The Health Benefits of Kale

Many people claim they have never tried kale, but if you've ever had restaurant salad or ready-to-eat salad greens, chances are you've had this vitamin-packed leafy green vegetable. Kale is best recognized by it's curly edged leaves lined with purple veins, and it's just as healthy as it is visually appealing. It turns an ordinary green salad into an extraordinary side dish or a complete meal with health benefits unlike any other vegetable.

Vitamin Content

Kale has amazing health benefits, and when one single cup is added to a green salad, it provides almost twice the daily requirement of vitamin A, almost all of the vitamin C required for the day, and 1,300% of the daily requirement of vitamin K. That's a lot of vitamins, but the health benefits don't end there! Kale contains a number of compounds that most people have never heard of, and these compounds do a lot to keep the body strong, healthy, and free from damage. The health benefits are numerous.

Phytonutrients

Most people have never heard of phytonutrients, but these natural compounds help remove free radicals from the body before they cause cell damage, and they offer amazing health benefits. They send messages that prompt the genes to increase enzymes in the body to fight off potentially harmful carcinogens. The consumption of kale can help keep the body healthy, and it's definitely worth its weight in gold. This natural food is by far better than any vitamin pill.

Fiber

Did you know that kale offers health benefits that keep the digestive system running smooth? Kale is a great source of fiber, and one cup cooked offers 10% of the daily requirement of fiber. If you're trying to add fiber to your diet, consider trying kale. It's as tasty as it is beneficial, and chances are you won't need fiber pills to regulate your system. Nature provides all of the fiber we need to remain healthy and regular, and kale is a major source.

Cancer Protection

Our own bodies can fight off cancer through enzyme production in the liver, but those enzymes aren't released without a little help. Kale produces sulforaphane, and this natural cancer-fighter signals the liver to produce these cancer-fighting enzymes. These are fantastic health benefits! Eating regular servings of kale is a great way to help prevent and lower your risk of getting colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate, and breast cancer.

Lutein and Zeaxanthin

As if kale didn't already offer enough health benefits, it also contains a high amount of carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin), and these natural ingredients help protect the eyes from ultraviolet light and other major issues. It helps prevent cataracts that many people experience as they age. I don't know about you, but I'd rather eat kale than undergo cataract surgery or experience vision-loss caused by overexposure to ultraviolet light!

Slow the Hands of Time

Just one cup of kale per week is enough to protect the body against diseases caused by aging, and it can literally slow the hands of time. The fountain of youth may not contain water, but it may actually be a garden filled with greens. Whether you grow your own kale or buy it from the produce section of your local grocer, the health benefits of kale are priceless, and this amazing vegetable can help you live a longer, healthier life.