Meet kale, your go-to superfood for weight loss and cancer prevention

There are so many foods that we want to include in our diet to get their benefits, but we just drop them off the list because we don’t really know the right way to cook them. Either we end up hard boiling them or eat them as is–which makes the situation a little dicey and we end up getting almost no nutrition. Therefore, it is very important to know the right way to cook a superfood. And today we are picking one such superfood, kale, because the health benefits of kale will leave you stunned.   

Here’s why you should say yeah to kale

It is a no brainer that green leafy vegetables are great additions to your weight loss diet and that makes kale a perfect catch. According to celebrity nutritionist, Dr Anjali Hooda, kale belongs to the brassica family vegetable and comes under the category of cruciferous vegetables. It is very high in vitamin C , vitamin K , folate, and manganese. 

Plus it’s high in antioxidants in the form of dark pigments zeaxanthin and lutein. It also contains glucosinolates which reduces the risk of chronic diseases like cancer. 

Not to mention most sulphur-containing vegetables like kale play an important role in gut immunity.

“Apart from being a green vegetable it is tastier than most other green leafy vegetables because it’s crispy and one can make crisps/chips out of it. It is very chewy and very filling,” says Dr Hooda.

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Here are four cracking benefits of kale

1. It aids weight loss

Thanks to all the fibre that kale has in store, it aids weight loss. Plus, its low glycemic index and low carb content makes it a suitable weight loss food. Also, if you are always hungry then you can take the help of kale to keep yourself full as you can totally eat it in larger quantities. All this also makes kale a perfect food for diabetes

2. Kale helps you in restoring your skin and hair

Kale is a dense source of vitamin C, which is basically a water-soluble antioxidant. This particular vitamin helps in development of new body cells and repairs the damaged one.

Also, it helps in the synthesis of collagen in the body which is needed the most to maintain the elasticity of the skin and growth of hair.

3. Kale is loaded with nutrients that reduce the risk of cancer

To start with, kale’s phytonutrient value plays a big role in cancer prevention. Other substances like sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol are known to be the forces in controlling the unmanageable growth of cells and then eventually decrease the risk of cancer.

4. It helps you fight anemia

“Kale is a great source of iron because of which its food value increases as a vegetable. It helps in managing the hemoglobin level in the blood and prevents anemia which is becoming common in women nowadays. Due to anemia they feel low on energy all the time and unable to manage their day to day tasks. That’s why kale is a must have food for women,” recommended Dr Hooda.

Dr Hooda suggests the right way to consume Kale

Kale has not been a part of Indian diet. Rather, it’s mostly consumed in western countries. But now that it’s being grown in India, people are coming to know about the benefits of kale. 

“The best way of cooking kale is by making a saag in Indian style, though it can be eaten raw as a salad also and is quite palatable. You can also wash it first and then sauté it with other vegetables to make it more interesting. It has become one of the trendy vegetables these days to be had,” suggests Dr Hooda.

Before consuming it though, wash kale in cold water. You can also pass it through steam using a sieve or a steamer. Don’t boil it otherwise you will lose its nutrients. If you can, choose organic kale as there are lesser chances of it being contaminated.

But listen, kale is not for everyone

“All the greens rich in vitamin K can interact with blood thinners so people on these meds should be careful in their consumption. Also the cruciferous vegetables can interfere with thyroid medications,” warns Dr Hooda.  

So ladies, if you have been avoiding kale for a very long then now is time to rethink–because frankly, kale is what you actually need for your well-being.