Health Benefits of Eating Kale
- Kale contains a good amount of glucosinolate isothiocyanate (ITC)
which helps combat Helicobacter pylori bacteria that can lead to
gastric cancer.
- This cruciferous vegetable is loaded with antioxidants like
flavonoids and carotenoids, which free our body from oxidative
stress that caused by free radicals. Quercetin and kaempferol are
the two important flavonoids that inhibit the growth of cancer
cells.
- Kale is anti-inflammatory as it provides omega-3 fatty acids which
are useful to treat asthma, autoimmune disorder and arthritis.
- Substantial amount of dietary fiber found in this green vegetable
helps reduce cholesterol level, promotes better digestion, stop
constipation and reduce the sugar level in the body.
- The ITC from glucosinolates together with sulfur in kale assist the
body to detox, thus maintaining the health and wellness of the body.
- A cup of kale provides more than RDA of vitamin A
(retinol). Besides being an
antioxidant, vitamin A also helps promote the wellbeing of the body's immune system and the vision.
- Another potent antioxidant vitamin found in this cruciferous
vegetable is the vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin C helps recharge
beta-carotene and vitamin E when they are oxidized by the harmful
free radicals.
- This nutritious vegetable is rich in vitamin K that is essential for
the synthesis of a compound that helps fortify our bones, known as osteocalcin. Vitamin K is also helps prevent atherosclerosis, stroke
and other cardiovascular diseases.
- For those on weight loss diet, kale is an ideal food to be included
as it contains low calories and without any fats. Juicing kale is
another way of getting its nutrients without having to eat a lot of
the vegetable.
Overview and Facts about Kale
 Kale (scientific name Brassica oleracea L.), like bok choy, kailon
and daikon, is a plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family. This
cruciferous vegetable is a typical cabbage with loosely furled
leaves, instead of growing a head. Kale leaves have a special ruffly
look that distinguishes it from its cousin, collard greens. The
vegetable is generally slightly bitter in taste, even though this
bitterness may be tempered through rinsing, cooking, or using much
younger leaves. And it is nutritionally rich, compared to other
green vegetables.
Usually, kale is consumed cooked, while fairly young leaves can be
cut from the vegetable stalks and used raw to make a variety of
salads. When cooked, kale is added to make soups in Portugal,
roasted together with pizza in Italy, mixed in mashed potatoes in
Ireland, and eaten plain around the world. When preparing kale for
cooking, remember that the stems are harder to cook compared to the
leaves. In general, cooks cut out the biggest stems to be discarded
or cooked longer, to get rid of woody stems and soggy leaves.
Kale Nutrition Facts and Calories
|
Nutrition Value of
1 cup (67 g) Raw Kale (Chopped) |
| Calories |
33 kcal |
| Total Fat |
0 g |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg
|
| Sodium |
29 mg |
| Total
Carbohydrates |
7 g |
| Dietary Fiber |
1 g |
| Sugars |
0 g |
| Protein |
2
g |
Kale Recipe
Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 medium bunch of raw kale, cut into 0.5-cm strips
- 1/2 small red onion, cut into 0.5-cm slices
- 30 g Gruyere cheese, finely grated
- 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 3/4 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Preparation:
Combine the kale, onion, cheese and hazelnuts in a big bowl, toss
well. Drizzle the olive oil over, then season with salt and pepper to
taste. Mix well.
Kale Side Effects
Kale is usually harmless for most of us in food amounts or in
medicinal amounts in short-term. There is no evidence of adverse
reaction from eating kale.
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