Oxalic Acid and Greens For Smoothies

As those of you who follow my blog already know - I have been experimenting with smoothie making lately - and the smoothies I make often contain loads of raw spinach and raw kale - which are high in oxalic acid.

Having read several cautions lately regarding high levels of oxalic acid in foods such as raw spinach and raw kale I decided to read up on oxalic acid and oxalic acid containing foods.  Small amounts of oxalic acid, contained in the occasional spinach salad, for instance, seldom pose a problem.  However what about the popular green smoothie which contains a whole blender full of greens  that are slugged down on a daily basis?  

From what I have read - when oxalic acid occurs in high concentrations, as it does in some vegetables, such as those listed below, and fruits such as plums, figs, raspberries and blueberries (some of my favorites), and even chocolate, it can interfere with the absorption of important minerals such as calcium and magnesium which may even aggravate kidney stones over time. 

Traditional preparations have historically relied on cooking and fermenting to help mitigate the effects of oxalic acid in these otherwise super nutritious foods.

VEGETABLES CONTAINING OXALIC ACID

Beets
Sweet potatoes
Celery
Dandelion greens
Eggplant
Kale
Chives
Broccoli
Carrots
Green Pepper
Parsnips
Potatoes
Pumpkin
Spinach
Squash
Turnip greens
Watercress
Okra
Collards
Escarole
Leeks
Purslane
Radish
Cassava

So to err on the side of caution - I decided to swap out the spinach and kale this morning.

New and Improved Morning Smoothie

1 c. coconut water
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. chia seed
1 c. frozen organic berries - raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
1 frozen banana
handful of raw baby carrots
handful pea sprouts
handful sunflower seed sprouts
scoop raw protein powder
slice fresh ginger

Blend until creamy and smooth.