Benefits of Kale

Benefits of kale. Today people are becoming health conscious and turning towards nutritious Buddha bowl and Green Smoothie, which has one leafy vegetable surely on its ingredient list. This is definitely one of the easiest and healthiest way of adding nutrients, especially antioxidants, to your diet. Recently the leafy vegetable Kale has gained importance too. People have started adding it to their shopping list. So what does Kale have to offer? Like most greens, it certainly has been deemed as a low calorie vegetable. But that’s not all. It’s also filled with fiber, is packed with antioxidants and of course low on carb count too. All this together reaps long term health benefits. 

Kale, Masoor Veg Antioxidant Healthy Office Salad

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, very closely related to cabbage, but its central leaves do not form a head. One may differentiate between varieties according to the low, intermediate, or high length of the stem, with varying leaf types. The leaf colours range from light green through green, dark green and violet-green to violet-brown.

9 Health Benefits of Kale

While there are many health benefits of Kale, these 9 are the most common and noticeable benefits it possess. 

1. Full of Antioxidants : Of all the superfoods you can think of, kale is one of the most healthiest you can rely on. Along with vitamins like vitamin A and vitamin C which act as antioxidants, flavonoids like lutein, kaempferol and quercetin are also found in relatively large amounts in Kale. All these antioxidants work towards warding off the harmful free radicals from the body which otherwise are considered to be the drivers of early ageing and chronic diseases like cancer, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease. 

While it’s very difficult to prevent our body’s exposure to free radicals as they build up die to polluted air and toxins around you, we can definitely counteract the damage caused by free radicals by consuming a horde of antioxidants. Learn How to Cook Antioxidant Rich Recipes with us. 

Jowar Kale Palak Veg Antioxidant Healthy Office Salad

2. Absolutely Low in Calories : One cup of chopped kale (around 40 g) provides just about 20 calories. No wonder it’s called ‘King of Greens’. It can added to a Calorie restricted diet, Ketogenic diet, Low Carb diet and so on…. Its fiber further helps to satiate and keep you full. You can begin your day with a glass of Health potion like Palak Kale and Apple Juice. Check it list of many other Healthy Juices. 

While Kale may not directly not promote weight loss, but it’s a sensible addition to your meals to achieve your trimmed waistline target. 

3. Cancer Preventing Vegetable : Belonging to the list of cruciferous vegetable, it possess cancer preventing properties. Its known to be rich sulfur compounds – glucosinolates which have the ability to fight cancer cells. Indoles  are another group of antioxidants known to prevent cancer cell growth. They not only inhibit the carcinogens but also inhibit tumor formation. 

Now that there is no doubt that Kale is healthy, try including it in the form of salads like Jowar Kale Palak Veg Antioxidant Healthy Office Salad and Citrus Kale Apple and Feta Salad.

Citrus Kale Apple and Feta Salad

4. Kale Fights Inflammation : Kale has a perfect omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio, thus making it a super anti-inflammatory food. While processed foods have the least amount of healthy omega fatty acids, greens are considered as the ultimate source. These fatty acids can help ward off body’s inflammation and prevent the onset of various diseases like cancer, arthritis etc. 

A few other omega-3 rich foods are Walnuts, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, olive oil etc. 

5. Kale Promote Heart Health : Multiple nutrients in Kale help in achieving heart protection benefits. Of course, the antioxidants like lutein and vitamin C does the avoid the plaque buildup in the arteries, but they also contain bile acid sequestrants which are known to reduce cholesterol levels and help in preserving heart health. 

The potassium (178.8 mg per cup) in Kale helps lowers blood pressure, which otherwise can be reason of heart attack and the magnesium (13.6 mg / cup) helps maintain nerve function and normal heartbeat. 

Kale and Avocado Healthy Salad is a great way to treat all the necessary nutrients beneficial for your heart. Avocado is also a good source of antioxidant lutein and omega-3 fatty acids which are considered to be healthy fats for the heart. 

Kale and Avocado Healthy Salad

6. Kale  Packed with Vitamin C : Vitamin C is an a immune building vitamin. It helps increase our white blood cell (WBC) count to fight all types of infections. It also has a role to play in collagen synthesis, which is the basis to add elasticity and smoothness to our skin. It can not only help prevent early ageing and wrinkles but also prevent bleeding gums.  

A cup of chopped Kale is enough to fulfill your day’s requirement of this nutrient. It’s vitamin C content (48 mg) is almost at par with the vitamin C count of a fruit like orange. 

7. Kale  Support Healthy Vision : The nutrient that aids in vision is vitamin A (1846.8 mcg / cup). It combines with protein and helps in vision. A deficiency of vitamin A can lead to night-blindness. Learn about other Vitamin A rich Foods.  

The antioxidant lutein and zeaxanthin found in Kale also help maintain the health of retina and lower the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. When on days you don’t have enough time for breakfast, you can rely on Kale in the form a smoothie like Avocado Kale and Mango Pulp Smoothie for a complete antioxidant boost.

Avocado Kale and Mango Pulp Smoothie

8. Promotes Healthy Pregnancy : Kale is another leafy vegetable which benefits mums-to-be and their developing fetus. The calcium (54 mg) from Kale helps to build baby’s bones, while the iron (0.68 mg) aids in building mothers and bay’s iron stores. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue and paleness in pregnant women. 

Vitamin C and A also provide nourishment to the mother and baby by building immunity and providing vitality. Folate (11.6 mcg) is another key nutrient importanr during gestation. It helps in brain development of the fetus in the early stages of pregnancy. 

Baked Kale Chips and Quinoa Kale Khakhra would be good choices for pregnant women who often experience nausea and want to opt for multi-nutrient food, as dry snacks are the best options to overcome nausea. 

Baked Kale Chips

9. Kale  Beneficial to Diabetes : Kale has a low carb count of 4 g from a cup. Adding Kale in the form of Kale and Apple Salad to a diabetic diet will not raise the blood sugar levels quickly. While Kale juice is also quite appealing to many, diabetics must avoid high doses of any kind of juices. 

Looking for some Diabetic Breakfast, Diabetic Snacks or Diabetic Desserts? We have it all. Do try them. 

Let’s be aware of the nutrient profile of Kale to begin with...

1 Cup of chopped kale is about 40 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Energy - 20 calories
Protein – 1.3 g
Carbohydrate –4 g
Fat – 0.3 g
Fiber – 0.8 g

See full nutritional details of kale in kale glossary click here.

Key Takeaway for Kale…

Whether you are looking pale

Or Watching your weighing scale…

Consider greens and think of Kale,

Antioxidants it has on a large scale

And nutrients it has in sale.

Just Grab IT !!