What happens if you drink green smoothies everyday?

Green smoothies have become increasingly popular over the last decade as more people discover their many health benefits. Packed with fruits, vegetables, and other superfoods, green smoothies make it easy to get a concentrated dose of nutrients in one tasty beverage. But what actually happens to your body when you drink green smoothies every day? Let’s take a closer look at the effects of making green smoothies a daily habit.

You Load Up on Vegetables

One of the biggest perks of green smoothies is that you can pack a lot of veggies into one drink. For example, you might include spinach, kale, celery, cucumber, zucchini, broccoli, parsley, and more in a single smoothie. While you may not sit down and eat that many servings of vegetables at once, blending them into a smoothie makes it easy to consume them all together.

Getting more daily vegetables has many excellent health benefits. Some of these include:

• Lowering your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers
• Providing fiber to support digestion and gut health
• Increasing your intake of vital vitamins and minerals
• Helping with sustainable weight management

Smoothies make it simple and enjoyable to meet the daily recommended vegetable intake. One study found that participants were able to increase their daily vegetable consumption by nearly a cup just by drinking a green smoothie every day.

You Get More Fruit

In addition to vegetables, green smoothies are loaded with fruit. Bananas, berries, mango, pineapple, apple, orange, pear…the options for fruit additions are endless. Although fruits do contain natural sugars, they also provide many important nutrients and health-boosting plant compounds.

Some benefits associated with a higher fruit intake include:

• Increased fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidant intake
• A more diverse microbiome
• Lower systemic inflammation
• Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease

Enjoying fruit in smoothies makes it possible to take in a greater quantity and variety compared to just eating whole fruits. One study in teens found that consumption of fruit-based smoothies led to dramatic increases in fruit intake without added calories.

You Drink More Liquids

Staying well hydrated is crucial for overall health, but many people struggle to drink enough water daily. Drinking smoothies is an excellent way to increase fluid intake, especially if you choose low-sugar ingredients like cucumber, celery, and herbal teas.

Benefits of improved hydration include:

• Better physical and cognitive performance
• More regular digestion
• Healthier looking skin
• Reduced risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections

Preparing a tall glass of green smoothie in the morning makes it effortless to drink a few extra cups of water. Even if you add some fruit, a smoothie is still far better hydration than grabbing an unhealthy sugary soda, juice, or coffee drink.

You Increase Fiber Intake

Many green smoothie ingredients are excellent sources of dietary fiber, which is linked to multiple health benefits. Leafy greens, vegetables, avocado, chia seeds, nuts, and fruits in smoothies all contribute fiber to your diet.

Higher fiber intake can lead to:

• Improved regularity and digestive health
• Decreased cholesterol levels
• Better blood sugar control
• Increased feelings of fullness

Despite the many advantages of fiber, over 90% of Americans do not get enough from their diets. Adding green smoothies is a tasty tactic to help cover your daily fiber needs.

You May Lose Excess Weight

Due to their fiber content and nutrients, green smoothies may support weight loss when consumed as part of an overall healthy diet. Several studies have found that replacing calorie-laden beverages with green smoothies led to decreased body weight and fat over time.

Possible reasons for these effects include:

• Fiber promotes satiety and prevents overeating
• Nutrients help regulate appetite hormones
• Phytochemicals boost metabolism and fat burning
• Low glycemic load prevents energy crashes

While smoothies are no “miracle” solution for shedding pounds, they can be a beneficial part of your weight management efforts.

You Build Stronger Bones

Many leafy greens and vegetables contain calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which are all nutrients linked to improved bone density. Several fruits are also excellent vitamin C sources, which aids calcium absorption for bone health.

Drinking green smoothies with these ingredients regularly may lead to:

• Improved calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C intake
• Reduced bone turnover
• Lower risk of osteoporosis

One study in postmenopausal women with osteopenia found that just 12 weeks of drinking green smoothies resulted in increased bone density measurements.

You May Have More Energy

B vitamins, antioxidants, amino acids, enzymes, and phytochemicals in green smoothies provide nourishment that can boost your energy levels. Fruit sugars like glucose and fructose can also quickly raise blood sugar to provide an energy surge.

Potential energizing effects include:

• Elevated blood sugar and energy metabolism
• Sustained energy due to balanced macronutrients
• Reduced oxidative stress
• Increased oxygen delivery to cells

However, adding too much fruit can cause a subsequent energy crash as blood sugar declines rapidly. Keeping smoothies low glycemic by emphasizing veggies and healthy fats provides longer-lasting energy.

You May Improve Your Mood

Research shows links between fruit and vegetable intake with better moods and psychological well-being. Antioxidants, fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals in smoothies may support mental health in multiple ways.

Potential effects include:

• Regulation of neurotransmitters like serotonin
• Lower inflammation linked to depression
• Increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor
• Better antioxidant defenses against oxidative stress

One study found that drinking green smoothies for two weeks significantly decreased feelings of anxiety and cravings for unhealthy foods.

You Reduce Toxic Exposure

Many fruits and vegetables in green smoothies contain antioxidant compounds that neutralize damaging free radicals from pollution, chemicals, and other toxic exposures in your environment.

Benefits of lowering oxidative stress include:

• Reduced damage to cells, proteins, lipids, and DNA
• Lower risk of neurodegenerative disease
• Decreased inflammation and chronic disease risk
• Healthier aging processes

Although no specific amount of antioxidants is recommended, maximizing your daily intake through a diet rich in produce like green smoothies is believed to be protective against toxicity.

You May Absorb More Nutrients

Blending smoothies helps break down fibrous plant cell walls so your body can access and absorb more nutrients compared to just eating the ingredients whole. One study in adults with obesity found that consuming blended soups and smoothies led to increased absorption of lutein, beta-carotene, and lycopene.

Higher nutrient absorption can translate to:

• Improved vitamin, mineral, and phytochemical status
• Enhanced immune function
• Better energy production
• Increased antioxidant activity

The easiest way to maximize both nutrient and fiber intake from produce is to alternate between smoothies and eating fruits/vegetables whole.

Conclusion

Making green smoothies part of your daily routine provides a wide range of science-backed benefits. From increasing your vegetable, fruit, and fiber intake to protecting your bones and giving you an energy boost, green smoothies deserve their reputation as a healthy beverage.

However, smoothies should not completely replace whole fruits and vegetables in your diet. For best results, try alternating between blending and chewing your produce to obtain both the enhanced absorption from smoothies and the satiety value of fiber from eating the ingredients whole.

Experiment with different combinations of leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and superfoods to find green smoothie recipes you enjoy. Just be sure not to overdo the fruit or add unnecessary sugars. Overall, drinking daily green smoothies can be a simple yet powerful way to maximize your nutrition and improve multiple aspects of health.