WHAT THE KALE?

By the time you finish this post, you’ll be 100% convinced that kale is the best thing you can eat!

Let’s be honest: the taste is a bit hard to get used to, but it’s so worth it.

If you can get past the very strong, slightly bitter, incredibly “dark green” taste, you’ll find that it’s one of the healthiest veggies on the planet.

In fact, it’s so healthy it’s considered a “superfood”!

That’s right, kale falls on the list of superfoods because of just how nutrient-dense it is. It’s loaded with all kinds of critical micronutrients (as you’ll soon see below) and offers A LOT of health benefits.

Putting up with its flavor is absolutely worth it if you want to be healthy!

Nutritional Properties of Kale

Let’s take a look at what’s inside this marvelous cruciferous vegetable.

In every cup-sized serving of kale, you get:

• 206% of your daily value of Vitamin A, which is vital for healthy eyes

• 9% of your daily value of the very important Vitamin B6

• 134% of your daily value of Vitamin C, which plays a role in immune health, skin health, and so many other internal functions

• 684% of your daily value of Vitamin K, which is vital for blood clotting and the health of your heart and bones

• 26% of your daily value of manganese, another bone-friendly mineral

• 10% of your daily value of copper, which is vital for red blood cell production

• 9% of your daily value of potassium, which balances out your electrolytes and eliminates excess sodium

• 9% of your daily value of calcium, which you need for strong bones and teeth

• 6% of your daily value of magnesium, which plays a role in bone health and your immune function

• 3% each of Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, phosphorus, and iron

Kale also contains a lot of dietary fiber—2 grams per serving—which your body needs for healthy digestion. 

It delivers a hefty protein punch, with 3 grams of protein per serving.

It’s also loaded in alpha linolenic acid, a form of Omega-3 fats that is crucial for brain health and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.

All of this is loaded in a package containing just 33 calories per serving, making it an incredibly nutrient-dense yet low-calorie food that you can always stand to eat more of.

The Many Health Benefits of Kale

Let’s take a look at all the things kale can do for your body:

1. Provide you with antioxidants. Kale is loaded with antioxidants like quercetin, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and kaempferol. All of these antioxidants will benefit your body, lowering your blood pressure, protecting your heart, reducing inflammation, counteracting free radical damage and oxidative stress, eliminating viruses, and even helping to fight cancer.

2. Lower cholesterol. The high Vitamin C content of kale works to improve your cholesterol levels, as it stops the cholesterol from oxidizing and hardening into the plaque that clogs your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease. Kale also contains bile acid sequestrants, which can stop your body from reabsorbing the digestive acids it produces to break down your food. Studies show that taking kale—in raw form, juice form, or even in an organic kale powder—can have seriously positive effects on your cholesterol level, lowering the bad LDL cholesterol and raising the good HDL cholesterol.

3. Fight cancer. Kale contains sulforaphane, a substance capable of fighting the production of cancer cells down to their molecular level. It’s also rich in a substance called indole-3-carbinol, which can help to prevent and fight cancer. The high fiber content of kale will reduce your risk of intestinal cancer, and the high content of antioxidants (like Vitamin C and quercetin) can reduce free radical damage in your body.

4. Improve your skin health. Kale is particularly rich in Vitamin C, the nutrient that your body needs in order to produce collagen. Collagen is the protein that strengthens your skin and keeps it fresh and tight. Without Vitamin C, your body cannot produce enough collagen, and thus your skin begins to sag and wrinkle.

5. Important for your bones. Kale contains a lot of calcium, magnesium, and manganese, all minerals that your body needs for healthy bones. It’s also loaded with the Vitamin D that is needed to absorb and utilize these minerals. But it’s the high Vitamin K content that makes kale so great for your bones. The Vitamin K (K1) helps to improve bone health and decrease your risk of osteoporosis.

6. Great for weight loss. That’s right, kale is very weight loss-friendly! It’s low in calories but contains a lot of nutrients, and the high fiber content will fill up your stomach and suppress your appetite. The protein content of kale also makes it an excellent addition to a muscle-building diet and helps to speed up your metabolism.

7. Vital for eye health. Kale is rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that your body turns into the Vitamin A that it needs to protect the cells of your eyes from macular degradation. Kale also contains lutein and zeaxanthin, both powerful antioxidants in the carotenoid family that are capable of protecting from cataracts and macular degeneration. 

As you can see, kale is one of the best foods you can eat! Whether you add it in soups, salads, or main dishes, it definitely deserves a place on your menu.

Our Alternative to Raw Kale

If you want to get more kale but aren’t a fan of eating it raw or cooked in your meals, why not try our Pure Immunity supplement? It’s made using powdered organic kale and contains all of the nutrients—and thereby the benefits listed above—but without that overpowering flavor that makes kale so hard to eat. You can still help your body and improve your health, all while enjoying a great-tasting supplement that makes it easier to get the nutrients you need.