Are Green Smoothies Good for You?
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- Опубликовано: 1 сен 2015
- Smoothies (and blended soups and sauces) offer a convenient way to boost both the quantity and quality of fruit and vegetable intake by reducing food particle size to help maximize nutrient absorption.
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Smoothies are one of the most requested topics, but for years there seemed to be little pertinent research. I was surprised when I reprised my search this year to find hundreds of studies, so it’s smoothie-time! I rarely do such long contiguous video series any more, but I had neglected the topic for so long I wanted to get them out. So this is the first of five videos I have coming out over the next two weeks. Stay tuned for:
• Are Green Smoothies Bad for You? (nutritionfacts.org/video/are-g...)
• Green Smoothies: What Does the Science Say?
• Liquid Calories: Do Smoothies Lead to Weight Gain?
• The Downside of Green Smoothies
Previous videos that touch on smoothies include:
• A Better Breakfast (nutritionfacts.org/video/a-bet...)
• Juicing Removes More Than Just Fiber (nutritionfacts.org/video/juici...)
• Testing the Dietary Compensation Theory (nutritionfacts.org/video/testi...)
Other tips on getting children to eat healthier can be found in Tricks to Get Kids to Eat Healthier at Home (nutritionfacts.org/video/trick...) and Tricks to Get Adults to Eat Healthier (nutritionfacts.org/video/trick....
I also have past videos on the effect of cooking on nutrient loss and absorption:
• Best Cooking Method (nutritionfacts.org/video/best-...)
• Raw Food Nutrient Absorption (nutritionfacts.org/video/raw-f...)
• Sometimes the Enzyme Myth is True (nutritionfacts.org/video/somet...)
• The Best Way to Cook Sweet Potatoes (nutritionfacts.org/video/the-b...)
Have a question for Dr. Greger about this video? Leave it in the comment section at nutritionfacts.org/video/are-g... and he'll try to answer it!
Image thanks to Johan Larson via 123rf. Image has been modified.
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ha ha... I am a total Green Smoothie girl, my vitamix is working hard every day...and now I am HAPPY!
Spinach, frozen pineapple, a couple of bananas and some times a little organic sugar. Helped me get rid of high blood pressure.
1) This is why it is a good idea to chop your salads!
2) Green smoothies for the win!
3) Sometimes kiddies get a golden/orange tint on their cheeks from green smoothies. And sometimes the poop is green. It's all good, though.
+Edith Spencer If their poop is green, it means it hasn't been digested. Certain veggies need to be cooked.
Answer:yes! And smoothies are healthier than chewing the foods!
I'm so glad you did this video. There's so much conflicting information on if smoothies are good for you or oxidizing destroys the nutrients or you're destroying the fiber. It's annoying and frustrating. Thanks again. Looking forward to the next video!
We're gonna need that goatee back, Mike.
Word
green smoothies or green nicecream every morning FTW
***** frozen nanas and greens blended together, love it!
+Vegan Gardener me too its so good
+PLANT BASED NEWS (Ad-free TV) I'm sure you can sneak some green in there without affecting the flavor too much.
+sdushdiu The blender does the 'chewing' and I eat/drink slowly, also the sucking motion produces saliva too. I also enjoy chewing foods and only usually have one smoothie a day. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
+sdushdiu No need to apologies, and no need to suggest I think sucking replaces chewing, that's just *FOOLISH*.
Yep, I always start with frozen cranberries (thawed) then I add wild frozen blues and then strawberries...2 or 3 leaves of kale...a chunk or 2 of mango OR fresh orange juice. This is my breakfast 3-4 mornings each week...I always add ground flax seed, cinnamon & cloves too. So I am pretty much having greens 3 times each day.
Damn these cliff hangers.
Green smoothies for dinner yo. Dinner!
Esselstyn doesn't recommend smoothies because chewing food mixes the food with the enzymes in the saliva so promoting absorption of nutrients. However, as I love green smoothies, instead of 'drinking' them, I now take as much time 'chewing' or rather 'mixing' them in my mouth to ensure the enzymes get a chance to do their job. Digestion starts in the mouth, not the stomach.
you are living in the future
I've been saying this for a long time... I'm glad you've done a video on it, that has contextualised it ever so brilliantly. Really enjoyed the video.
i have been waiting for this series finally thank u soo much doctor.
Made me motivated to get back to my smoothie recipe book. Thank you!
So BLEND your veggies and your fruits BUT make sure you EAT them SLOWLY 👏😃
Green smoothies is my favorite way to start the day. Thank you for sharing! 😊
Wow! This was fascinating! I always wondered how chewing affects the absorption of the food. Can't wait for the next part!
This is wonderful news! I love my kale smoothies.. Best way to start my day.
Good reminder! Thank hit, I love all your work!
Love this. Thank you for sharing. Great video once again.
This is such great news. I really trust NutritionFacts.org and I was worried that something would be wrong with green smoothies. I already learnt not to juice fruits since that removes important fiber. Thanks for confirming my instincts about blending greens.
EXCELLENT work Doc
I love Dr.Greger ❤️
Excellent video sir. Thanks.
What I think is very important when making a smoothie is to actually use a blender stick or a wooden spoon to mash it up and then pulse it AS LITTLE as possible because when you oxidize the smoothie, it makes it more bitter. My favorite mixture is a very ripe mango, frozen banana, and fresh bananas, all super spotty and then greens in it too. BEST COMBO EVER ESPECIALLY IF MOST OF THE BLENDING IT FROM MASHING WITH A WOODEN SPOON!!! You'll thank me later when it's mango season ;)
I was having this question about smoothies like few days ago, because i heard from some unreliable source that blending destroys nutrients... i was like what ?? I'm glad that Mr. Greger cleared this out, nice timing tho. Thanks Doc. :)
Thank you! Motivated now to make a green smoothy for breakfast!
He said wait until the next video in this series.... Try to calm down and wait until you learn the downsides so you can make an uniformed decision. Your ideology pushes you to pay attention when someone says something along the lines _more is better_: nothing further from the truth.
+houndjog virtually limitless possibilities for recipes with all the fruit/veg there is out there!
Recipe this morning is garden fresh kale, swiss chard, peppermint, store bought gala apples & persian cucumber!
+houndjog Try overnight oat too. I do spinach and banana. Greens for the win.
I went through a phase years ago of making (mostly) carrot and (some) apple juice in the morning - until I wore out the juicer.
It always annoyed me that I was throwing out all that fibrous pulp.
I replaced that machine, but never used it because along came "Innocent" smoothies - that proceeded to add inches to my waist as well as costing a fortune ...
Now I know better - thanks to Dr. Greger ...
It may end up being soup a lot of the time though as I currently start the day with oats ... baby steps though ...
I'll be so disappointed if the next vid says that smoothies are bad for us... Really like 'em smoothies!!
+Scottosphere Maybe there is a downside to the seemingly positive fact mentioned in this video that blending breaks down the cell walls. Maybe we haven't evolved to consume these nutrients in this way, so maybe it could have some unknown adverse effects in the long run. Or maybe there is more important stuff that happens in the chewing process that we're not aware of. Just purely speculating. I hope not though because half of my diet consists of smoothies haha.
Greatest monotone voice of all time. All the time. :)
Great video man! I was just wondering, what editing software are you using for this?
this is great news! Without knowing about the big benefits of blending, I never really liked 'juicing', since it leaves so much fiber (and I guess also vitamins and minerals) behind, which I always added to other dishes. Sold the juicer and got a good ole Osterizer, I guess from the 70's. Running every day at least once per day -> on LIQUIFY. 1 carrot, 1 whole peeled orange, 1/2 stalk of celery, 1/2 a banana, 1/2 apple, 1/2 cup of blueberries, some freshly frozen pineapple pices, a few freshly frozen cherries, and mabye some blackberries, some chia seeds, 1 cup of pure orange juice, 1 tsp fresh ginger paste, 1/4 tsp turmeric, black pepper.... AND....a hand full of baby spinach. The blackberries keep the color purple/dark pink. Oh, yes, a few drops of organic flax seed oil. Add some filtered water to the desired amount. Blend it to oblivion. Gives me a jug/up to 4 cups of creamy smoothie, which are consumed over the course of the day. Love it, and this way I am hardly hungry. Btw, I am eating a good WF-PB brunch in the morning, and a good WF-PB dinner in the late afternoon. Between: some nuts, and sipping sloowly my smoothies away, and a couple of Dr. Greger's 'no-bake-brownies'. Thanks Dr. Greger for forwarding all this important information
My recipe for smoothies:
Kale, frozen Amla, blueberry, beet, banana and water.
What it really comes down to is: get your greens in, any which way! Just get them in! I personally can't stand eating giant salads, and I don't even like many vegetables. Without green smoothies I wouldn't be getting many greens in.
this is actually really cool to know. I usually skim over new content from this channel, but I was drinking a mango-strawberry smoothie when I saw this so I decided to watch it. Im glad I did! I will be sharing it with my teammates.
Whoooo hoo for my morning green smoothie
excellent video!
Very interesting. If you could make a video about oxidasation, it could clear things up.
It's still very strange for me that that something blended is better absorbed. The idea that nature created us and there is optimal food for us as an animal makes much sense for me. This is why its strange to think that something blended is better for us what would mean that maybe its not really our optimal food (some believe fresh tropical food is enough and the best way to eat which also makes sense if you think about the arguments logically).
Since we are nature and everything that we create comes from nature, technologies (like a blender) and chemical stuff is also somehow nature. So maybe the technology of blending is really a evolutionary step to further growth. I hope I didn't loose too many only rational/scientific minded people with that though process :D
+JobbaMoscha Much sense made my friend :). I mean, I don't drink smoothies like I use too but they were pretty bad ass & packed full of greens! My energy levels took a hit though, as I wasn't very generous with the carbs, now things are quite different ;).
+Asilo Pautas Evolution is pretty sweet. Regardless of how conscious we are as human beings, there seems to be some background work in constant flow taking us further into knowing, whatever knowing is... One thing for sure, meat doesn't need a place on our plates anymore than it already has done :).
+JobbaMoscha If we come from nature, what we create is also nature, thus technology is nature as well, nature with intelligence in a sense.
awesome, time for a smoothie.
hahaha I can't stop laughing. drank my fresh coconut juice blended with fresh juice of kale, spinach, cucumber. giving my jaws and rest of my body a rest. hahaha then in a day or 2 back to eating the whole fruits and vegetables again. can't believe people make a big deal out of juicing or not. just juice and enjoy! blend and enjoy! eat the whole fruit/veges and enjoy! have a cooked vege dish with whole grain rice. enjoy!
Really interesting, Thanks!
No
Awesome topic of discussion. This sells me on Green smoothies, but what about fruit? I was debating with my educated foodie friend this weekend the negatives of making fruit smoothies. I was arguing that typical highly processed ( vitamin) type fruit smoothies turn the fruit into fruit juice since most of the fiber is pulverized to a level so small so that you loose much of the positive effects and promote a huge glycemic spike after drinking. I would love to hear your thoughts on this?
+madogblue wait until you watch all videos in the series. lack of fiber might be big
+madogblue Blending and juicing are not the same. When you blend a smoothie, the fiber is still inside, with the cell walls pulverized thoroughly so the nutrients and vitamins are more bioavailable. When you juice, the fiber is removed. Fiber is incredibly important, especially for intestinal health. And I've seen several people who have recorded their blood tests before and after smoothie meals; the fiber and nutrients prevented their sugar levels from spiking. Eating a whole or blended fruit is not the same as eating a spoon full of refined, bleached table sugar. Additionally, fat plays a large role in both creating insulin sensitivity/diabetes and in blood sugar problems, it thickens the blood and coats the cells which makes it harder for the sugar to quickly get into the cells.
Lol drinking a smoothie now
+AlwaysSoldierOn Same :)
same! haha
I just noticed that you've updated the picture on your icon. It's nice to see the current version of you. I had to relent and update mine a few years ago to reflect my older grayer self. I just call it truth in advertising.For the record, I'm already a big fan of smoothies. The additional info in your video reinforces all the reasons we should all be having smoothies more often - especially kids. At our house this requires making a major investment in a banana grower.
+Marvin Double Luckily bananas are cheap, and they need not be organic. I use frozen blueberries as one ingredient, and the price of organic is outrageous.
+Joseph1NJ Costco; if there's one near you, it's worth checking out their organic fresh and frozen produce offerings, which around here, are frequently on special.
tamcon72 Thanks for the top; we haven't been there in a while. I love wild organic blueberries; kinda hard to find near me, and when I do, man are they expensive.
Chewing does improve jaw strength and widens the airway over a period of time. Somix of chewing and blending is important.
Would you consider doing a video on shakeology? I've noticed that a lot of people are raving about the health benefits it has but I find it hard to believe.
Didn't recognize you without the beard...kinda think the beard balances out the bald head but to each his own 😊 Great advice on the green smoothies...I'll start incorporating spinach and carrots in mine ASAP.
I turn my vegetable smoothies into more of an Italian gazpacho. The only fruit in it is tomato then simply add some
cucumber
red pepper
curly kale
baby spinach
Add a little salt and pepper then as much hot sauce, paprika, chilli powder as you like to your spice taste ( Tabasco sauce has next to no suger) Add water and blend till smooth. Drink ice cold with plenty of ice
Awesome 🍅🥒🌶🥬🌱🌿🥤
David Wolfe mentioned this long long time ago about the nutribullet. That's why he named them Extractor blades that extract the nutrients and enzymes :D
I think there is downside to green smoothies, I use to blend a lot (2 cups) In the morning but right after I would get cramps, That would cease with a fat like avocados or almond kefir. But of course cant wait for the remedy for this maybe blend less.
Thx doctor :)
we really really love these videos.
I have a vitamix and I love it.
I've heard that blending adds too much oxidation. Is this true?
+Randall Boughton I have a vita mix and I've never heard that about oxidation. Can you provide a link?
+Randall Boughton NO, it does not . I have heard that from juicing enthusiasts, and makes no darn sense at all. Both juicing and blending increase surface area of food and the liquid within the food. As long as you are drinking right away there really is no problem. In fact, oxidation would be slower with blended food since there is more surface area and there is fiber.
+Randall Boughton Only if you let it sit, if you drink it right away, no worries.
Joseph1NJ If you're drinking a BIG smoothie then it is definitely a worry since you should be drinking it slowly.
If memory serves me correctly, I think that I blended kale with water a few hours before I added it to split peas in a pressure cooker. For some reason, the split peas weren't turning soft to form a split pea broth. Did this happen to anyone else?
What about juicing greens?
I retired my blender (for now) because I eat plant based knowing I get 'plenty' plant based nutrition and don't need to go over the top while being concerned about breaking down all the fiber. I would think I would want to keep long fiber chains long. I also think about it not satiating me given the more liquid form of nutrition requiring me to eat more. I am obese.
Sounds like the nutribullet infomercial!
Doc are you there? Jamaicans have been doing this since the blender was cheap enough.
I think I know what the downside may be... The smoothies need to be consumed immediately. Well, I was just wondering this, because my banana smoothie turns brown fairly quickly, so I assume it also changes on a nutrient level. Please let me be wrong though ;-)
I am 16 and i almost loosing mi sense of smelling what can i do?
isn't it true that high oxalate intake blocks calcium absorption or can cause accumulation of oxalate crystals?
Does anybody have a nice and simple recipe for a breakfast smoothie? Since I got sick when I stuffed myself with spinach a few months ago I cannot eat spinach anymore it's so disgusting. I would like to have something with blueberries and peas!! :)
Since I love smoothies this is good news, but is there a downside? Cliffhanger.....
I bet there is even more nutrients available from juicing like from a masticating juicer AND absorbed.
Got a blender?
I hate the cliff hangers. I can't wait another less than a day
So, Chew veggies as much as possible or better blend it. However, whole grains, don't chew or blend. So Blend Veggies, and THEN pour this over cooked whole grains.
What about adding wheatgrass/spirulina to your smoothie? Any opinions on that?
Some enzyme are in the saliva so drinking it is not the same as mastication
What about those green powders? Are they as great for you as everybody says?
the downside.... ppl drink too many smoothies... with dates, bananas and other high caloric stuff... blended macro nutrients (carbs primarily) also gets easier digested : weight gain :P ... drink 1 medium size smoothie and all is fine... drink a 20 banana smoothie with 30 dates per day ... well
Is this bioavailability equal to nut butters?
So I'm wondering this, I've read smoothies could be allowing our bodies to utilize the fruits and vegetables more. However that could be starving more of the probiotics in your gut since our bodies are digesting it before it can get to your gut.
Fiber although very small after blending can not enter bloodstream and hence is not absorbed, so we can still feed our microbiome through blending our fruits and veggies :)
not a word about oxidation?
A cliff hanger ending. I won't sleep till I see the ending.
what about greens powder
Like spirulina and wheatgrass? I think he has videos on thos e
"Yields about 4 6-oz servings." That's very, very funny.
Raw cruciferous greens not the best for those with thyroid conditions because of antithyroid compounds which cooking deactivates.
I feel like he's in my kitchen chilling every time I'm preparing GOOD vegan food for unappreciative family. 2 hours later, dinner's done, but they couldn't wait and already ordered pizza. I just look at Greger, sigh and shrug.
Whoa, Dr. Greger shaved, check out the profile picture
Aren't smoothies processed foods ? ;)
This is not ideal for storing these blended vegetables because maximum blending means maximum oxidation too. So it's probably best to consume right away.
I try to follow Nature, in Nature foods are not blended. In Nature all creatures drink only one thing .... water.
+Ronnie & Minh same, but.....
I am living proof that smoothies are good for you.
+Frank V um, ok
Aussie Vegan Gardening Yogi I feel like a million dollars and look great.
Aussie Vegan Gardening Yogi I have been doing smoothies for breakfast for a few years now. I used to put leafy greens in them but now just put broccoli for the green. I also put bananas, carrots, grapefruit, avocado, berries, and yogurt. So they are not really green but purple from the berries. I put a lot of wilted greens in my meals for lunch and dinner. If you steam the greens you can eat a lot more and without a dressing. I usually just mix it in my meals like curry and rice. I do eat meat but only for dinner and in very small portions.
People wants to see their biases confirmed here. Wait to the next video to find out whether there are downsides in smoothies and how undesirable they could be...!
Doesn't cooking kill lots of nutrients ?
It's what you 3:17 absorb...?
Can I put broccoli in a smoothie?
***** ha ha you're so funny -.-
I meant can you eat broccoli raw and will the full nutrience be acceced through blending
Simply Sookie - Brocolli is more nutritious if you steam cook it (then you could blend it).
I'll probably never drink smoothies. Nothing against them, I just dont love them. Heck, no matter how yummy I won't drink them. Idk why.
cliffhanger ending!
"Might there be a downside to enhanced absorption?" FIND OUT NEXT VIDEO? I was ready to jump up and go blend up my spinach, berries and bananas by the end of this video and then you drop that bomb!? You toy with me Greger!
He sure does, I don't like the suspense
I don't like smoothies, I have a green juice. Is that okay?
Green juices are the bomb! 👍✨ But to me they're more like a natural multivitamin boost or something one should do when sick and/or when the digestive system and/or appetite is compromised. Our bodies THRIVE on a high fiber diet. I say, just make sure you compensate for the lack of it with your other meals and you're golden! Fruits n Veggies FTW!! 😉🍏
Optimally, juicing is what these numbers are approaching.
Argh, I prefer when you announce the bad new first, then the good news !
NutritionFacts.org………disclamier….I meant Polenta…..so never mind
I'll pass on the same advice I gave to friends with young children, veggie smoothies are fine for adults, but not young children, the elderly, or those with weakened immune systems. Raw veggies, especially those that grow on the ground such as lettuce, spinach, etc. have the risk of contamination from E. Coli, salmonella, etc. Sure enough their kids got an E. Coli infection, the CDC investigated and was unable to find the source; no other children in the school got it. Cooking would've prevented that. Thankfully they're fine, but no more raw smoothies until the kids get older. And sadly no, organic is not exempt from the risk. Raw does carry some risks, to each his own.
+Joseph1NJ Properly washing produce reduces most food borne pathogens; E. coli, for example is a problem in ground meat because there's no way to rinse it off, as opposed to surface contamination on a steak[I know, now one washes their steaks--these are theoretical things one learns in cooking school]
tamcon72 Yes but E. Coli gets in the water, which then gets INTO the plant. Washing won't help. Save the raw veggie smoothies for healthy teens and above. Personally, I no longer eat raw spinach salads, as that veggie seems to get infected frequently, even organic.
Joseph1NJ
I went, "huh." to this, because as a trained cook, I guess I'm thinking I'll take my chances with raw spinach, in spite of all the recalls, because it's still a lesser likelihood of disease than a bologna eater faces. You become nonchalant after a time, I guess . . .
tamcon72 Makes sense. The infections are normally not more serious than a mild GI bug for most. Like most things in life, you weigh the pros & cons, then decide. My only caution, as I've said, was to the very young, elderly, or anyone with a weaken immune system. Parents cab decide for themselves. Kids can't.
I heard it's good to chew your smoothies
Masticating juicer, or blender? I've seen the masticating juicers pitched for supposedly having the advantage of not heat damaging the nutrients. Is that claim backed up by legit studies or is it just marketing copy?
Green smoothies are fine, but the LAST green I would put in a smoothie is raw spinach. Raw spinach has oxalic acid, it causes kidney stones, and keeps you from absorbing the iron you're trying to get from the spinach. Cooking spinach gets rid of the oxalic acid. I love spinach, but I cook it. ( Same goes for raw mushrooms, they contain carcinogens) (and I don't give whole apples to my dog, the seeds contain cyanide)
I don't know why people are so crazy about a totally raw food diet any way, human evolution is from cooked foods, we are the only animal that cooked foods, and who is to say that is not why the human brain is more highly developed than other animals' brains.
Also smoothies are a processed food, the difference is that you are processing it yourself instead of a factory, maybe that's fine, but cavemen didn't have blenders so if you are totally into 'natural' then maybe you shouldn't be blending your food. All the time. Occasionally, probably fine.
You talk nonsense
Just because the color of a smoothie is green doesn't its necessarily good for you.