Health Matters – an A to Z Guide to Good Health – K is for Kale

Health Matters – K is for Kale which I don’t like! 😂

I do confess to not liking it very much but because it is a native of Britain, readily available and also packed with nutrients I felt I should include it in my A – Z of Good Health.

Kale is a member of the cabbage 🥬 family and there are many varieties, it is sometimes called curly kale, borecole, and collard. I find it a bit bitter for my taste so if any of you have a method of cooking it that can change my opinion please let me know because it provides lots of health benefits.

I am particularly wary of the curly variety because of the little insects that may be hiding! However, I DO eat kale because it provides the following and I would like to encourage you to try it too:

🥬 Kale is an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins C and beta carotene.  Beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A by the body.  Vitamin A helps us see in the dark and is also involved in healthy skin and protects us from infection.

🥬 A small serving, 100g of Kale provides almost three-quarters of the recommended daily requirement of Vitamin A and almost twice the recommended amount of vitamin C which promotes a healthy immune system.

🥬 Kale is also a good source of the B Vitamin folate and also contains iron which are both needed for the formation of red blood cells.

🥬 Kale is one of the richest sources of calcium in a form that is easily assimilated by the body.

🥬 It is thought that along with Brussels sprouts and broccoli, kale contains compounds that protect the body from carcinogenic substances so may help to prevent cancer.

Having written this, I feel I must eat Kale more regularly!

Live with joy and health. 💚

Elizabeth Beetham