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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
Maria Szucsova via Facebook
That explains, why I feel not so well after eating raw spinach or kale. It feels much better though, when nicely cooked with lots of butter, but I don’t eat it too often anyway – just don’t feel like it and I guess this could be the thing about listening to your body 🙂 (I feel pretty sick after eating nuts as well, and they are being recommended so much as a part of the healthy diet…)
I would agree with moderation being the key – after your body “tells” you it is ok to eat it 🙂
Seana
Maria Szucsova try soaking the nuts and drying them on low in the oven or a dehydrator before eating them. It makes a huge difference in how well you can digest them. 🙂
Erica Iwamura via Facebook
I think I’ll agree with the others about moderation of the green smoothie.. don’t think the 2 that I drink a week will hurt me.
Primal Toad
You are probably right. 2 green smoothies a week is great! Especially if you add just a cup or 2 of greens. I think Sarah would agree. I think this article is more for the folks who drink them on a near daily basis.
JohnandMelanie Odom via Facebook
I will continue to drink my unhealthy green spinach shakes. Guess it’s killing me softly with all it’s glory and deliciousness.
Rhonda Balzano via Facebook
No need to opt out…steam high oxalate foods before juicing or eating just like you would with all cruciferous veggies when there is a concern with the thyroid. I read that in a previous post of yours…https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
Suzanne
Agreed!
Penniless Parenting
Wait- so what are you actually allowed to eat? You shouldn’t eat gluten or dairy, and better stay off all grains ideally. Don’t eat legumes or nuts or seeds because of the phytic acid. Stay away from things with fructose, which means all fruit, onions, garlic, etc… Stay away from sweet veggies like carrots and sweet potatoes. Stay away from green leafies and cruciferous veggies. Stay away from nightshades. And stay away from pork and seafood (because seafood is contaminated with heavy metals).
Other than chicken and beef and eggs, what are you actually allowed to eat?
Trisha
You apparently have not been reading this blog all that long.
Dairy is to be consumed raw. Not avoided. Grains are to be soaked. Not avoided. Nuts and legumes and seeds are to be soaked to get rid of the phytic acid. Not avoided.
The “diet” that is talked about and recommended by this site is a TRADITIONAL diet. That’s all. High quality foods prepared in a way to get the most from them.
Penniless Parenting
I actually have been reading this website for quite a while, and I follow a traditional foods diet. I probably should have clarified my question further.
As far as I knew, Paleo, primal, etc… are spin offs of traditional food diets, taking it just a bit more extreme. So, I read about fructose malabsorption that many people have on ThePrimalParent.com ( http://theprimalparent.com/2012/03/31/ibs-depression-skin-fructose-malabsorption/ ) and the list of foods to avoid:
Fruit juice Dried fruit Fruit concentrates Melons Grapes Cherries Peaches Pears Apples Apricots Guava Mango Pomegranate Whole corn Honey Agave Tomato paste Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup Wine — dry wines might be ok in moderation Wheat Onions Garlic Leeks Coconut milk and meat Jerusalem artichoke Green beans Carrots — tolerance varies Asparagus Chicory root
On top of that- the phytic acid issue. Soaking and sprouting and fermenting only removes some of the phytic acid, not all. So thats a problem for any seeds nuts grains or legumes, including coconut. And for some sensitive people, any grains causes hystamine reactions, so they go off all grains. (My husband is off grains pretty much other than white rice because of this post.
I am off gluten because I am very gluten sensitive.
While I would love a source of raw milk, I can’t get any where I live, and I know pasteurized dairy is bad for you. The only stuff even available is pasteurized antibiotic given and hormone filled milk unfortunately. On top of that being unhealthy for you, I am sensitive to all dairy other than butter, and my daughter, who I nurse, is sensitive to just the tiniest amount of dairy. So dairy is out (unless I find a source of raw milk, which I may or may not be sensitive to).
And unfortunately, I can’t afford wild salmon, only farm fish, and only CAFO chicken and meat…
So basically, that leaves me with pretty much nothing I can eat, that I can afford…
Penniless Parenting
I actually have been reading this website for quite a while, and I follow a traditional foods diet. I probably should have clarified my question further.
As far as I knew, Paleo, primal, etc… are spin offs of traditional food diets, taking it just a bit more extreme. So, I read about fructose malabsorption that many people have on ThePrimalParent.com (you’ll have to google The Primal Parent Fructose Malabsorbtion because if I put a link this post gets censored ) and the list of foods to avoid:
Fruit juice Dried fruit Fruit concentrates Melons Grapes Cherries Peaches Pears Apples Apricots Guava Mango Pomegranate Whole corn Honey Agave Tomato paste Corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup Wine — dry wines might be ok in moderation Wheat Onions Garlic Leeks Coconut milk and meat Jerusalem artichoke Green beans Carrots — tolerance varies Asparagus Chicory root
On top of that- the phytic acid issue. Soaking and sprouting and fermenting only removes some of the phytic acid, not all. So thats a problem for any seeds nuts grains or legumes, including coconut. And for some sensitive people, any grains causes hystamine reactions, so they go off all grains. (My husband is off grains pretty much other than white rice because of the post here- Pollen isn’t the problem.)
I am off gluten because I am very gluten sensitive.
While I would love a source of raw milk, I can’t get any where I live, and I know pasteurized dairy is bad for you. The only stuff even available is pasteurized antibiotic given and hormone filled milk unfortunately. On top of that being unhealthy for you, I am sensitive to all dairy other than butter, and my daughter, who I nurse, is sensitive to just the tiniest amount of dairy. So dairy is out (unless I find a source of raw milk, which I may or may not be sensitive to).
And unfortunately, I can’t afford wild salmon, only farm fish, and only CAFO chicken and meat…
So basically, that leaves me with pretty much nothing I can eat, that I can afford…
I know the GAPS diet would probably solve lots of these issues… But until I can afford to do that diet, what SHOULD I be eating? Seems almost everything is off limits…
Janet Rowan
Would love to hear an answer to what Penniless Parenting posted. I am in the same sort of position. I have been following this blog for a looong time but I can’t afford 95% of the foods that we are supposed to eat and I live in one of, if not the most expensive city in the US (NYC). The grass fed meat and raw milk/eggs/butter I have available to me (through a raw milk service that delivers from another state) is so extremely expensive. I would love to eat right but truth be told, many of us just can’t afford it or don’t have access to it.
pd
@Janet Rowan: If you can’t afford 95% of the suggested foods, spend your money on one food you would like. Try butter (it doesn’t need to be raw to get a lot of health benefits)…it just needs to be from pastured (grass fed) cows. I have found the Kerrygold brand (from Ireland) to be the least expensive grass fed butter. I also find it tastier than the organic grass fed butters I have tried. The taste sold me, grass fed butter tastes like butter should, not a pale flavorless chunk of fat like most butter. The Kerrygold is just under $6/lb around here and like the theme of this post…moderation. Unless you’re eating a pound of butter a day, it shouldn’t be cost prohibitive.
As far as grass fed meat or pastured chicken goes, we eat those sparingly. I don’t feel the need for lots of red meat and eat mostly homemade (cheap!) tempeh along with small amounts of wild fish and organic chicken. 4-6 ounces is plenty for me. YMMV
Michele
I have fructose Mal-absorption and when I first found out, I was extremely discouraged and felt like I couldn’t eat anything either. My journey with FM and TONS of my own research led me to the paleo/WAP diet (not “diet” meaning to lose weight) and this blog. There are many things to eat–you have to be motivated and creative to find things that work for you. It takes a lot of time, determination and effort. There is a wonderful support group for people with FM, gluten and dairy intolerance on Yahoo Groups (the Australia group is more active than US). It is also possible to afford better quality meats–there are tricks to getting cheaper prices, but like Sarah always says if you can only afford SPAM–then eat SPAM. I really want to encourage you that there are ways to get around all the things you mentioned in your post. You just CAN”T give up. I would love to help you, but am not sure how to exchange personal email addresses without sharing them publicly.
Penniless Parenting
you can email me at [email protected]
Michele
My reply was meant for Penniless Parenting but got posted a little further down in the string of posts/replies.
marina
There is a way to prepare nuts ands seeds, by soaking them, to reduce phytic acid content.
You can ferment dairy to get best nutrition out of it.
Onions and garlic are very healthy – have high sulfur content for skin, hair and nails, and they also great for diabetics.
Cruciferous veggies you can steam or ferment, green leafy veggies you can steam as well.
Nightshades, if you don’t have problem with arthritis, you don’t have to avoid – they are nutritious foods.
Hormone free, pastured pork is fine. Seafood contamination is just a misunderstood issue.
So no, you don’t have to only have beef and eggs and chicken. There is a solution to every problem if you do your research.
Penniless Parenting
I definitely read on the weston price org’s website that people should stay away from nightshades ideally…
Jess
And don’t forget nuts are high in oxalates too.
(As are carrots, olives, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, many fruits, and a lot of other foods. In fact, I’m a little confused as to why (whether you agree oxalates are a problem or not) this article is so heavily demonising green drinks and ignoring all the other potential sources of high oxalates in the diet? It’s… strange.)
Jamez
Yeah , the article is ridiculous because most plant foods have decent amount of oxalates including wheat, rye, bran, fruits, nuts, seeds, chocolate, tea, coffee, etc, etc…
To be picking on greens is quite sad and really only focusing on one substance in a plant…what about all the other good aspects, are they outweighed? Just like phytic acid or nitrates or any other bad substance in a plant, this doesn’t mean to avoid it completely! Ah but the solution is to suckle a cow… brilliant just as nature intended us to suckle on bovines when even calves don’t do it after maturity!
I have tried most alternative diets and the only one that has worked for me long term is a combo of the alkaline diet and raw vegan diet. Mostly green veg, nuts, seeds, good oils, quinoa, buckwheat, low sugar fruits, not all raw, but as much as
possible.
The real issue with green smoothies is all the sugary fruit and crappy processed powders etc. that people flavour them with. Green juices with a bit of carrot or beet for flavouring are much better. Obviously don’t overdo the silver beets and spinach and you will be fine, as far as oxalate levels go. The other issue with smoothies is that you are essentially “cooking” and denaturing the cells of the plant as it spins around hundreds of times a second and breaks it down! A juice extractor is more akin to actually chewing your food and you will absorb much more nutrition that way.
Cheryl
Ha Ha so true ..there is nothing left to eat….and high animal protein diets are not good for you either they say!
Helen T
Penniless: I once crossreferenced the foods of all the healthdiets that say you shouldn’t eat such ‘n such: came up with NOTHING!!
Eventually I found a quote from someone: all foods are toxins……or leave an ‘ash’ of some sort in the system. Just choose your poison (sort of)…….
Tricia
Hi 🙂
Chicken is terrible for food poisoning. Beef is the source of mad cow disease. Eggs ~ salmonella!
The information in this item is very useful. We all need to take responsibility for our own health and need to check out the foods that we put into our bodies, but, from what I have read, nothing is always really safe to eat, drink or even breathe. 😉
By the way, I have suffered oxalate problems, resulting from antibiotic use, and it was horrendous.
My grandparents always said that moderation was the key and I’ve always believed in that.
I found this because I was contemplating making green smoothies. I’ll still do that, but I’ll check out oxalate content first ~ also goitrogen content.
Thanks.
Alyssa Pilat via Facebook
Do some more research on how the gut works ppl, she’s right.
Fran Shipp via Facebook
My son nd I love Green Goodness form Bolthouse farms.. he likes them so much he rarely leaves any for me. How moderate is moderate when enjoying them?
Kim Paider via Facebook
I thought this was supposed to be a “Refuge from Wellness Propaganda” ?
Amanda
Hum… this is interesting. I’m not a green smoothie lover, although I have put spinach in smoothies for me and the kids on occasion. I do have an Italian Tuscan Bean Soup on the menu tonight…. where kale is cooked into the soup. I thought this was an old traditional recipe.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Of course that is fine. You’re not eating large quantities of it on a daily basis which is where the problem arises.
Jennifer
Does this apply to the green powders (barley, etc.) as well?
Tynia
As with anything else, moderation is key. Leafy greens in a blender are no different than from a pot or salad bowl. If you eat too much of one thing and not enough of another you will suffer in one form or another. No one should dogmatically say that green smoothies are harmful. Eating nothing but one thing or another is where an argument can be made.