Kale receives a lot of attention for its health benefits. The World’s Healthiest Foods breaks down the healthy properties of kale, as well. This includes nutrition information, how it helps fight certain diseases, and even ideas for preparing kale in your meals.
Known for its dark-green leaves, kale is a vegetable, related to Brussels sprouts or cabbage. Originally from Asia, kale made its way to Europe by 600 B.C. There are several kinds of kale, including ornamental, dinosaur, and curly.
The nutritional breakdown of kale is very interesting.
The World’s Healthiest Foods reports that kale contains 1,180% of the body’s daily need for vitamin K. This comes from just one cup of cooked kale! It also contains 98% of the required daily requirement of vitamin A and 71% of vitamin C. Kale also contains:
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6
- Copper
- Potassium
- Calcium
- Iron
- Fiber
Just like other dark, leafy-green veggies, kale contains antioxidants effective for fighting cancer. In particular, the vegetable retains beta-carotene and lutein. It also has the flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin inside, which are also effective against cancer.
Another benefit of kale? It can support our cardiovascular system.
When kale is digested by our bodies, it absorbs bile acids that contain cholesterol. This is passed through our system and excreted. The body then creates more bile acids that require more cholesterol, thus lowering cholesterol levels. Interestingly, when kale is steamed its cholesterol-lowering capacity actually increases significantly.
Furthermore, due to this improved capacity, the World’s Healthiest Foods recommends steaming kale when preparing it. You can use a steamer pot. In addition, to Store raw kale, place it in a plastic bag with the air removed, in a refrigerator. Be aware that the longer it is kept the more bitter its flavor.
Want to learn more about the healthy properties of kale? Read the full article here: “What’s New and Beneficial About Kale.”
