It may seem like it is a new buzz word. Kale is becoming increasingly more popular! Ok, so let's get to it. One of my favorite sites happens to be Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, Kale or borecole is a form of cabbage (Brassica oleracea Acephala Group), green or purple, in which the central leaves do not form a head.
Kale is considered to be highly nutritious with powerful antioxidant properties. It is also considered to be an anti-inflammatory. In the eye world, we have always educated our patients on the importance of green, leafy vegetables, including, spinach, kale and collard greens. Boy am I glad that the word is getting out! I know this because now my favorite salad bar (Whole Foods) has kale as an option. It is always mixed with a "garlicky" dressing that just tastes delicious! You can buy kale at most grocery stores near the lettuce section. At Publix, where I tend to shop the most, I buy it bagged and it can be found next to bagged collard greens.
Kale is very high in beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin as well as rich in Calcium. Even if you don't know much about nutrition, you can see that this green leafy veggie is packed full of essential nutrients needed in our diet everyday! Let's go a little deeper:
-Beta carotene: It can be converted into vitamin A which serves a vital role in eye health. Beta carotene can be found in, yep you guessed it...carrots! But it can also be found in mangoes, papayas, sweet potatoes, kale (of course), spinach and collard greens.
-Vitamin K: Because of kale's high vitamin K content, patients taking anticoagulants such as warfarin are encouraged to avoid this food since it increases vitamin K's concentration in the blood, which is what the drugs are often trying to lower. Please consult your physician if you are taking any of these medications before adding kale to your diet.
-Vitamin C: We all know that vitamin C is essential to our daily diet. Ascorbic Acid (which is another name for Vitamin C) is necessary for collagen to form in bones, cartilage, muscle and blood vessels. Sources include fruits and vegetables, particularly citrus fruits such as oranges.
-Lutein and Zeaxanthin: They are both important for eye health. Studies have suggested that supplementing with both may lower one's risk for developing macular degeneration as well as cataracts. Sources include those green leafy vegetables I keep talking about; kale, spinach and collard greens.
-Calcium: We all know that calcium is important for bone health and strength. Now you can add kale to you diet knowing that it is providing you with extra calcium!
I found it to be interesting that kale freezes very well and actually has a sweeter flavor after being frozen. I love to add fresh kale to other mixed greens in all of my salads as well as use kale in all of my soup recipes.
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of what kale is and how it can be used. Happy cooking!
Keeping an eye on you,
Betsy W. Fraser, O.D.
Sources included: www.mayoclinic.com and wikipedia.org
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