The Green Smoothie: Tonic or Toxin?

[enhanced_deficit]

Had assumed 'green smoothies' (leafy green vegies based drinks) were great for health but apparently these are controversial. One of the main issues was high Oxalate content of raw leafy greens like Spinach that in excess can lead to formation of kidney stones in some cases.
Moderation seems like the best strategy.


The Green Smoothie: Tonic or Toxin?

April 5, 2017|Category: Health Trends

Imagine filling your cup at the fountain of youth. No one would blame you if you envision a green smoothie — a frothy concoction of all-natural nutrients certain to restore your youthful energy and appearance.
So what’s with the headline here? How could a green smoothie possibly be toxic?
The concern swirls around organic chemical compounds that tend to be found in many of the ingredients used in green smoothies — oxalates.



What are oxalates?
Oxalates are crystalline molecules absorbed in the diet and produced by yeasts and fungi in the body. They are best known when they accumulate to the point of forming jagged kidney stones that are difficult and painful to pass through the urine. However, oxalates can also accumulate in other bodily tissues, causing inflammation, irritation, and pain. If you have kidney stones, vulvodynia (vulvar pain), or fibromyalgia, oxalates may be a contributing factor. Children with autism who poke at their eyes are often found to have an increased concentration of oxalates behind their eyes. (See “The Dangers of Oxalates and the Green Smoothie Health Fad.”)

What causes oxalate buildup?
Oxalate buildup in the body can be traced to these three contributing factors:

• Diet: A diet high in oxalates can overwhelm the body’s ability to eliminate them. Foods high in oxalates include spinach, beets (including the greens), purslane, Swiss chard, soy, nuts, and berries. Spinach is one of the worst, but many plant-based foods have high levels of oxalates.
• Yeast/fungal overgrowth: Candida yeast and other yeasts and fungi can trigger a series of chemical reactions that convert sugars into oxalates.
• Poor oxalate metabolism: Some people are ill-equipped biologically to eliminate oxalates from their bodies. One in every 100,000 to one million people has a genetic disease, known as primary hyperoxaluria, in which the liver produces too much oxalate.

Why single out green smoothies?
Although oxalates are a problem regardless of how you prepare oxalate-rich foods, green smoothies compound the problem in three ways:

• Ingredients in green smoothies tend to be oxalate-rich. The green often comes from spinach, kale, Swiss chard, arugula, or purslane, all high in oxalates. Many green-smoothie recipes also call for berries and nuts, which are also high in oxalates.
• A smoothie increases the quantity consumed. While you might add a handful of spinach to a salad, for example, it is not uncommon to add two cups of packed down spinach leaves to a blender to create a green smoothie. (This is similar to the problem of drinking a glass of orange juice rather than simply eating an orange.)
• Blending releases oxalates. Just as blending releases nutrients, it releases oxalates, making them easier for the body to absorb.

What should I do?
Oxalates may or may not be a problem for you, depending on your body, diet, and lifestyle. However, if you have a condition that may be related to high levels of oxalates or you are concerned about developing such a condition, consider the following:

• Get your oxalate levels tested. The only way to tell whether you have high levels of oxalates is to test for them. An Organic Acids Test (OAT) has three oxalate markers: glyceric, glycolic, and oxalic acids. Low B6 and increased yeast or fungal levels may also indicate elevated oxalate levels.
• Get gene-tested for oxalate metabolism. Tests can be run to identify any genetic predisposition to problems associated with your body’s production or elimination of oxalates.
• Restore (if necessary) and maintain healthy gut flora. Treat any Candida yeast or other yeast or fungal overgrowth immediately to prevent these organisms from contributing to high oxalate levels.
• Consume a low-oxalate diet. Avoid oxalate-rich foods, such as leafy greens, nuts, berries, beans, soy, wheat germ, chocolate, and tea.
• Consider supplementing with vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is a cofactor of one of the enzymes that reduces oxalate production and breaks down oxalate in the body.
• Increase your water intake. Water improves the elimination of oxalates in the urine and feces.

The overall approach is a two-pronged attack: 1) reduce the amount of oxalates entering your body and 2) give your body what it needs to eliminate the oxalates already in your system.
....
blog.rhealthc.com/the-green-smoothie-tonic-or-toxin/



How healthy are green smoothies?

USA TODAY Published Aug. 3, 2013

Story Highlights

• Drinking green smoothies is a good way to get nutrients, stay hydrated
• The beverages have stirred a few health concerns
• Nutritionist: Eat a variety of green and other veggies

If you don't like eating your vegetables, you can join the growing number of those who are drinking them instead.

Slurping smoothies made with raw, leafy green vegetables has become more popular as books and blogs about this health trend sprout up.

Green smoothies are good sources of minerals and vitamins. But people who have diabetes or kidney stones should be careful about what they mix into their smoothies, experts say.

Consuming green smoothies is a good way to get vegetables in your diet, says Joan Salge Blake, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Vegetables are high in potassium, which can help lower blood pressure. If the vegetables are pureed so that the fiber is still intact, they will help fill you up."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ition/2518141/

[donnay]

Kale, Spinach and Broccoli are not really good to consume raw. They tax your thyroid and the chemical compound can stop you from absorbing other minerals, i.e; iron and calcium. High oxalate diets can contribute to some very serious health problems like Candida and other fungal infections in your body.

The Dark Side Of Broccoli And Kale: Could Cruciferous Vegetables Be Bad For You?
https://www.medicaldaily.com/dark-si...bad-you-267892

How Green Smoothies Can Devastate Your Health
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist....e-your-health/

[enhanced_deficit]

Kale, Spinach and Broccoli are not really good to consume raw. They tax your thyroid and the chemical compound can stop you from absorbing other minerals, i.e; iron and calcium. High oxalate diets can contribute to some very serious health problems like Candida and other fungal infections in your body.

The Dark Side Of Broccoli And Kale: Could Cruciferous Vegetables Be Bad For You?
https://www.medicaldaily.com/dark-si...bad-you-267892

How Green Smoothies Can Devastate Your Health
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist....e-your-health/

Very informative, thank you.

[donnay]

One of my favorite lines in Demolition Man:

[Anti Globalist]

I have never had a green smoothie so I really don't have that much of an opinion.

[pcosmar]

Soylent Green is People.

[Working Poor]

I occasionally put kale in a morning smoothie but my green drink is usually made green by spirilina and chlorella which are blue green algae which are single celled plants that I mixed with bananas, blue berries, yogurt and almond milk to make a smoothie. There is even controversy with these plants because of contamination from The nuclear power plant in Japan contaminating the Pacific Ocean and the fresh water in Oregon.

I don't eat as much raw as I used to but I do try to eat enough to have the enzyme action that raw food give that helps with digestion. I eat a moderate amount of steamed broccoli (sue me it grows good in my garden) I also eat a lot of raw cabbage and carrots and fermented cabbage, beets, and carrots and other roots.

I grow spinach in the fall and make quiche, and spinacopia with it. Yummy for me any way. Kale grows good in the winter too so I have it in my winter garden line up but I cook it mostly If I do eat it raw I eat the young leaves.

I can't say enough about health being connected to being in touch with your own body and noticing the changes in it's function and what goes into it and how it makes the body feel. If I am feeling like crap in the morning the first thing I want to remember is what did I eat the day before. Usually the culprit is sugar...


The last batch I bought was from Taiwan which according to what I could find out is the only place that can guarantee that theirs is not contaminated and is grown in pristine conditions. But I don't get the same bang that I used to get out of it. Basically I just keep a sealed Mylar 5 lb bag of it in my survival kit. I would use it to mix with nut butters, oats, dried fruits, honey or molasses and make small cakes for nutrients.

[Danke]

I occasionally put kale in a morning smoothie but my green drink is usually made green by spirilina and chlorella which are blue green algae which are single celled plants that I mixed with bananas, blue berries, yogurt and almond milk to make a smoothie. There is even controversy with these plants because of contamination from The nuclear power plant in Japan contaminating the Pacific Ocean and the fresh water in Oregon.

I don't eat as much raw as I used to but I do try to eat enough to have the enzyme action that raw food give that helps with digestion. I eat a moderate amount of steamed broccoli (sue me it grows good in my garden) I also eat a lot of raw cabbage and carrots and fermented cabbage, beets, and carrots and other roots.

I grow spinach in the fall and make quiche, and spinacopia with it. Yummy for me any way. Kale grows good in the winter too so I have it in my winter garden line up but I cook it mostly If I do eat it raw I eat the young leaves.

I can't say enough about health being connected to being in touch with your own body and noticing the changes in it's function and what goes into it and how it makes the body feel. If I am feeling like crap in the morning the first thing I want to remember is what did I eat the day before. Usually the culprit is sugar...


The last batch I bought was from Taiwan which according to what I could find out is the only place that can guarantee that theirs is not contaminated and is grown in pristine conditions. But I don't get the same bang that I used to get out of it. Basically I just keep a sealed Mylar 5 lb bag of it in my survival kit. I would use it to mix with nut butters, oats, dried fruits, honey or molasses and make small cakes for nutrients.