benefits of kale

Kales Vitamin A content helps keep the eyes from optical disorders that come with age. It also helps store vitamins in the retina. The calcium and vitamin K and D keep your bones strong. Kales risk lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. Isothiocyanates (ITCs) made from glucosinolates in kale play a primary role in achieving these risk lowering benefits.

The omega 3 fatty acids in kale help fight and alleviate arthritis, autoimmune disorders and asthma. The vitamin C content helps relieve stiff joints. Kale can provide you with some special cholesterol lowering benefits if you will cook it by steaming. The fiber related components in kale do a better job of binding together with bile acids in your digestive tract when theyve been steamed.

Kale, like other dark green veggies, may be helpful in preventing various cancers such as colon, prostate and ovarian. Its abundant vitamin K content is important for bone health, forestalling the effects of osteoporosis. And the folic acid and B6 provide cardiovascular support and prevent heart disease.

Before we get to all the benefits, let me briefly explain what kale is

Kale, like other leafy greens, is very high in antioxidants. This includes beta carotene, vitamin C, as well as various flavonoids and polyphenols. Antioxidants are substances that help counteract oxidative damage by free radicals in the body.Oxidative damage is believed to be among the leading drivers of ageing and many diseases, including cancer. But many substances that happen to be antioxidants also have other important functions.

It is a water soluble antioxidant that serves many vital functions in the bodys cells. For example, it is necessary to synthesize collagen, the most abundant structural protein in the body. Kale is much higher in vitamin C than most other vegetables, containing about 4.5 times much as spinach.The truth is

Kale is extremely high in vitamin C, an antioxidant that has many important roles in the body. A single cup of raw kale actually contains more vitamin C than an orange. Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kales flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.

Cholesterol has many important functions in the body. One of them, is being used to make bile acids, which are substances that help us digest fats.The liver turns cholesterol into bile acids, which are then released into the digestive system whenever we eat a fatty meal. When all the fat has been absorbed and the bile acids have served their purpose, they are reabsorbed into the bloodstream and used again. Substances called bile acid sequestrants can bind bile acids in the digestive system and prevent them from being reabsorbed. This reduces the total amount of cholesterol in the body.

Kale is one of the worlds best sources of vitamin K, with a single raw cup containing almost 7 times the recommended daily amount. The form of vitamin K in kale is K1, which is different than vitamin K2. K2 is found in fermented soy foods and certain animal products. It helps prevent heart disease and osteoporosis .

Kale is actually loaded with compounds that are believed to have protective effects against cancer. This includes sulforaphane, a substance that has been shown to help fight the formation of cancer at the molecular level.It also contains a indole 3 carbinol, another substance that is believed to help prevent cancer.