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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
But they’re so tasty 🙁 I’m shocked….I always feel bad I don’t eat “enough” leafy greens so I guess I feel better on that front. Lol
I’m not sure that I believe the reasoning in this blog. I think that there is nothing wrong with a diet high in veggies. As with anything, if you have a health concern, you need to be more aware of how the foods you are eating affect you. Perhaps green smoothies are not good for everyone, but neither is a diet high in nutrient-poor food. Pick healthy every time.
leafy greens are important to health… seems part of this picture is missing… possibly the balance with foods that prohibit the crystal growth…
I’m very skeptical about this. Since eating a lot of green leafy vegetables (and following Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s “Eat to Live” diet), my husband’s high blood pressure and high cholesterol have been cured. This article really sounds like it came from the onion – “if you are going to eat vegetables, cook them thoroughly and put butter on them”????
It’s amazing to me that all these people never heard of Weston A. Price and the substantial research on the health benefits of butter! Stop living under a rock people and check out http://www.westonaprice.org/ ALL the info on a healthy diet are there! Catch up with the truth please! Save your family’s health now.
I don’t trust one thing WAP says since I went through their information on breastfeeding and picked through how almost everything was wrong or misinformed just to work their agenda, what that agenda might be for giving out wrong information on breastfeeding? I’m not quite sure. But trusting them for health advice? I don’t think so.
Then why are you reading this blog?
FYI – WAP’s agenda is to support small scale, sustainable, local farms growing nutrient-dense food. Yeah, what a terrible organization.
Jessica, I agree with you that the WAP advice on breastfeeding is Total Crap. (And my LLL leader friend and WAP follower agreed). It does make me wary of other things they say….however, when I look into the research of what they say about most everything else, I do think they are fairly solid in most other things. Sadly, you just have to ignore the breastfeeding part…I would suggest writing them and suggesting some changes to the breastfeeding portion of their literature. I don’t know if it will help, but it’s worth a shot! (Maybe we can get Kellymom to write too!) 🙂
What is wrong with their breastfeeding advice?
I’m curious, what is wrong with WAPF’s stance on breastfeeding?
Agreed- I blindly followed WAP and was even a chapter leader in my former life lol- never again.
What do you follow now? What seems to be wrong with WAP way of eating? Did you develop health issues while following the WAP diet? Please explain as I too are just starting the WAP diet journey.
Oh my goodness, I know! I nearly chucked Nourishing Traditions when I read the chapter on breastfeeding. I wondered WHY they would want to undermine the health of mother and baby and their breastfeeding relationship. I just fume when I think about it. I can only assume that either a) the authors had bad experiences with breastfeeding, or b) they are woefully ignorant on the subject, or both. I decided to keep the book as a reference as I do any other cookbook–use the recipes I want, ignore the ones I don’t. It definitely made me more cautious toward anything they say.
This diet has lots of criticism online from various sources (one such article can be found here: . There is also another recent rebuttal available from Kimberly Snyder. While some things appear to be sound, such as consuming unprocessed foods, other things appear to be amiss. I personally would require more research but for those of you high on the bandwagon, it might be a good idea to read some of the well-researched critiques before following/falling head over heels.
Oh please. I learned about Weston A Price 20 years ago, when I was in my teens and came across a copy of Nourishing Traditions at a Goodwill store. Twenty years of much nutritional research later, and I still think his nutritional “truths,” research, and advice is a bunch of bunk.
I have yet to come across one valid argument from a WAP supporter of why 70-year-old research from a Dentist olds any kind of scientific validity.
Ummm Roxanne…..Look closely around you . Look at the health institutes and cancer institutes and unhealthy people. Is this not enough of a valid argument that WAP just might be onto something wonderful>? He studied . He learned . He listened and shared. Just maybe there is a chance he is right? What else is working to make people have good health? Is anyone? What is a better alternative? Pills and drugs? Obesity? We are a very sick nation. But then that is what our government wants. A weak nation, one that cannot fight back. One that just follows like sheep , One that cannot or will not think for itself. Legal drug dealers abound. Do you have a better solution than WAP had? I didn’t think so .
The only thing our country’s high obesity and illness rates prove is that we are a nation that doesn’t eat enough fresh, whole food. We eat crap. The principles of the WAPF are not the cure for that. I follow a whole foods diet very similar to what Robyn Oppenshaw (The Green Smoothie Girl) teaches–mostly vegetarian, but not vegan. I eat a lot of fresh produce every day (close to 10-15 servings)—both raw and cooked, whole grains, beans, a lot of fish, moderate amounts of cheese (but otherwise no dairy), and very little other meats because I can’t afford grass-fed/pastured meats. My years of nutritional research tell me that diets high in animal foods are not healthy.
I also concur w/ Michael Pollen when it comes to food: Eat real food, not too much, mostly plants.
@bonnie rose shaw, I too am very skeptical of all this. Now do we have to measure every lil thing that we put in our mouths. There is not enough time in the day. Too many Greens ?!?!?! Confused?!?!?! I also read “Eat to live”. Great, Great book. Amazing healthly living. I changed the way I ate and never felt any better. Thank you Dr. Joel Furman!!
Oh please, Joel Furhman? His advice is so out of touch — almost everything he recommends is high in anti-nutrients — and also very high in omega six fatty acids.
Good luck with that Elle!
Moderation yes, veggies bad for you, no! Others can be used in smoothies/juices as well, doesn’t have to be green: cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, cilantro, ginger, beets…don’t let this discourage! Just know what you are juicing, benefits AND liabilities!
Telling people to opt-out entirely sounds a bit extreme (nearly as extreme as drinking 5 green smoothies a day), and maybe even irresponsible. How about just recommending moderation, if anything?
There is so much to know! Ahh! lol
Amanda, you said exactly what I think everytime I read one of Sarah’s articles! I really have so much to learn! Having said that, I must comment that when something comes up that people seem to either disagree or exhibit frustration with, then I think it good to remember that we are all on the same journey to LEARN and take that info and see how it affects YOU. No need to get upset or confused, just be aware and appreciate that no one has “Arrived” and has all knowledge….so, we can be happy to have some new info to sift through and pick what we can use! Just be prepared to make some changes everyday and make it fit. I personally like to know what is going on, even if I choose to do something different. I love to read the dialogue from everyone’s perspective and experiences! I also am grateful that Sarah is willing to say some things that make us LOOK and check into what we may have taken as solid info. No problem! My only experience with green smoothies is noticing that a friend who drinks them daily has lost 30 pounds and looks unwell. I am sad for her as she is a young mother and I believe that she is going to have some imminent health problems, just from looking at her. But, this time last year, she was just beginning to look at the SAD diet and realize that her family was eating poorly. I appreciate that she is looking for the truth. Thanks for all your input; it helps me so much!
Agreed with Watchmom3. Let’s keep an open mind about all this new info. I always care about my health. I followed doctor’s advice and read the latest health books on the low-fat diet, high fiber diet, juicing, low carb diet, zone diet, etc. Really, there is so much bad information out there. Too much and too confusing. Now we have to worry about Oxalate! All this is new to me. But I do appreciate everyone’s comments – pro or con. It’s about seeking the truth and sharing it with each other. I’m taking a deep breath before reading on!
WHAT??!! Well, i think the key here is moderation…as with EVERYTHING! My kids and i have green smoothies a couple times a week….we enjoy other types of smoothies as well. This article may be for someone who drinks several a day everyday….cause i firmly believe that loads of greens are excellent for the body.
Amber – Check out her older post about how to prepare your vegetables the healthiest way! https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
Sarah, Do you know if the same warning applies if you juice the greens?
Yes, same problem.
When I get a veggie juice from the healthfood store, I always sub a low oxalate veggie for the high oxalate ones. Not all veggies are problematic consumed raw or juiced. The leafy green ones are the worst.
I was wondering the same thing Megan. I juice carrots, kale, green apple and ginger nearly everyday. Should I be leaving out the kale? This article surprised me as well. Although, I’ve come to trust Sarah and her knowledge/research. So, I will have to consider and begin to look more closely at the high oxalate veggies I consume.
Actually, out of all of those items you listed, the carrot is the highest in oxalate. Not as high as spinach, but still pretty high to be juicing on a daily basis. So I’d say skip the carrot and leave the kale in!
Wait….doesn’t the GAPS diet recommend carrot juice first thing in the morning? If carrots are so high in oxalates, why would she recommend them? I’m so confused. I also wonder if I was to lightly steam the greens, juice them and then add some coconut oil, if that would do the trick?
Add some real, raw cream to your smoothie with the carrots (like the recipe for the carrot tonic in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook) and it will likely balance out some of the oxalates, although I’m just taking a WAG here. I could never drink a green smoothie every day (see me gag) but I love the idea of a once a week ice-cold smoothie during the hottest part of the summer – made with a small amount of frozen fruit, some carrots and a few greens. I got really burned out on smoothies when I was on Fat Flush several years ago, so now I usually consume kefir or yogurt in the morning instead (homemade, of course). Also, when I was on Fat Flush the author (Ann Louise Gittleman) was a big fan (can you say BIG) of whey protein. Sarah did a wonderful article a while ago on how powdered whey protein can be a contributor to the ailment neuropathy – which I now have. Don’t know and can’t say if the whey protein contributed, but for the amount I consumed over a period of 2-3 years, I’d say yeah, prolly a large contributor to the problem.
Same problem eh? I guess that’s why alternative cancer clinics juice greens and get results lol- try that with your WAP diet. You need to really educate yourself (and I don’t mean WAP style nutrition) before you can make such outrageous and irresponsible claims.