Kale

Kale, a vitamin and mineral rich powerhouse, is a kind of cabbage from the Brassica family with an earthy flavor, is green or purple, yet it’s central leaves do not form a head. This rockstar leafy-green, is very high in beta-carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, lutein, calcium, and health promoting, sulfur-containing phytonutrients, and is a VIP (Very Important Plant) addition to your diet. Like other brassicas, such as broccoli, collards and brussels sprouts, kale contains organic properties like sulforphane, a potent anti-cancer property, as well as indole-3-carbinol, a chemical that boosts DNA repair in cells, and blocks the growth of cancer cells. While the benefits are immeasurable, here are the top three:

Antioxidant Rich & Anti-Cancer Leader: Kale leads in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer nutrients. With sufficient intake of anti-oxidants, we optimize oxygen metabolism, whereby inhibiting oxidative stress. With sufficient intake of anti-inflammatory nutrients, we inhibit inflammation from developing. Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are sited as key contributors to promoting the ideal breeding ground for cancer to develop. Kale offers at least 45 different antioxidant flavonoids in significant amounts, with kaempferol and quercitin as two leaders. But it is the broad-spectrum of these flavonoid antioxidants that are cited as kale’s noteworthy anti-cancer benefits (and every other disease caused by oxidative stress).

Cleansing and Detoxificaton: Kale provides organic properties that support cellular cleansing and detoxification, in both phases necessary to safely remove toxins from our body (Phase I and Phase II). In addition, the surprisingly high presence of sulfur compounds in kale further promotes detoxification. Because kale supports both aspects of cellular detox, the nutrients provided by this green super-food offers us a pro-active advantage in dealing with toxic exposure, may it be from our environment or our food.