Benefits of Eating Kale (Food Science Review)

We all know Popeye ate Spinach to get stronger.

But perhaps Popeye hasn’t really kept up with the science. 🙂

There might be another dark leafy vegetable that's even superior.

Maybe Popeye should've dropped the Spinach and go for kale instead?

Let's find out.

VITAMINS

Kale has 120 mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams, but still, most people don't consider it a source of Vitamin C.

That's 4 times the amount of Vitamin C found in Spinach.

But that's just the beginning.

What about Kale vs. Romaine Lettuce?

Well, Kale crushes it with Vitamin K, B2, and B3 content.

And what about the minerals?

MINERALS

Kale equals Spinach in Calcium.

And it beats Romaine with 500% more calcium, 32 times more copper, double the potassium and zinc and triple the magnesium.

SUPERFOOD

With 4.3 grams of protein per 100 grams, Kale is an excellent plant-based source of protein.

It's also very rich in an essential amino acid called Leucine.

Leucine is a BCAA that's well-known for its muscle building properties.

COLOR

Did you know that the color of a vegetable can tell you more than just its taste?

Dark leafy vegetables indicate great nutrient-density.

Kale contains a wide range of Carotenoids and Flavonoids.

These are responsible for most of the characteristic color you see in this vegetable.

Not to mention there's also research showing their anti-inflammatory properties.

FIBER

Kale also comes with lots of extras, including dietary fiber.

Fiber is closely linked with reduced risk of heart disease.

It also reduces your risk of colon and breast cancer.

And if we look at the data, a whopping 3.6 grams of fiber per 100 grams isn’t a bad start.

BOTTOM LINE

Kale isn't just your average vegetable.

It has shown to be equal, if not superior to Spinach.

While all this data may not stop Popeye from eating it…

…it may persuade you to give Kale a try. ?

REFERENCES:

A mechanistic perspective on process-induced changes in glucosinolate content in Brassica vegetables: a review : https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24915330

Effect of technological processing and preservation method on amino acid content and protein quality in kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) leaves. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22002466