Several weeks ago, Scott Jacobson published an article in Slate on “The All-Kale Diet: Kale of Duty.” Although intended as a bit of humor, there is much to recommend this vegetable to everyone interested in good health.
The first great reason; Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage, albeit closer to wild cabbage than the cultivar and is arguably one of the healthiest vegetables known. 250 grams [about one cup] of kale contains approximately 5 grams of fiber [13% of RDA], 102 mg of Vitamin C [142% of RDA], 179 mg of calcium [17% of RDA], 2,037 micrograms of Vitamin K [1925% of RDA, and the list goes on and on.
The second great reason; Clinical studies, as reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, have shown that generally speaking, an increase in consumption of vegetables lower the risk of chronic diseases, or at least minimally slow their onset. Studies have also indicated that a diet rich in Vitamin K, such as kale, can significantly reduce the overall risk of cancer. Additionally, other studies show that diets that include foods in the brassica group, such as broccoli, cabbage and kale can support elimination of toxic estrogens. These estrogens, found in plastics and pesticides, are the kinds that promote breast cancer. These health benefits seem to be very good reason for increasing ones consumption of kale.