Kale and You! Benefits and breeds of Healthy Leafy Greens!

Organic Nero di Toscana Kale

       Kale is known as one of the healthiest vegetables on our planet, and is categorized in the species Brassica oleracea. Which includes a variety of vegetables; broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and brussels sprouts. Kale even dates back to being consumed in the Middle Ages, that is right! Knights, Lords and Kings used to consume this nutrient rich vegetable constantly! The way majority of people identify different varieties are from the length of the stem, colour, and leaf shape. Each and every single Kale has a distinct taste, this I tell you through experience.

Organic Red Russian Kale

Cultivars

   Cultivar means that the plant or plants were Cultivated and are a Variety of said plant. That's how the term was made by Liberty Hyde Bailey. So don't get confused with the term! Here is a short list of different cultivars of Kale.

  ¤ Curly-leafed (Scots Kale)
  ¤ Straight-leafed
  ¤ Rape Kale**
  ¤ Leaf and Spear (Cross between Curly & Straight-leafed Kale)
  ¤ Cavolo Nero*
  ¤ Jersey Kale (Cow Cabbage)

(**Such a bad name for a Kale right?! There is a reason for it! They call it "Rape Kale" or "Hungry Gap" because they named it for the period after winter when barely any crop is harvested)

(*Also known as Black Cabbage, Tuscan Cabbage, Tuscan Kale, Lacinato and Dinosaur Kale)

Health Benefits

   Kale has a load of benefits most people don't even know about. Such as having a high count of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, calcium, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Did you know that once you start chopping or mincing Kale you release sulforaphane? Sulforaphane is a chemical that contains potent anti-cancer properties. (Only bad thing about sulforaphane is it decreases in Kale when you boil it, but if you steam, microwave or stir-fry your Kale the loss of sulforaphane isn't as significant) Kale also is a source of indole-3-carbinol, which is a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells and blocks the growth of cancer cells. The final thing I know about Kale is there is a group of resins known as bile acid sequestrants that have been known to lower cholesterol and decrease your bodies absorption of dietary fat. (Steaming your Kale increases the bile properties).

  That's it for today's vegetable information! Next I'll have the various ways and maybe even some recipes of how I consume this amazing crop!

Until next time folks! Keep it Green and Keep it Growing! Ciao!


HyperSmash