In the photo or video, it looks 'ideal' and 'very inspiring'.
And the plan, in principle, is quite seductive: «If you drink this rich and nutritious smoothie, you will
detoxify your body
, burn fat, lose weight and feel great!», They proclaim.
The problem, however, comes from 'devirtualizing' the 'tip' to discover that this miraculous green smoothie, in reality,
is usually quite bad
(no matter how much it is 'garnished' with spices and grandiloquent epithets), and that, in addition ,
not only is it not purifying, but it can harm
our health
in the long term .
"It's the typical topic that infuriates us nutritionists. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Eva Longoria or Madonna and 'healthy lifestyle' influencers have made it fashionable on social networks and the problem is not that these types of people take them , but there are many people who believe and follow their
alleged healthy advice without being informed about the real nutritional qualities
they have and their possible side effects," says María Amaro, Nutrition specialist.
The first thing that should be done is to
demystify that 'detox roll'
that they try to strain us.
"The intake of vegetable and fruit smoothies to, presumably, cleanse the body
does not make sense
. These juices do not even serve to benefit from the properties of these foods."
The subject has crumb for the enormous repercussion that it reaches in the social networks.
"'I'm going to take it to
detoxify myself from
excesses
!
'
Although it seems obvious to point it out, this specialist explains that,
in order to purify ourselves
, "our body already has specific organs that are in charge of this function:
the kidneys and the liver.
While the former help us to eliminate the toxins that we have in the blood - they can filter up to 1,700 liters a day - through the urine, the liver does the same with different toxins and pathogenic agents in addition to metabolizing alcohol or drugs".
That is to say, "
we do not need any drink to detoxify ourselves
and the best proof of this is that the human species has reached the present day without them".
Instead of a vegetable juice, María Amaro recommends that "if what we have is a real intoxication, what we should do is
go to the doctor
and not start drinking spinach smoothies because it is a sign that the liver or kidneys.
Because, although it may seem like a trivial matter, these smoothies "not only are not as 'healthy' as they are sold to us, but they can become the source of health problems, as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has warned that has linked its consumption to the
increase in the number of patients diagnosed with kidney stones
, whose number has doubled.
But there is still more.
Contrary to what is said, "if they are used as the main nutrient in a crash diet, it favors a greater
accumulation of fat and a loss of muscle mass"
.
They are not magical, nor do they help us lose weight because, as Amaro reminds us, "without a proper diet with which we supply our body with essential nutrients,
our body loses water and protein
".
When we drink a smoothie, "
we are shoving together several pieces of fruit or vegetables
-impossible to ingest in one sitting if they were whole- with the
blood sugar spike
that this entails. If we add to this the reduction in calories or the prolonged fasts that usually entail this type of 'detox remedies', we are going to find ourselves with high spikes in blood glucose that will activate the generation of adipose tissue".
To all this, one essential piece of information should be added: "Fruits and vegetables have soluble and insoluble fiber, which is what helps us go to the bathroom more frequently and clean our intestines. However, by blending them,
we lose that fiber so valuable
, promoting the absorption of sugars. Gastric emptying, moreover, becomes faster with what carbohydrates pass before the bloodstream, raising blood glucose levels. The pancreas, to counteract this effect, it elevates the production of insulin, which activates lipogenesis or what is the same, the
increase in the production of fat
".
What are oxalates?
By making spinach, chard or beet smoothies, to give three very popular examples, "not only are we losing their original properties but, in addition, their intake can lead to
multiple contraindications
."
Why?
"Because all these foods are rich in oxalates, salts that interfere with the absorption of iron, potassium or calcium, among other things, and favor the appearance of
nephritic colic
and other kidney problems. Moreover, in studies such as the one carried out in 2013 by Jane E Getting 1, James R Gregoire, Ashley Phul, Mary J Kasten, the consumption of this type of juice is directly related
to oxalate nephropathy
".
Then what do we do?
"If
we cook them at the right temperature
, we can largely 'deactivate' the action of oxalates. That's why it's not that, it's not recommended to take them raw, or in such large quantities as those used for smoothies."
So now we know: more stewed spinach dishes (which are great) and less rolls.
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