Are you having problems gaining the minerals in your diet that you need? Want to have peace of mind that you are getting all the essential minerals your body needs to stay healthy? Well, here are nine easy ways kale can quickly help. But first, a bit about the kale vegetable.
Kale (Brassica oleracea, variety acephala) is a vegetable from the brassica family of plants originating from the northern Mediterranean.
9 Health Benefits of Kale
#1. Kale is a CRUCIFEROUS vegetable and one of the most nutritious foods in the world. Like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, kale is packed with health-promoting biological compounds such as antioxidants.
The most common variety of kale is Curly kale or Scots kale, which has green and curly leaves and a hard, fibrous stem. Shetland Kale is the oldest known variety, grown since at least the 17th Century. The dropped leaves were used as winter feed for farm animals.
A cup of raw kale contains:
• Vitamin A: TWICE the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA), via beta-carotene, for good eyesight and the immune system
• Vitamin K: SEVEN times the RDA for the blood and bones
• Vitamin C: more than the RDA for growth and tissue repair
• Vitamin B6: about a tenth of the RDA for the nervous and immune systems
• Manganese: a quarter of the RDA for tissues, bones, blood, and sex hormones
• Calcium: about a tenth of the RDA for bones and teeth
• Copper: a tenth of the RDA for the bones, blood vessels, immune and nervous systems, and iron absorption
• Potassium: about a tenth of the RDA for the heart, muscles, and nerves
• Magnesium: six percent of the RDA for bone and cellular health
• Three percent or more of the RDA for vitamin B1 (thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin B3 (niacin), iron, and phosphorus
The same cupful of kale contains just 33 calories, 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, and 3 g protein. The tiny amount of fat in kale comes as the beneficial omega-3 alpha-linolenic fatty acid.
Now you know why KALE is among the most NUTRIENT-DENSE foods.
#2. Kale contains the antioxidants QUERCETIN and KAEMPFEROL. Antioxidants help prevent oxidative damage by harmful FREE RADICALS. Kale contains relatively large amounts of antioxidant flavonoids like QUERCETIN and KAEMPFEROL. These compounds have been found to protect the heart and help to reduce blood pressure.
#3. Kale is an ideal source of VITAMIN C, which is needed for collagen synthesis, the most abundant structural protein in the human body. That is why the vitamin is essential to repair damage to tissues, which happens every day to all of us. The vegetable provides more vitamin C than most others – almost five times more than spinach and more than a whole orange.
#4. Kale is the best source of VITAMIN K. Scientists have found that vitamin K activates protein-binding calcium. As mentioned above, a cupful of raw kale contains almost seven times the RDA. That is enormous. Vitamin K1 helps to fight heart disease and osteoporosis.
#5. Kale is packed with BETA-CAROTENE, an antioxidant that eventually becomes vitamin A, which is good for eyesight and immunity.
#7. Kale is a rich source of CALCIUM, MAGNESIUM, and POTASSIUM. The vegetable is rich in calcium for bones and cellular health. It is also a good source of magnesium, which helps combat type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The potassium in kale helps maintain the right electrical potential in cells to regulate blood pressure.
#8. Kale is LOW in OXALATE. Oxalate seems to prevent minerals from being absorbed, which can cause serious health problems.
#9. Kale is high in LUTEIN and ZEAXANTHIN. These are potent nutrients that are good for eyesight, especially for older folks. Lutein and zeaxanthin are CAROTENOID antioxidants present in large amounts in kale. These antioxidants greatly help reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, two prevalent eye disorders in aging folk.
All in all, kale is a vegetable full of antioxidants that may help fight several maladies. It is exceptionally high in vitamins A, C, and K and is part of a healthy diet. If you know what you are doing, the above will help you get and maintain the essential minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants your body needs from kale. The vegetable is best eaten raw.
Your ultimate levels of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants from kale can be reached if you take note of the principles given in this article. Getting the proper mineral balance is not a pipe dream and has nothing to do with genetic makeup. Use the information here, and very soon, you will have confidence and satisfaction that you have the correct minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, and especially the vitamins your body needs that come from kale.
