9 Insanely Good Kale Health Benefits and Side Effects That Will Make Your Skin Glow

There are so many insanely good kale health benefits and side effects it’s no wonder there is so much hype around healthy kale additives!

There are so many kale health benefits that it really requires it’s own post! Kale is a powerhouse vegetable amongst other leafy greens that can be thrown into a lot of different dishes and supports gut health.

This post is all all about kale health benefits and side effects!

Healthy Micro Superstars Featured in Kale Nutritional Value

Kale Nutritional Value Scores Top in Class in Nutrient Indices

Doctors have identified the healthiest foods with the greatest amount of nutrients per calorie. We can calculate this by nutrients divided by calories (Bulsiewicz, 2020). Kale gets a perfect score! 

For more information on omega-3 fatty acids behind kale’s health benefits and side effects, check out Gunnars, 2018.

The Benefits of Kale Leaves is Good for Your Eyes, Your Skin, and Your Overall Health 1300

Kale is full of antioxidants including beta-carotene, lutein, vitamin C, and kaempferol (Sikora & Bodziarczyk, 2012). Beta-carotene and lutein support your eye health while vitamin C and other flavonoids can increase skin cell turn over leaving you with a more youthful glow. Vitamin C is popular in skin creams for this exact reason, including my favorite, Drunk Elephant Vitamin C serum. In fact, kale is so rich in vitamin C, one cup provides more vitamin C than an entire orange (Nutrition Data, 2022)!

Kale is a plant-based source of iron…The vitamin C from a lemon cranks up iron absorption and allows you to get what you need from a non-heart disease/colon cancer/diabetes-inducing source, meaning a plant.

Bulsiewicz, 2020, p. 82

For more information on how kale can decrease your risks for certain cancers, check out (Rajendran, 2014). Or, if you would like to read more about how kale’s health benefits and side effects can decrease your cholesterol levels and risk for heart disease, check out (Kahlon et al., 2007).

How Might Kale Vitamins and Benefits Reduce Your Cholesterol?

First of all, kale is rich in potassium. Maintaining the correct levels of potassium in your body is related to lower blood pressure and less risk for heart disease (D’Elia et al., 2011). As my husband Dr. Jeff says,

It all boils down to your sodium potassium pump and the correct levels of potassium and sodium. Too high or too low can potentially kill you.

Dr. Jeff aka Kait’s Husband

Kale can absorb bile acid and help keep bad fats out of your blood stream. Your liver turns cholesterol into bile acids. When you eat a meal high in fat it releases these acids into your digestive system. When the fat has been absorbed, biles acids are reabsorbed into your bloodstream for later use. If there is a lot of left over bile acid, cholesterol increases (Kahlon, 2007). 

Kale can trap bile acid by binding it in your digestive system rather than being reabsorbed into the blood stream. Imagine kale as a pac-man eating all the bad extra bile before it escapes. Keeping bile acid out, kale lowers your total cholesterol (Kahlon et al., 2007). And, as cholesterol decreases so does the risk of heart disease (Kahlon, 2007). 

Kale Health Benefits Include…

Kale Health Benefits and Side Effects May Support Weight Loss

Kale is low in calories and high in water. Similar to cucumbers, which I posted about in Cucumbers Keep You Hydrated And Healthy, several studies have shown when you eat foods high in nutrients and low in calories you have a greater likelihood to lose weight (Rolls et al., 2005). No surprise there! Kale also provides protein and fiber both of which can support healthy weight loss (Bulsiewicz, 2020).

Looking for Some Kale Healthy Recipes?

Check out the recipes below for great ideas to get more kale health benefits into your diet.

Quick Chicken Salad with Kale and Cashews

On hot summer days, who doesn’t love a chicken salad? Better yet, it requires ZERO cooking. With lemon, whole grain mustard, fresh kale, and cashews, this chicken salad includes lots of good for you ingredients that will leave you happily full without the bloat.

What Makes this Chicken Salad Worth Making?

First, this recipe uses Greek yogurt instead of mayo cutting down the calories and incorporating a healthy source of bifidobacterium bifidum. Second, this recipe includes kale, a powerhouse amongst other leafy greens.

5 Secrets to Insanely Good Roasted Brussel Sprout Salad

Finding a good roasted Brussel sprout salad is a must do! This marinated Brussel sprout salad caramelizes on the grill AND double duties as a delicious lunch for the next day!

Brussel sprouts are not only good for you and your gut, they are SO GOOD! You might think of the steamed Brussel sprouts that many of us grew up eating and attempting to avoid. But, roasted Brussel sprouts have gotten a facelift and can be found on menus across the country!! Check out what everyone is loving about this roasted brussel sprout salad!

13 Epic Ingredients for Hummus Pizza on the Grill

Hummus pizza is a summer favorite! Throw it on the grill and you’ll get the crisp taste of wood fired pizza with savory VEGAN toppings.

This hummus pizza combines 13 epic ingredients to make ONE AMAZING GRILLED PIZZA. With teenagers, I’m frequently looking for ways to get them involved, and this works every time. It’s fast, fun, and delivers gut healthy ingredients to boot.

What’s Special About Hummus Pizza?

This pizza combines 13 superstar gut healthy ingredients that come together to taste delicious and provide serious benefits to your health including: 

• a better immune system, 
• better digestion, 
• increased heart health
• reduced risk of cancer and chronic disease

Is Kale Healthy or Not?

Healthy! Kale Scores Top of the Bunch Amongst Leafy Greens

With a significant number of vitamins, protein, iron, and an undercover ability to trap fatty bile acid that is left over after that (ahem) impromptu McDonalds visit, kale health benefits and side effects place it high on the ingredients to include on your grocery list. For more ideas, search kale on Kait’s Cupboard!

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