The Health Benefits of Kale

Featuring Andy De Santis, RD, MPH, Registered Dietician

Duration: 1 minute, 38 seconds

There is little questioning the fact that kale is a low calorie, high health impact leafy green that can greatly increase the satiation value of any meal or snack.

Whether consumed in snack form as kale chips, as a component of a salad, smoothie or sauteed in a mixed dish – you simply cannot go wrong.

As most leafy greens are, kale is packed with anti-cancer compounds including various polyphenol and glucosinolate compounds.

Kale is also one of few foods that is rich in the flavanol compounds quercetin and Kaemperfol, both of which are associated with numerous health benefits including slower cognitive decline and better brain health in older age.

Kale is high in B-carotene, the precursor to Vitamin A that is known to be potently anti-inflammatory and confer a number of benefits to the body while also being among the vegetables that are high in Vitamin C and great to combine with plant-based iron like tofu, tempeh and beans to increase absorption.

Finally, kale also contains other compounds in the carotenoid family, namely lutein and zeaxanthin which are potent anti-oxidants in their own right and often associated with improvements in eye health and vision.

Presenter: Andy De Santis, Registered Dietitian, Toronto, ON

Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian