Before I say anything more, let me say this- human beings are omnivores. We are not Koala Bears, living on nothing more than eucalyptus leaves, bark and buds- which contain tannins (that spells toxic to us).
Our bodies do best with a varied diet. All things in moderation. Therefore, if you’ve swallowed the pap about kale being the superfood to end all superfoods, and you eat kale every single day, even two or three or four times a day, well, sorry. Best of intentions and all that…
Kale as superfood is a myth. Kale as part of a well-balanced diet is a good thing.
***Unless, yes, there is a caveat to even the kale as part of a well-balanced diet thing.***
Unless you are on anticoagulants, in which case you need to discuss your kale intake, and in general your leafy greens intake, with your physician or nurse consultant because kale is extremely high in Vitamin K which is essential to blood clotting. An injection of Vitamin K is the antidote for too much Coumadin, also known as Warfarin, an important and commonly prescribed anticoagulant. In addition, if you are hypothyroid you may want to limit your intake of kale. Kale contains compounds which decrease thyroid function. In fact, a diet high in kale can actually cause clinical hypothyroidism. When I say a diet high in kale I mean eating kale every single day, juicing with kale, kale chips, kale salads, steamed kale, kale in soups, stews and casseroles. Some people do eat kale with every meal.
It’s healthier to mix up our veggies- salad greens, tomatoes and other fruity-types from the nightshade family, dark leafy greens, root veggies, squash, cucumbers, legumes… Yes, cruciferous vegetables, of which kale is one, are healthy. They are very high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, B Vitamins, iron and many other minerals. (Although kale is high in calcium, like most dark leafy greens, the calcium tends to be bound to some extent by oxalic acid. This means our bodies don’t absorb the calcium or don’t absorb as much as we think they do. Oxalic acid is the toxic chemical in rhubarb leaves which is why we don’t ever eat rhubarb leaves. Nasty stuff.)
So- as I said, all things in moderation. Despite its reputation, kale does have a dark side. It’s never a good idea to eat the hype. No matter how we wish it were so, there is no such thing as a superfood.
Much foodie love, Julia
Amen Sister. So true!
“Super food” is a MARKETING term. It is not a health term. Foods labeled as Super foods make millions of dollars to those who market and sell them while the health of the people buying them do not get healthier one iota.
Wake up folks and smell the money making liars.
Hey, I’ll preach it Roberta! I agree. It’s all about the Benjamins.
Not a Kale fan. We have a healthy juice every morning, but I have hubby use Spinach because Kale is too bitter.
It’s the only way I get my greens.
I like the taste of Kale - I don’t eat it daily - unless I am in CA where veggie grill is so awesome. But it is funny, when I came back from a trip there when I had Kale a lot, maybe 7 out of 10 days, my thyroid levels were low.
Otherwise, I have always thought of it as a scrub brush for the intestines. A lot of people actually do not eat veggies and fruits daily. Or weekly.
People who are going to believe “superfood” hype will believe it about something. Anything. Ten years ago it was pomegranates, then acai but no one knew how to pronounce it, so now it’s kale. Tomorrow it will be something else. People crazy.
Interesting, Steph. I think kale is fine as part of a well-balanced diet, but some people eat mega-amounts of kale because they’ve swallowed the super food hype. Yeah, pomegranates - a pain to eat except in juice form and then it’s all sugar. Acai - tastes like poison. Ick.
I prefer spinach and other leafy greens to kale as well, Amber. I’m just not a big kale fan. I do like it in soup. That’s about it.
I’ve never tried Kale, but I do eat lots of other veggies. And I agree, no such thing as a super food.
Let’s see, Stephanie… Kale is kind of a tough leafy green. Doesn’t have much flavor aside from some grassy bitterness. The stems need to be removed. The leaves are best (IMO) in soup, stews and pasta dishes.
More great info. My daughter and her fiance mix kale into their mashed potatoes.
That works, Sandra. I mix sauteed cabbage into my mashed potatoes.
“All things in moderation.” Heh. I went to look up the origin of this phrase as I always like to mention the source. And found there’s no firm agreement on the source…like most of life. Anyway, I digress. My point was this-if we ate everything in balanced moderation, we’d be healthier and probably skinnier. Except for okra, of course. No one should eat okra…ever…
Funny, Anny. I actually love okra. Seriously. My kids hate it.