It is a healthy Kale vegetable that is rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. It also contains minerals that may benefit eye health, weight reduction, heart health, and other things.6 Kale Health and Fitness Benefits
Due to its abundance in important minerals and antioxidants, it is one of the leafy greens with the highest nutritional value.
In actuality, kale has a variety of beneficial compounds, some of which are very medicinal.
It may be used in a wide range of cuisines and has a nutty, earthy flavor.
Here are 9 health benefits of kale that have been scientifically proven.
Highly nutritious
The cabbage family includes the well-known vegetable kale.
It shares a family tree with Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and collard greens as a cruciferous vegetable.
There are many different types of kale. The leaves might have a smooth or curly shape and either a green or a purple color.
The most well-liked kind of kale is curly kale, often called Scots kale. It has stiff, fibrous stem and green, curled leaves.
One cup, or 21 grams (g), of raw kale has the following nutrients:
- Calories: 7
- Carbs: 1 g
- Fibre: 1 g
- Vitamin K: 68% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin C: 22% of the DV
- Manganese: 8% of the DV
- Vitamin A: 6% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 5% of the DV
- Calcium: 4% of the DV
Each meal also contains trace levels of potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and vitamin B6.
By include more kale in your diet, you may boost your consumption of these critical vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Provides powerful antioxidants
Like other leafy greens, kale is rich in antioxidants.
In addition to the antioxidants beta-carotene and vitamin C, they also include flavonoids and polyphenols.
Chemicals called antioxidants prevent the body’s free radicals from doing oxidative harm.
Oxidative damage is considered to be one of the primary drivers of aging and many chronic illnesses, including cancer.
However, many substances that simultaneously function as antioxidants have other vital functions.
This includes the comparatively plentiful kale flavonoids quercetin and kaempferol.
It’s intriguing to note that studies in test tubes and on animals indicate that these compounds may help lower inflammation, support heart health, limit the growth of cancer cells, and protect against chronic sickness.
Excellent source of vitamin C
Vitamin C is an important water-soluble antioxidant that is required by the body’s cells for a range of vital functions.
For instance, it is essential for the synthesis of collagen, the most common structural protein in the body.
Kale is more vitamin C-rich than most other green vegetables, having nearly three times as much vitamin C as spinach and collard greens.
This makes kale, along with other foods strong in vitamin C, a fantastic addition to a diet that’s healthy and balanced.
May lower cholesterol levels
The body uses cholesterol for a number of vital functions.
For instance, it is used to produce bile acids, which are substances that help the body digest fat.
A high-fat meal causes the liver to transform cholesterol into bile acids, which are then released into the digestive system.
After all the fat has been absorbed and the bile acids have finished their task, they are reabsorbed into circulation and put to use once again.
Some elements in kale have the ability to bind bile acids in the digestive system and prevent them from being reabsorbed. The total amount of cholesterol in the body therefore declines.
In 149 individuals with metabolic syndrome, ingesting 14 g of kale powder per day for eight weeks resulted in significantly decreased levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, blood pressure, belly fat, and fasting blood sugar.
Heating it considerably increases the bile acid binding effect, according to a prior research. Actually, steaming kale is 13% more effective than cholestyramine, a cholesterol-lowering drug that functions similarly.
Excellent source of vitamin K
Vitamin K is a necessary nutrient.
By “activating” certain proteins and allowing them to bind calcium, it plays a critical part in blood clotting.
A well-known anticoagulant drug called warfarin blocks the ability of this vitamin to promote clotting.
Approximately 70% of the daily recommended intake of vitamin K is found in one cup of raw kale, making it a rich source of this vitamin.
Instead of vitamin K2, which is a different kind of vitamin, it includes vitamin K1. Vitamin K2 is a component found in fermented soy meals and certain animal products. It may guard against osteoporosis and heart disease.
Contains anti-cancer compounds
Uncontrolled cell growth is a characteristic of the illness known as cancer.
It contains a huge number of chemicals, many of which are considered to have anti-cancer preventative qualities.
One of them is sulforaphane, a substance that has been shown to block the molecular development of cancer.
There is also indole-3-carbinol, another substance that may help prevent cancer.
Studies have shown that cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, may significantly lower the risk of a variety of cancers, despite contradictory results in people.