Health Benefits of Kale

Kale is a super vegetable by all accounts. Great health benefits of kale make it hard to replace in a healthy menu. Kale is high in vitamin C and K, moderate in Calcium, and low in fat and calories. Kale contains beta carotene, and it has one of the highest amount of the antioxidants among all food measured.

Health benefits of kale:

* Strengthens bones
* Combats cancer
* Protects your eyesight
* Aids in weight loss
* Boosts immune system

Kale builds stronger bones

Calcium and vitamin K are two important nutrients that keep your bones strong; and both of them are found in kale.
People with low vitamin K tend to have low mineral density of their bones and experience more bone fractures. One ounce of kale daily provides four time recommended daily allowance of this important vitamin. Calcium from kale is absorbed by the body at a much higher rate than from many other foods. This quality makes kale an irreplaceable source of calcium for both vegetarians and vegans. Eating one ounce of kale a day may cut the risk of bone fracture by 30%.

Kale combats cancer

Researches has found that vegetables from the brassica family - kale, cabbage, broccoli, turnips and brussels sprouts - are especially protective against cancer due to naturally occurring chemicals that block the cancer-forming process. Kale is a healthy food that prevents cancer or slows down its progression.

Kale is a healthy food for our eyesight

As we age, we become susceptible to the macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. Experts advice is to consume foods with carotenoids – antioxidants abundant in kale. According to Dr. Johanna M. Seddon, consuming 6 mg of lutein per day helps to reduce one's chances of AMD by 43%. To meet this requirement, you need to eat only 1/3 cup of kale. Add fat from non-animal sources, such as flax oil or olive oil, to ensure maximum absorption of the carotenoids in kale.

What happens to those who eat one cup of kale per day?

They don't have to worry about their vitamins A,C, and K at all! Kale provides more than 100% of the recommended daily value. Manganese, Copper and Calcium content in kale is impressive, as you will see further.

1 cup of raw kale contains :
Calories - 33.
Weight - 67 g:
56 g from water,
1 g from fibre.
Remaining 10 g provide:

* Vitamin K - 684%
* Vitamin A - 206%
* Vitamin C - 134%
* Vitamin B6 - 9%
* Thiamin - 5%
* Riboflavin - 5%
* Niacin -3%
* Folate - 5%

* Manganese - 26%
* Copper - 10%
* Calcium - 9%
* Potassium - 9%
* Iron - 6%
* Magnesium - 6%
* Phosphorus - 4%
* Zinc - 2%
* Selenium - 1%
* Sodium - 1%