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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 started using frozen, organic spinach so that it is already steamed. Problem solved. I find this post to be a bit inflammatory.
Sarah, you should take this post down, redo your research, and THEN maybe post something of valid worth. You are obviously not fully educated in the matter, but simply over-informed as many of your followers. Make sure to include IUs, RDI/RDA, DV or ANY kind of standard unit of measure. Dont just say large; large is relative. You are putting unwarranted fear into people. As with so many bloggers out there you take a grain of truth and wrap it up with opinions and circumstantial evidence. Now, go be a good little over achiever and get your fact straight!!
Would you care to comment on my hairstyle and wardrobe as well? 🙂
Cheryl, even some RDA and nutritionists might know less than Sarah. There were a couple of times when my mentor (nutritionist, where people are lining up to work with her because of great results, mostly by referalls) had nutritionists come to consultations with her because they spent months eating only raw veggies, drinking juices and the like, with a result of their health deteriorating. Why would a nutritionist come to another nutritionist for a consult? Don’t they know enough or can research stuff themselves?
Unfortunately I have found that even naturopaths/homeopaths are taught the standard dogma about low fat diets, saturated fat, cholesterol, fibre, polyunsaturated vegetable oil and soy. I am constantly dismayed and saddened about this! But it is fact. People like Sarah are paving the way for a truth that isn’t taught via the regular channels.
Seriously?? You whole post is flawed with lack of critical information. i am not saying you know nothing, i said you are not posting the full truth. You have not guidelines or amounts, only relative descriptors. Get you facts straight means get amounts on the board, get some valid evidence. You whole post has very little credit if you submitted it to an actual magazine they would turn you down. So you blog because you dont need to be edited when you are a blogger. Seriously get a freaking clue as to what you are posting. Quit with these bullying scare tactics of misused information. Your post is near the equivalent of saying taking calcium supplements will give you kidneys stones. That statement has truth to it, but it is not that cut and dried. Sarah, serious repost completely with proper information. With proper credentials. Dont just claim to be a know-it-all and freak out with a bullying type of challenge when someone counters your supposed knowledge.
Wow. Taken a personal evaluation of your own personality and communication skills lately?
It’s interesting that this post is such a problem and I’ve seen scare and fear in several comments. Why is this simply not awareness information. Information that you can choose to use and increase your awareness or not. Some followers of this blog are individuals who have looked at traditional diets and have interpreted its tenets along the same lines as what’s posted. We live in a society where if we are told a little is helpful, more, greater, and daily consumption should be even better.
This post reminds us about the issues of eating (some) raw veggies and specifically leafy greens and the exageration of this consumption when raw veggies are then added to smoothies as is currently a popular health trend. I see this post very much consistent with what we know of traditional diets.
Well said !
Cheryl, I will NEVER understand why people, such as yourself, decide to be so RUDE when you disagree with someone! Please explain what justifies that? If you don’t agree, that is FINE! Just don’t try to FORCE someone to agree with YOU! That is the inferred and impolite tone that you conveyed. It is no different than going into someone’s house and deciding to tell them how stupid you think their home and decor, etc. is, IN YOUR OPINION! I will politely suggest that you find another blog that totally agrees with you. BORING, but your choice. I see this attitude everywhere now and I am SAD that people just walk all over others in their journey. You will enjoy your life more if you don’t mistreat others. Just a suggestion.
Watchmom, the same could be said for your comment. I will never understand why some people feel the need to YELL at people with ALL CAPS in order to get their POINT across. It’s just as IMPOLITE, and frankly hypocritical of you to call someone out for similar behaviour.
But I guess that’s just my OPINION! Sheesh.
“If you enjoy green leafy vegetables, enjoy them only on occasion in a salad or even better, cook them thoroughly in lots of butter and carefully drain and discard all the cooking water — never use it in soups and sauces!” Did I just read this correctly? Cook them thoroughly in lots of butter for a HEALTHIER alternative to raw, leafy greens? *SMH*
If you dont know the basics like the amazing nutrient dense qualities that is butter, don’t comment on this blog.
I would like to know what a safe amount of raw leafy greens would be? Interesting article. I had never even considered that green smoothies could be harmful. I like to eat my spinach sauteed in butter with scrambled eggs and I love kale chips baked w grapeseed oil. Hope that is a healthy way to consume them. Thanks for the info!
I eat leafy greens in a salad or cooked with butter about twice a week at most. That is all I would consider doing … I am recovered from candida and would never even consider eating them more frequently than this due to the danger of the oxalates. There are PLENTY of other veggies to eat that are much lower in oxalates!
Oxalates are only dangerous to those with compromised digestives systems, ie with dysbiosis or leaky gut syndrome. Normally, these oxalates would be digested by the gut flora in your colon and wouldnt be so detrimental. If you do find that you have issues with kidney stones and oxalates, look into repairing your digestive system first.
When I just read the title of this article I felt annoyed… but I think we should all remember not to read these articles so literally. Sarah has some good info here… but I believe if it was presented from a different point of view (ie. the BENEFITS of preparing these greens with butter, and how green smoothies may not be your BEST option, or maybe… why you shouldn’t follow fad diets etc.) then maybe it wouldn’t have caused such an uproar.
For those coming off SAD diets and reading this, I could see how they’d be frustrated with all the rules and theories. Take what you want from it… or not. Dissecting our food isn’t exactly the healthiest habit or mindset. Just do the best you can and be aware… and live your life! 🙂
The point is that green smoothies are a fad and that they are dangerous when consumed at the frequent and almost daily level that people are consuming them.
I do not believe green smoothies are a fad exactly– it’s just a way of ingesting fruits and vegetables. Our whole family has them almost every day but we use different food in them– dandelion, spinach, kale, bok choy, carrots, romaine, red leaf lettuce, butternut lettuce ( I think it’s called). And while I agree with Betty that this was presented in a way that is confusing, I did get something out of it.
Green smoothies can be an easy part of a balanced diet. Spinach need not be used all the time, and I wish that point had been made, and that variety is key.
Articles like this are really harmful to people who are already struggling to eat a good healthy diet. It only serves to make them fearful to eat. I live in an area where it is much harder to come by healthy food and we have an extremely short growing season and only a small garden plot. To get raw milk I would have to drive 5 hours. When we drive 100 mi. into town to be able to get good healthy food, we are on a serious budget. Reading things like this only frustrate me and put me on a guilt trip because it makes me feel as if I am not doing enough and I am hurting my children by feeding them the huge vat of organic spinach I bought them when we were in town that cost a lot of money because we like spinach and its a heck of a lot better than hamburger helper. We don’t have enough space to buy 10 types of greens and rotate.
Traditional cultures had access to tons and tons of raw veggies and leafy greens. Sally Fallon is running the Weston A Price foundation changing it so that it seems like all Price promoted for good health was animal products. Romaine and kale will serve you far more nutritionwise than butter + raw milk. We are talking fat vs. vitamins and minerals here. Think of it this way, how many of your ancestors back up to the first human ever, had access to leafy greens? How many had access to dairy cows?
My guess is that perhaps the focus on certain foods is in large part because of how they are demonized by the conventional wisdom. There is a great amount of nutrition in butter and raw milk…sure some things are better about Kale and Romaine, but butter and raw milk are really good too.
Of course people don’t normally talk negatively about eating plants except for small articles like this one pointing out how some people could have an issue with certain plants if they are eaten too much without enough variety.
I found it pretty easy to read mention of fruits and vegetables….they have that too on the site. Sure there might be a bit more focus on the animal foods, but like I said they are criticized much more strongly and have quite a bit of false information thrown at them constantly by CW nutritionists, dieticians, doctors, etc…How many articles from those conventional sources will mention anything bad about vegetables? Many times they are pushing vegan/vegetarian diets.
How often are they saying animal foods are health? Perhaps a few articles on fish point out the benefits, but there aren’t many other articles on how healthy animal foods can be.
In a previous article (attached) you stated “The good news is that oxalic acid is reduced by a light steaming or cooking – just be sure to discard the cooking water.” but today’s post says otherwise. Please explain. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/think-raw-veggies-are-best-think-again/
Sarah, how do you feel about dairy smoothies made from raw milk/plain yogurt, fruit, eggs?
Wow, you struck a cord with many on this one. You state “If you enjoy green leafy vegetables, enjoy them only on occasion in a salad or even better, cook them thoroughly in lots of butter and carefully drain and discard all the cooking water — never use it in soups and sauces!” Would you please explain how we can still enjoy green and reduce the oxalate? If you are cooking fresh greens in butter, there would not be any cooking water to discard? Are you suggesting we need to steam the veggies first, discard the cooking water, and then add butter to the greens?
What about chlorpylyy? Gallstones are they related to this info?