Within the past few years, kale has rapidly become a well-loved super food. In fact, 2013 saw the first ever National Kale Day that was marked by kale-based cocktails and talks about the benefits of the leafy green. Once a pretty unknown veggie, kale has quickly found its way in just about every health food on the market and is often the first thing people reach for when juicing.
But does kale live up to the hype? Is it really that great for you? What should you know before stockpiling this super food?
The Many Benefits
On the upside, kale really is the nutritional powerhouse that people normally promote. One little cup of kale is packed full of 9% of your daily intake of calcium, 206% of vitamin A, 134% of vitamin C, and a staggering 684% of vitamin K.
Of course, there's also the matter of minerals. The leafs contain huge amounts of copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus all of which support a wide variety of biological systems. Among other things, your immune and nervous systems could all get a boost from a healthy dose of kale.
Kale is also a rich source of antioxidants and other plant chemicals that offer an impressive range of benefits. The compounds found in kale have been shown to improve eye health and brain function, while fighting heart disease and cancer.
Like all leafy greens, kale contains massive amounts of dietary fiber, as well. Although it does not offer any fuel in the form of calories, the fiber that makes up the leaves can improve digestion while lowering cholesterol and increasing cardiovascular health.
Clearly, kale has tons of things going for it. But, like everything else, kale is no magic-pill. Despite what proponents might have you believe, kale is not a cure-all.
Some Things To Consider
Kale is a prime example of how you can often have too much of a good thing when if comes to your health and diet.
For starters, the incredible amount of vitamin K found in kale could prove to be of fairly great concern for some people. While it is normally a very beneficial nutrient, vitamin K promotes clotting and can interfere with certain medications like warfarin thus rendering the drug less active and less effective.
One of those plant chemicals that kale offers, called oxalates, could also cause issues in high doses. Besides limiting your body's ability to absorb the vital calcium, these substances have been shown to increase your risk of kidney and gallstones by way of oxalate accumulation. Other compounds in raw kale could also cause complications if you have preexisting thyroid issues, too. Before tossing kale into everything you eat, you should talk to your doctor if you have struggled with thyroid conditions in the past.
You can get too much fiber, as well. While it can help your digest, too much fiber can cause gas, bloating and other digestive problems. This is especially true with raw kale.
Finding The Balance
Obviously, most of the causes for concern when it comes to kale are only an issue if you chose to enjoy it raw. For this reason, many health experts recommend only eating raw kale twice a week, at most. There is a cap on how much cooked kale you can eat.
Here's the problem, though: Cooking kale tends to destroy many of the things that make it so beneficial. To get around this, try cooking the leaves in broth or water. Afterward, include that liquid in your meal. Not only will it be delicious but also most of the nutrients that were removed from the leaves during cooking will not be infused in the fluid.
Clearly, then, kale is good for you. But, just like everything else, it is not the answer to all your problems and a balanced view is needed. If you do decide to chow down on the green stuff, limit your consumption of raw leaves and find ways to include it in to your meals.
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