This Week’s Superfood
Filed under: General Health, Nutrition
Keeping with my new Monday tradition of discussing the awesomeness of a particular food, I took a suggestion from my Warp Speed partner Danny. Today we are talking about a hardly known but insanely healthy vegetable, called Kale.
Better than Spinach?
The USDA has a procedure to measure the antioxidant abilities of different fruits and vegetables. The procedure looks at the big picture of the fruit or veggie, and sees how all of its nutrients work synergistically to fight free radicals. Guess which veggie was number 1? You guessed it, Kale. (for you trivia buffs out there, Spinach was second). Beyond its obvious antioxidant abilities, kale contains phytochemicals like indoles, which have a protective effect against breast, cervical and colon cancer and may help lower unnecessary estrogen.
Kale, like other members of the brassica family (including cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) also contains sulforaphane. When kale is chopped or chewed sulforaphane is formed, and it helps cause the liver to remove toxins and other DNA-damaging compounds, and it may even stop breast cancer proliferation.
It is also a great source of beta-carotene, the eye-friendly lutein and zeaxanthin, calcium, iron, and vitamins C and K. Since it is roughage, it also packs a good amount of fiber. Combine kale with spinach to form a great bed of greens for a spectacular salad. Throw in some grilled pastured chicken, pine nuts, cranberries and some extra virgin olive oil, and now we are talking.
Exactly what I am talking about
If you are looking for more great info like this, definitely check out one of my best sources: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Absolutely great stuff. You can find that and more on my finally updated Resources page, so check it out!
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Posted on January 26th, 2009 by Brian St. Pierre
2 Comments
January 28th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Good post. A veggie like Kale that is #1 in the ORAC rating should be a staple in everyone’s diet. I have been adding it to my diet.
January 31st, 2009 at 9:00 am
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