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Health Benefits of Kale

Kale is a green, sometimes red or purplish, vegetable that taste good if you stir fry, sauté it, steam or boil. Adding some other vegetables or meat will make your dish tastes better. If you don't want to lose the nutrients and don't mind the bitter taste, you can make it into a smoothie or juice or add to your salad.

Nutrition Facts for 100g or Raw Kale

Nutrients	Units
Water	84.46g
Energy	50 kcal
Protein	3.30g
Total lipid (fat)	0.70g
Carbohydrate	10.01g
Dietary Fiber	2.0g
Calcium	135mg
Iron	1.70mg
Magnesium	34mg
Phosphorus	56mg
Potassium	447mg
Sodium	43mg
Zinc	0.44mg
Copper	0.290mg
Manganese	0.774mg
Selenium	0.9µg
Vitamin C	120.0mg
Thiamine	0.110mg
Riboflavin	0.130mg
Niacin	1.000mg
Pantothenic acid	0.091mg
Vitamin B6	0.271mg
Folate	29µg
Vitamin A	15376IU
Beta Carotene	9226µg
Lutein + zeaxanthin	39550µg
Vitamin K	817.0µg

A 100g of raw kale contains many nutrients and it is very high in vitamin A, beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium and calcium. There are also high amounts of protein, phosphorus, magnesium and contain zinc, copper, manganese, selenium and vitamin B. Lutein, vitamin A and vitamin C are powerful antioxidants and beta carotene contains important antioxidant. Your body cannot produce lutein so you must get it from food that contains this carotenoid.

Antioxidants protect the cells in your body from free radical damage and also help grow new cells. They strengthen your immune system and help fight infections. If you have sufficient antioxidants, you may even stop the process of early aging. So those are some of the health benefits of kale and why eating this vegetable is good for you.

One of the other health benefits of kale is that it may lower the risk of macular degeneration and cataract problems. This is because of the presence of 39550µg of lutein and zeaxanthin in a 100g of kale. Cooking kale may reduce these two nutrients by half.

The health benefits of kale also include aiding in blood clotting, absorbing calcium in your body and may prevent the risk of bone loss, a major cause of osteoporosis. This is because of the presence of vitamin K in kale. But you may lose this vitamin when kale is cooked.

The high amount of vitamin A in kale is good for your skin health and bone metabolism other than being beneficial for eye health and your immune system. And vitamin C helps the growth and repair of tissues as well as for healthy gums and adrenal gland function. Vitamin C also helps your body heal faster after an injury or surgery.

The other benefits of kale is for the proper functioning of you kidney as well as for cardiac, skeletal and muscle contraction. This is due to the potassium found in this vegetable. A lack of potassium may lead to heart disease, high blood pressure and arthritis. It can also result in lack of energy, muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat. Cooking will reduce the amount of potassium. And adding salt to kale will not only increase the amount of sodium but may affect the level of potassium and its benefits.