Kale benefits
 |
| Kale good for you |
Kale has also been termed the queen of greens and a nutritional powerhouse. Kale is a vegetable
which belongs to the cruciferous family.
It is green
vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and collard green. You consumed
it both in raw and cooked form.
Kale is existing
in different colours and shapes; like, green or purple and with curly or smooth
shapes. Mostly the type of kale that is consumed is curly having a hard stem and
curly leaves.
Although it is
similar to the vegetables of the family but differs due to its leaves. It is packed
with nutrients that have unlimited effects on health.
Nutritional facts about kale:
 |
Kale nutritional value |
Kale is
considered a powerhouse of nutrients. Kale have very little fat but a large
part of it is the omega 3 fatty acid. It is the most nutrient-dense food existing.
Although it is
low in calorie content eating kale is a great way to include veraity of
nutrients in the diet. It is estimated that
a cup of raw kale which is about 67
grams contains:
|
Vitamin K |
684 % daily
value |
|
Vitamin C |
134 % daily
value |
|
Vitamin A |
206% of the daily
value |
|
Manganese |
26% of the daily
value |
|
Copper |
10% of the daily
value |
|
Calcium |
9% of the daily
value |
|
Magnesium |
6% of the daily
value |
|
Potassium |
9% of the daily
value |
|
Carbohydrate |
6 grams |
|
Thiamine |
3% |
|
Protein |
3 grams |
Health benefits of kale:
Kale is rich
in antioxidants. Antioxidants perform the function of reducing free radical
formation whose function is to cause mainly oxidative damage.
It is one of
the leading points from where various diseases originate. Antioxidant removes
unwanted toxin that is produced during natural process within the body.
The name of
these is vitamin C, beta carotene and several other polyphenols and
flavonoid.
Mostly
flavonoids are present in a large amount having the property of lowering blood
pressure, heart protection, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral etc.
It is estimated
that two cups of raw kale provide 1.2 mg of beta-carotene, 79.2 mg of lutein and
3.84 mg of vitamin C.
2. May reduce heart disease:
Cholesterol
performs many functions in the body. To illustrate, it helps to make bile acid,
which further helps to digest extra fat from the body.
When all the
fat is absorbed from the body, then bile acid is reabsorbed into the bloodstream. The substances that contain bile are known as bile sequestrants that purpose is to reduce cholesterol levels which
further helps to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Kale is rich in
fibre which has a beneficial effect on heart health. because eating fibre
help to lower cholesterol level and reduce weight gain.
One cup of
cooked kale provides 5.2 grams of fibre. Due to its anti-inflammatory
properties, it also helps to improve
coronary artery risk factors.
3. Kale is the best source of vitamin K:
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for the body and existed in different forms. Its main
function is to bind calcium along with activating certain proteins which helps in
blood clotting.
Kale is one of
the main sources of vitamin K. it contains Vitamin K1 form which is quite
different from vitamin K2.
Vitamin K1 is
also known as a coagulation vitamin because it helps in coagulating blood
clotting. While k2 is mostly found in the animal source which ensures proper bone
health. It is estimated that one cup of kale provides 544 micrograms of vitamin
K.
4. Help to fight cancer:
Cancer is the
leading cause of death worldwide. Kale is packed with nutrients that help to
fight against cancer.
One of them is
sulforaphane which fights against cancer at a molecular level. It is present mostly
in green vegetables such as broccoli, and kale. Another substance is
indole-3-carbinol which prevents cancer.
Kale also
contains fibre that helps to prevent colorectal cancer. Because fibre quickly
passes through the colon and clears the cancer-causing agent if any is present.
Kale has a cancer-fighting carotenoid that protects against DNA damage caused by free radicals which
ultimately cause cancer.
5. Help to lose
weight:
Kale is also
helping the body lose weight. Although it is low in calorie help you to
feel full. Kale has low energy density because of the low calorie and
high-water content.
It is also rich
in fibre and protein which are considered weight-loss nutrients. It is not a recommendation of how much you should eat to lose weight but to satisfy your
need.
6. Improve digestion:
Kale has sugar
(probiotic) known as sulfoquinovose that feeds good bacteria in the gut. These
further help for proper digestion process and keep harmful bacteria at a down
level because their high-level causes malnourishment and diarrhoea.
7. Improve brain functioning:
Kale also helps
to support brain health. It has anti-inflammatory properties because of omega-3
fatty acids that help to improve brain performance and memory.
It also has
sulforaphane that reduces inflammation which further boosts cognitive health.
iron is another compound that helps to improve brain health. due to the absence of
iron in the body, proper blood is not circulated from the body to the brain.
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