree with Sophia ….. but I bet these negative people will be doing a whole lot of thinking in the future about WAP and Sarah and smoothies , everytime they see one! Sarah makes people think….something that a lot of people don’t want to do on their own. It’s not easy this journey ….but I love that I am learning from a pro every single day . Things that I would never search out on my own . Love ya Sarah !
I think most raw foodie websites that promote green smoothies explain that you need to rotate your greens, and watch your intake of high oxalic greens. That being said, it seems rather alarmist to claim that these healthful drinks are “devastating” our health. Maybe one needs to educate themselves on how to make them in a way that is consistent with current knowledge about greens, etc. But to throw the green smoothie out because someone is doing it incorrectly seems a bit extreme.
Not sure how I feel looked up the article that you referenced and it didn’t have any references so not sure what scientific evidence they are basing this on. I have small green smoothies a couple times of week for years and am healthy. I eat a balanced including lots of veggies and gras feed meats do you have any supporting research articles would like to learn more
It is extremely enlightening to read all the snide and nasty comments. Are you people reading what you write? If you don’t find Sarah’s information helpful, then don’t use it, but grow up folks, some of your comments are uncalled for.
Are you kidding?
Green smoothies are a much healthier alternative than this Standard American Diet (SAD) of processed and convenient foods that are disguised as healthy foods such as “packaged instant oatmeals” or “sugar loaded granola bars” and “calcium enriched coco krispies”.
Yes, lets continue to promote our major food manufacturing companies without a shred of regard for the health of humans.
It’s real food. It’s raw food. It’s fresh food. And it gives a person at least 3 servings of vegetables (the daily minimum is 4)
I am so glad this article came out. I was just going to try raw vegetable juicing – something I read about on Dr. Mercola’s website. He’s such an advocate but I wouldn’t want to make it a regular practice after reading your article. Thanks!