Could Kale be Bad for You?
Could Kale be Bad for You?

by Tara Milhem

Kale has recently come under fire as being unhealthy for certain reasons, but is there any validity to the claim? Here we explain.

Did you hear the news? Apparently kale is bad for you now.

Don't jump to conclusions yet though.

Kale is obviously not going to kill you or give you some weird disease, or else it wouldn't have been dubbed the "it" food for the past year with a list of benefits longer than my to-do list. However, recently it has been under fire in various articles for its connection to hypothyroidism. Kale is a goitrogenic food, which means it can contribute to an enlarged thyroid gland. For example, this study by Oregon State about hypothyroidism talks about the 88-year-old woman who went into a coma after consuming 1-1.5 kg of raw bok choy every day for a few months. You would have to be eating about 15 cups of kale a day to even come close to this. (Wouldn't that happen eating any food by the kg?). Unless you're actually addicted, it's not something worth losing sleep over.

Kale is still the "it" food and builds the foundation for a healthy and superfood-rich diet. To reduce the goitrogenic effects of kale, follow these two rules of mine that will keep you in check.

1. Cook your kale.

Cooking the kale lessens the goitrogenic effects and allows the fibers to become more easily digestible.

2. Massage your kale.

Massaging kale also aids in the digestion of kale and it tastes a whole lot better too.

Putting thyroid issues aside, kale remains a nutritional powerhouse with a ton of benefits, including these:

  • Fat-free, low calorie, and high in fiber
  • Anti-inflammatory properties
  • Antioxidant-rich
  • Lowers cholesterol
  • More iron per calorie than beef
  • Rich in Vitamin K
  • Prevents eye damage and helps elimination

So my own personal opinion is that no, kale is not actually bad for you, and it's actually extremely beneficial to include in your diet.

 

Article: Copyright ©, Studio One

"Could Kale be Bad for You?"