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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
I’ve been reading and listening to all these comments on a simple article where everyone thinks their way is best and I have come to the conclusion that rookies to the alkaline or vegan diet like me are totally confused by the disagreements of the seemingly experts on here. There are comments from all walks of life, herbalists, nutritionist, alternative medicine doctors, etc. Comments from professionals, comments from laymen like me! Most all are in disagreement!
I really think it boils down to the fact that if you eat too much of anything it can be bad for you. Likewise, if you eat foods based upon the diet (The Western Lifestyle Diet) of the unhealthiest societies in the world you’re gonna suffer the consequences of sickness and bad health.
Maybe we ought to look equally as well at the foods we eat and how they are produced! Monsanto’s GM grains, imported foods from countries that lack laws governing certain pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, etc, etc.! Look at the illness and deteriorating health of some South American countries where the blatant use of Roundup and other pesticides is killing people and ask yourself, HOW is that effecting me and the foods we eat!
We can all eat right but if the foods we do eat are NOT right what good does it do? Might as well eat at “Micky Dees” and enjoy that Big Mac and fries and a hi-fructose laden Coke!!!!! Our food is gonna kill us either way if we do not awaken the world to the atrocities of big food producers, big grain producers and unscrupulous chemical producers all of which are putting the greed of profit over our health!
Also I can’t believe all the hatred on this post directed towards Sarah and the Weston Price Foundation, who have done so much to educate people on matters of nutrition and health. If you don’t like what she has to say, no one is forcing you to keep reading. Just click away. Or learn how to debate intelligently without name-calling and ostracizing. My health has improved leaps and bounds since discovering the Weston A. Price Foundation. (No, they did not pay me anything to say that.) I would not trade the knowledge I’ve gained for the world. Spend some time educating yourself before you blindly parrot what the status quo “knows” about saturated fats, etc.
LOL you don’t debate intelligently yourself, just whine!
What topic would you like to debate on? I’m ready.
Thanks for the article. Enjoyed the perspective as well as the comments, pro and con.
Is this a joke? You’re recommending to “be sure to eat greens with butter”?? I’ve never once read or heard a reason to eat butter as a part of healthy diet. I’ve also never heard of greens being bad for you. What DO you suggest people eat instead of the times they’d have the green smoothies? I replaced coffee with green smoothies/juice and my chronic headaches have gone away, along with TMJ, bloating, weight gain… the list goes on. I’m curious to the sources of this article… surely it’s not just the one.
GTFO this blog if you don’t know that butter is part of a healthy diet! UGH! I’m getting frustrated with these ignorant comments.
Then you NEED to do more readings Linday…I’d highly recommend you’d read Deep Nutrition by Dr Cate Shanahan and read Ray Peat’s articles on his website (that’ll answer your question)…You’ll understand WHY (all backed-up by science not ‘spiritual’ theories often conveyed by raw foodists) saturated fats are healthy amongst other things…mmm what peopel eat instead of greens? Gosh that’s a hard one lol Let me see fruit (pears, apples,persimmons,oranges,etc…), organic dairies from grass-fed animals, root vegetables,etc… Thsi article does not tell you to load up on junk, it tells you to eb careful taht greens do contain toxix substances. thsi is no secret. The information si out there you just need to look for it…
I am wondering why the post I sent to this blog yesterday did not get published.
It was Victoria Boutenko’s well-cited response to your article in her most recent newsletter.
As many know, Victoria has popularized, researched and published widely on thehealth benefits of green smoothies and I am sure many here would be interested to know her response .
I hope you will make this available to your readers.
Let’s try one more time:
Here is the link:
http://www.rawfamily.com/newsletters/raw-family-newsletter-archive-2012
Scroll down to the May 2012 newsletter with topic “Oxalic Acid and Green Smoothies”
Sarah,
I watched your Youtube video to the right of this article. I commend you for being extremely mindful of diet, nutrition, and wellness! I appreciate your articles and I think that you should right an article on the Moringa Oleifera Tree; I think you will be enlightened, stunned, and very excited just as I was. I am an Independent Distributor with Zija International. We are the Moringa Company and I would love to discuss research already done and hopefully the research you and others you may know (ex. “Dr. Price”) will conduct. Moringa is powerful and truly delivers what our bodies require. Please get back to me and may you Drink life In! I hope you read this and thank you so much for your time doing so and your work with this site.
To your Wellness and Success,
Jonathan Hernandez
Independent Distributor with Zija International
The real issue some are having is with the realization that what they have believed for so long or have been told even by health professionals could possibly be incorrect. I used to be in the same boat. But most if not all of these references that are cited from the so called” experts” or REAL nutritionists’ are established on bad science and backed, funded and promoted for some kind of special interest or business tactic. Bottom line is, do your own research, and decide what is right for you and your family. Eat natural foods, work with and around whatever genetic potential or conditions might be there and give your body and brain whole food nutrition so that your biochemistry is capable of producing health and happiness!
The only thoughts I have are these:
I’m sure high oxalate levels can be dangerous, but my goodness, EATING SHOULDN’T BE THIS COMPLICATED! No one should have to be a nutritionist or a doctor or have to spend their lives studying food to know what to eat. Just for kicks, imagine that God created dark leafy greens for Adam and Eve but then told them that they had to eat them with butter (“butter? what’s butter?”) to get the most nutrients from them. Do you think they really went and found a cow and figured out how to churn butter before they ate spinach? Oh and then where did they cook it? No, they probably ate some raw nuts and seeds (natural fats) as a part of the many different natural foods available to them. Or imagine that he had to tell them not to eat too many vegetables, or nuts, or fruit, etc, because of “high oxalates.” Eating really shouldn’t be so complicated.
I agree with the “moderation” comments, and with eating things that are in season. I am one of those who has a green smoothie every day because if I didn’t, I’d still eat the fruits and greens anyways. I like the convenience and taste of the green smoothie, and I like how I feel. And you know what? I’ve never felt better. I rotate my greens and don’t put too much. I’m eating fruits and vegetables rather than basically zero-nutrient meat, cheese, milk, and cancer-promoting processed food like I was eating before, and like typical Americans eat. My skin is vibrant, I have more energy than I’ve ever had, I’m losing weight, my digestion is regular, and I feel great.
Eat a VARIETY of REAL NATURAL FOOD, the way God made them. Not too much. Lots of veggies and fruits. Exercise daily. And LIVE YOUR LIFE!
Rachel – there were no blenders, or electricity in the garden, so smoothies were not a part of the menu. The garden was perfect, the food was perfect, then they fell. It is clear in the scriptures that meat, dairy, butter, grains, fish, fruit, veggies were all eaten about 10 generations after Adam and Eve.
You may want to look at what the Lord had to eat with Abraham in genesis 18:1-8. Curds can be translated as butter. God gave manna and they boiled or cooked it. He gave quail. In Leviticus he sets the parameters of a clean and health lifestyle which includes meat and dairy.
I agree with you that eating should not be this difficult, but we live in a polluted and broken down world where all things are groaning for, “that day”….some of us are looking for the best diet for ourselves….some have ended up with the wapf diet after trying veganism or the SAD way of life.
Hopefully one day, in the new heaven and earth we will be back to eating only that which was in the Garden, no more animals.
After being a vegan, I worked through this thought of meat….have come to the conclusion that because of the fall, death entered the world and this for animals as well. Maybe our fallen bodies need animal protein to survive…God ordained it and gave it to us….meat, dairy, butter, grains, veggies and fruit are through out the bible. Now if it all could be raised and grown properly, as God intended, then maybe we wouldn’t have so many issues with our food.
Ohhh Sarah! I am surely finding out just how people just do not know. They just are so brainwashed ….and just don’t know. But boy have you got them thinking! And that is a really good thing. Most haven’t even bothered to ‘know’ you or what you stand for….just want someone to bash. And it’s a shame because these people will never enjoy the health just because they won’t think outside the box or get out of their comfort zones. I admire you more with each bashing! Yeah raw cow’s milk, real butter, grass fed meat and eggs from chickens on pasture …..they just do not get it. And they won’t . Oh a few will ….but the majority won’t. And that is so sad.
I am outraged by this article. How irresponcible can you be to make the insinuations and suggestings this page contains. Cook all vegetables and eat with butter??? You would rather we kill off some of the vitamins and nutrients, despite the fact that this will be unlikely to affect oxalates (according to you only paragraphs earlier), and then add in lipids that human bodies also have trouble breaking down? The same dairy product many nutritionists believe leads to clogged arteries?
We are in a country where the average American eats less than 5% vegetables in his/her diet. And if less than 1% of Americans suffer from oxolate health problems… couldn’t it be deduced that vegetables are NOT the issue here? Not to mention the vegetables to blame are not ALL dark leafy vegetables but a sample of 10 or so high oxolate veggie cuplrits. This page reeks of bias, from the first paragraphs describing a SMALL PERCENTAGE OF AMERICA who are WORKING OUT and trying to TAKE CARE OF THEIR BODIES. You should be ashamed. It is so sad that this misinformation has been shared and turned EVEN ONE person away from changing their lifestyles and health.
Probably the most reprehensible paragraph award goes to this gem:
“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.”
—You first say the gut/fungal issues are CAUSED by prescription drugs and processed foods, and then say that this somewhere somehow means people should not drink green smoothies. WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT. WHO ARE YOU WRITING THIS FOR? ILLITERATES!?
-still fuming
Elizabeth – seriously. This information on green smoothies and the use of butter makes you this upset?
Can’t you just simply agree to disagree without being so angry and on the attack?
This article is making a lot of people very uncomfortable so they go on the defensive. But it IS making them think. I guess….those that get the meat of the issue! 🙂