Drinking your Greens : Green Smoothies from a Nutritional and Toxicological Point of View

Green smoothies often contain beneficial ingredients (e.g. vitamins, minerals and fibers) and can enrich the daily diet. However, with regard to the selection of ingredients, some points should be considered in order to avoid health risks. First, it has to be kept in mind that a high fruit content may result in a considerably high energy intake. In principle, only plants or parts thereof should be used in smoothies which have also been used traditionally as foods and, therefore, are regarded as safe. Further, all ingredients should be used with as much variety as possible in order to avoid an unbalanced nutrient supply and to avoid a high long-term intake of potentially harmful substances. Special care should be taken when using self-collected wild herbs, since, among other things, confusion with poisonous plants may occur. It is also recommended to use ingredients as fresh as possible and to follow the general rules of kitchen hygiene.