Kale is the King

Kale is the King!

Are you growing kale in your garden? If not, perhaps you should be. Growing kale can supply you with enough fresh leaves for delicious salads and side dishes throughout the summer. This deeply green, leafy vegetable is a nutritional powerhouse that should be a regular part of our diets.

Nutrient dense

One cup of raw kale supplies more than the required amounts of the vitamins A, C and K and more calcium than an equal weight of 1% milk. It’s rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants and provides a variety of other vitamins and minerals.

Kale is a cruciferous vegetable, in the same family as cabbage, broccoli, turnips, arugula and cauliflower. The sulfur-containing chemicals in cruciferous vegetables are cancer fighting chemicals and of special interest to researchers.

Cholesterol lowering

In one study, thirty-two men with elevated blood cholesterol levels were given 150 ml of kale juice each day for 3 months. Researchers found that following this kale juice treatment, the men’s blood had improved levels of good HDL cholesterol and lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol. They also had increased levels of an enzyme that protects the body against oxidative stress. Researchers concluded that “supplementation with kale juice can favorably influence serum lipid profiles and antioxidant systems, and hence contribute to reduce the risks of coronary artery disease in male subjects with hyperlipidemia.”ⁱ

Antibacterial

Researchers have found that kale juice is effective antibacterial effect of Brassica oleracea juice on several food-borne pathogens. The juice was found to be effective in slowing the growth of dangerous bacteria including Salmonella, E. Coli and Listeria.ⁱⁱ

If you have thyroid problems, be cautious about the amount of cruciferous vegetables you eat. There is some evidence that a combination of low iodine intake and high intake of cruciferous vegetables is connected to higher rates of thyroid cancer.ⁱⁱⁱ

Green Rice

Here is an easy flavourful dish that’s nutrient dense and high in fibre. Spinach can be substituted for the kale and quinoa can be switched for the rice.

• 1 ½ cups water

• 2 cups chopped kale

• 2 cloves garlic

• ½ small onion, chopped

• 1 bouillion cube

• 1 cup brown rice

Put first 5 ingredients in a blender and run until smooth. You may need to add a little more water to keep your blender running.

Put rice in a pot and add the kale mixture. Cook for 45 – 55 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

Serve sprinkled with sliced almonds or sesame seeds.

i. "Kale juice improves coronary artery disease risk factors in hypercholesterolemic men.

ii. "Activity of Brassica oleracea leaf juice on foodborne pathogenic bacteria.

iii. "Role of dietary iodine and cruciferous vegetables in thyroid cancer: a countrywide case-control study in New Caledonia.