Kale

Kale is a nutritional powerhouse and is beneficial to your health in many ways. One cup of kale is very low in fat, contains 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber, and 15% of the daily requirement of calcium and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), 40% of magnesium, 180% of vitamin A, 200% of vitamin C, and 1,020% of vitamin K. It is high in antioxidants, and is also a good source of minerals copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. Kale's health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration and excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, and K, and sulphur-containing phytonutrients. The fiber (5 grams in one cup) and sulfur in kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Kale contains many beneficial phytochemicals, including:

• Alpha and beta carotene, which protect your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, provide a source of vitamin A, enhance the functioning of your immune system, and help your reproductive system function properly.
• Lutein and zeaxanthin, which defend your cells from the damaging effects of free radicals, and protect your eyes from developing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.
• Chlorophyll, which can bond tightly to certain carcinogens, such as those in tobacco smoke, cooked meats, and aflatoxins.
• Pinoresinol, which may fight colon cancer.
• Lariciresinol, which fights breast and ovarian cancer, reduces vascular inflammation, fights fungal infections and free radicals, inhibits lipid oxidation, and may reduce deaths from coronary heart disease, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
• Caffeic acid, which is highly protective in the human body and acts as an anti-inflammatory and an antioxidant, and may also prevent cancer and diabetes.
• Kaempferol, which is a strong antioxidant that helps to prevent oxidative damage of your cells, lipids, and DNA, seems to prevent arteriosclerosis by inhibiting the oxidation of low density lipoprotein and the formation of platelets in the blood, and acts as a chemopreventive agent, which means that it inhibits the formation of cancer cells. It has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic and antiallergic activities.
• Sulforaphane, which exhibits anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties.
• Indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a metabolized from a substance called glucobrassicin, which is an antioxidant that inhibits cancers of the breast, uterus, colon, lung, and liver, and can stimulate detoxification enzymes in the gut and liver.
• Glutathione, which is a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals and may help fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx, and lung cancers.

The vitamin C in kale hydrates your body and increases your metabolism, leading to weight loss and healthy blood sugar levels. It also helps relieve stiff joints. The nutrients in kale strengthen your immune system and fight viruses and bacteria. Kale has more iron than beef, making it a great source of this valuable mineral. It helps more oxygen get to your blood and greatly helps those who are anemic. The healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids keep your body strong, healthy and beautiful. The omega-3 fatty acids in kale help fight and alleviate arthritis, autoimmune disorders, and asthma. Kale's concentration of nutrients helps your skin's health and appearance. Kale's Vitamin A content helps fight eye disorders as you age. It also helps store vitamins in the retina. The calcium and vitamin K and D keep your bones strong. Kale, like other dark green veggies, may be helpful in preventing various cancers such as colon, prostate and ovarian. Its abundant vitamin K content is important for bone health, and helps prevent osteoporosis. And the folate and B6 provide cardiovascular support and prevent heart disease.

You can eat this leafy green raw or cooked. Rinse kale, chop it finely, and add it to salads, soups, stews, stir-fries, scrambles, casseroles, pizzas, and smoothies. Quick cooking preserves kale's nutrients, texture, color, and flavor. Steam or saute kale for five minutes to make it more tender. You can also substitute it for spinach or collard greens in recipes.

Other fast and easy ways to prepare kale:

• Make a simple salad with a bunch of thinly sliced kale, red pepper, onion, raisins, and your favorite salad dressing.
• Braise chopped kale and apples, garnish with chopped walnuts, and add a splash of balsamic vinegar.
• Toss whole-grain pasta with chopped kale and pine nuts.
• Cover and cook a pound of chopped kale with a few garlic cloves for 5 minutes; season with salt, pepper, and a tablespoon of red wine vinegar.
• Make kale chips by slicing kale into bite-size pieces, toss with a pinch of salt, and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees in the oven.

Kale, also known as borecole, has been cultivated for over 2,000 years. The wild Brassica oleracea plant is native to the Mediterranean region. Soon after the domestication of plants began, people in the Mediterranean region began growing the plant as a leafy vegetable. Because people grew the plants for their leaves, they selected the seeds from the largest-leafed plants to plant the following year. By the 5th century B.C., continued propagation of ever-larger leaves had led to the development of the vegetable we now know as kale.

Over the centuries, some people preferred plants with a tight cluster of tender young leaves in the center of the plant at the top of the stem, and they selected and propagated for those characteristics. Continued selective breeding of these plants over the centuries resulted in the gradual formation of a dense cluster of leaves at the top of the plant. Eventually, the cluster of leaves became so large, it tended to dominate the whole plant, and the head of cabbage had developed. Although they appear very different, kale, collards, cabbage, kohlrabi, cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are all varieties of the same species, Brassica oleracea. The only difference between these plants are the differences that humans introduced over thousands of years of selective cultivation. Kale is known botanically by the name Brassica oleracea acephala which translates to "headless garden cabbage."

In much of Europe, kale was the most widely eaten green vegetable until the Middle Ages, when many people began to prefer the newer varieties of cabbage. Historically, kale has been particularly important in colder regions due to its resistance to frost. Kale was grown as a staple crop in the the Scotland due to its extreme hardiness, and people built walled kale yards to give it protection from the elements. Almost every house had a kale yard and preserved kale in barrels of salt, similar to sauerkraut in Germany. They also fed it to livestock through the winter. In nineteenth century Scotland, kail was used as a generic term for 'dinner' and all kitchens featured a kail-pot for cooking. Kale continued to be extremely important in the British Islands until potatoes surpassed them towards the end of the 18th century.