Blenders have become more and more affordable in recent years. A lot of people are taking advantage of this fact, and they are using their versatile blenders to make some fantastic drinks for themselves and their families.
One of the things that most people are enjoying making with their blenders is green smoothies. A lot of people consider this green meal as ideal, although there have been some people complaining of green smoothie detox side effects. This article will help you learn more about green smoothies so that you can know if they are great for you or not.
Even though green smoothies have many health benefits, taking them in excess can be unhealthy. In my research, I found a few reasons that can lead to the side effects that a lot of people tend to experience. That’s not all; I also found a few things you can do to protect your health while enjoying the green smoothies.
Read More: What are the best greens for smoothies?
Common Green Smoothie Detox Side Effects
Different people experience the side effects of green smoothies differently, depending on their health. Some of the common effects of green smoothies include:
- Digestive disturbances
- Headaches
- Mood swings
- Feeling weak and sluggish
- Skin rashes and breakouts
- Intestinal gas
- Mucus in the back of your throat
The side effects do not last for a long time, and in most cases, they will be gone within a few days. There are a few evidence-backed reasons why you might experience these side effects after taking green smoothies. Let’s take a look at these reasons.
Roadblock Caused by Raw Vegetables
Raw vegetables are quite difficult to digest, and this does not change even if you pulverize them with your blender. Their tough and fibrous structure makes them difficult to digest, and when you drink green smoothies, you will most probably take more raw vegetables than your digestive system can handle. Such amounts overwhelm your system, and if you already suffer from weak digestion, it can be worse.
You can remedy this problem by slightly steaming your green smoothie before taking it. Warming the raw vegetables makes it easy for your system, and you will be surprised by how this small adjustment can lead to a lot of improvement in your digestion.
Read More: Juice it up evergreen smoothie recipe
Overload of Oxalic Acid
Leafy vegetables such as kale naturally have high amounts of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring compound that leads to the formation of oxalate crystals in the body.
If you eat food with a lot of oxalic acids, it can lead to an accumulation of oxalate crystals in your body, more especially in the kidney. These crystals lead to complications of the kidney. The oxalate crystals can be even more dangerous if you suffer from candida, hypothyroidism, mineral deficiencies, gut imbalance, or arthritis.
You can try to fix the threat that oxalic acid poses by reducing the number of green smoothies you take every day. To be on the safe side, make it a maximum of three servings per day. Three servings per day are enough to provide you with enough nutrients and not cause any detox side effects.
Read More: 7 NutriBullet detox recipes
The Stowaway Problem
I know it is unpleasant to consider, but the raw produces are likely to contain heavy loads of parasites and bacteria. It may not be a problem as the acid in the stomach will probably kill the bacteria.
However, some of us stuff up our blenders to brim in an attempt to make as much smoothie as possible, which we then take most of it. The extra nutrients and little bugs + bacteria may be a problem that can lead to immunosuppression and inflammation.
You can fix this problem by washing all your ingredients with tap water or steaming them lightly. Alternatively, you can spray the veggies with a homemade rinse that can help kill bacteria. Mix a cup of cold tap water with one tablespoon of lemon juice and two tablespoons of distilled vinegar. Use this rinse to wash all your produce before you put your ingredients in the blender and enjoy a squeaky clean smoothie!
Goitrogens Relationship with Thyroid Gland
Vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and kales are full of fiber, which is essential to our digestive health, plus they are also bursting up with other essential nutrients. However, these vegetables also have lots of Goitrogens, which can disrupt your thyroid function.
These Goitrogens can interfere with iodine uptake within your thyroid gland, which can interfere with hormone production. If you are experiencing irregular bowels, hair loss, low libido, and depression, it might be because your thyroid gland needs some TLC.
You can remedy this problem by lightly steaming your vegetables before putting them into the blender. You should also try to limit your daily intake of green smoothies and find out what foods you should add to your diet to support the thyroid.
Read More: What is the best blender for kale smoothies?
Heavy Metals in Some Vegetables
Unfortunately, evidence suggests that there may be toxic heavy metal thallium in cruciferous vegetables that usually occurs as by-products of coal-burning and smelting. It means that if you drink green smoothies from kales, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, you might be exposing yourself to high levels of thallium.
Unfortunately, even a small amount of thallium is capable of causing side effects such as nausea, stomach pain, hair loss, diarrhea, and peripheral neuropathy. So, if you are a regular green smoothie taker, you might want to reduce the amount you take daily or at least try to use only organic cruciferous vegetables.
Final Thoughts
Drinking green smoothies is very healthy, but you might want to do it in moderation. Green smoothies may also have some side effects, as most of them contain oxalic acid and can interfere with iodine uptake to the thyroid gland.
You can reduce the side effects by rotating your greens, using organic ingredients to make your smoothies, drinking extra water, limiting stressful life situations, massaging your intestines, and exercising. You might also want to steam the smoothie lightly and reducing your daily intake.