About Kale - The Humble Vegetable

Its appearance may not say much, you may even find yourself asking “is this actually supposed to be tasty?” But this vegetable is truly one of those ones that you should not judge by its looks
Kale is a type of cabbage that has wide, long and ruffled leaves that are usually rough and curled at the edges. Kale has a dark, deep green color with added shades of purple.
Kale first originated from Asia and was brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by groups of Celtic wanderers.
Kale has a very distinct pungent earthy scent and taste to it, with a bitter, peppery zest to it.

Kale Nutritional Information

Kale is a super food that is chalked with a variety of vitamins and minerals that have mildly varying positive effects on the body and is delicious to boot! Kale stands out among its vegetable peers as being one of the most vitamin rich vegetable. Kale has large quantities of vitamins A, Vitamin C and Vitamin K. kale is also a good source of Calcium, Iron, and Chlorophyll. It is also a god source of minerals that include Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Iron, Calcium, and Sodium.
Kale also consists of a rich variety of polyphenolic compounds such as Lutein, Zeaxanthin, and Beta carotene.

Health Benefits Of Kale

You can always count on kale as this leafy vegetable is all about giving! Packed full of nutrients, this vegetable is just waiting to be picked!

Good for your Heart!

Regular intake of Kale can lower our cholesterol level. Kale also contains good amounts of potassium which is an important component of cells and body fluids that help control heart rate and blood pressure by countering effects of sodium.

Anti Cancer Benefits!

Kale has at least four glucosinolates that are cancer preventive as these glucosinolates are converted to anti cancer compounds by our bodies. Therefore a regular intake of kale is very beneficial!
Several types of cancers such as colon cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer have been found to have decreased after regular intake of kale.
Kale has strong anti cancer properties as is contains strong flavanoids such as Lutein, dietary Zeaxanthin and Beta carotene which is converted into vitamin A in the body.

Anti Inflammation!

Kale has a rich abundance of Vitamin K that is a vital for protecting our body against inflammation. Just 100 calories of kale provide us with 25% to 35% of the most basic omega 3 fatty acid that is plenty to have direct anti inflammatory benefits!

Antioxidants!

Kales is loaded with antioxidants which help our body neutralize harmful free radicals as with insufficient antioxidant levels in our body we are more likely to experience oxidative stress that is a metabolic problem. Which a risk factor of the development of cancer therefore regular intake of kale can provide you with sufficient antioxidant levels to prevent this from happening. The antioxidants in kale are also highly efficient when it come to treating inflammatory conditions.

Possible Ways To Enjoy Kale

Before anything you should thoroughly wash your kale in clean running water, and then rinse with saline water to remove all the dirt, soil and pesticide. Just before cooking remove tough stems and separate wilted leaves from healthy ones. The leaves are generally blanched before use in cooking.
Fresh young crispy kale can be used raw in salads or you can even cook or sauté your kale leaves! Another easy way to enjoy kale is in the form of kale chips. All you need to do is deep fry them in oil but before putting them in you can even season them with some spices, but if you are worried about the extra calories from deep frying then you can bake them in the oven!

Possible Health Concerns

Kale contain small amounts of oxalates that absorb the calcium from our bodies however this is at a minimum, the more harmful effects oxalates have is that they can crystallize if they become to concentrated in your body that can be troublesome for those with kidney, or gallbladder problems.
Kale also contain traces of pesticide residue which can have related health issues, so those who truly want to avoid such health issues should apt for organic produced goods.