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Kale: A super food? #BlochatterAtoZ
Kale is an acquired taste. Good or bad it’s not everyone’s favorite food. But it has several powers which will make Kale eaters feel happy.
7 Facts about Kale
Kale is a cruciferous vegetable.
Winterbor F(1) type of kale has an excellent nutritional quotient. They have high antioxidant activity. Lower the processing, better is the nutrient content after cooking. Blanching is okay, but raw is best. Cooking can lower antioxidants like Vitamin C, polyphenols and to some extent Beta carotene. (1)
Lentil and kale added to a cereal-based diet has the magical ability to increase intake of essential minerals and vitamins. (2)Micronutrient malnutrition is responsible for many lifestyle diseases.
Kale stands at position 15 in a list of powerhouse fruits and vegetables made by Centers for Disease Control (a serving providing ≥10% of 17 essential nutrients (3).
Research finds Kale having vitamins A, K, C, and some folate, essential minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium.
Kale is a rich source of fibers. This is said to help prevent post-meal blood sugar rise(4). Eating kale-containing salad or any side dish with at least 7 g of Kale helps exert this effect.
Kale like other crucifers is a goitrogenic food (5)and should be only taken under supervision for those with thyroiditis or Hypothyroidism. But its a must have for those with hyperthyroidism.
When I started writing for Blogchatter A to Z this year, I didn’t know whether I could write enough. I also thought about whether it will make sense to spread this info. After all, everyone eats veggies. Right? But while researching for the posts I learned a few things which made me sit up.
Did you know there are more veggies in CDC power food list than fruits? Did you know eating the rainbow makes sense every day? Did you know obesity has a deep relationship with micronutrient deficiency? Diet is a key step to improve the quality of life.
Like the anti-inflammatory diet, is not only good for joints but also your body as a whole. What’s important is to know what processing does to the food and decide accordingly. We also need to know which kind of nutrients are easily absorbed and utilized by the body and cook our food accordingly. All this and more in this series and in the book releasing in May.
I wrote a book on Fruits for Life, listen to the free chapters on my podcast. My book on Probiotics for Life is available as a summary here .Subscribe to my newsletter and you will get a chance to download my book for Free when it’s up for a promo!
Other posts in this series
Asparagus: Also a medicinal plant
Beetroot: Benefits and worries
Health Food not so healthy:Myth of food labels
Joints: Anti-inflammatory diet
Disclaimer: This post is meant for spreading healthcare information and not meant as a replacement for a professional medical opinion. Always consult a medical professional before taking any decision related to health and healthcare. Healthcare information is a rapidly evolving field. While all attempts are made to keep this website updated, the author/s and or website disclaim all responsibility for any inadvertent omission/commission. Read my full disclaimer.
References:
1)Composition and antioxidant activity of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) raw and cooked.
Sikora E1, Bodziarczyk I.
2)Metabolic and bioactivity insights into Brassica oleracea var. acephala.
Ferreres F1, Fernandes F, Sousa C, Valentão P, Pereira JA, Andrade PB.
3)Defining powerhouse fruits and vegetables: a nutrient density approach.Di Noia JPrev Chronic Dis. 2014 Jun 5; 11():E95.
4)Intake of kale suppresses postprandial increases in plasma glucose: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study
Sumio Kondo,1 Asahi Suzuki,2 Mihoko Kurokawa,2 and Keiji Hasumi3
5)Effects of the Environment, Chemicals and Drugs on Thyroid Function
David Sarne, M.D
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Protected: Health Food not so healthy:Myth of food labels #BlogchatterAtoZ
Ginger :Raw or cooked? #BlogchatterAtoZ
Ginger is very popular in my kitchen. I add it in my morning cup of green tea, in my curries and I also have ginger infusion water. Ginger tea is a childhood favorite. In green tea or milk tea, I love my ginger.
With milk tea, adding too much ginger early on can curdle the milk. But with green tea, no such problem. Raw ginger has several amazing benefits. But it can be difficult to chew it raw. Adding it to my glass infusion water bottle, helps me have my raw ginger water without trouble.
Can you grow a ginger plant?
Yes. It’s easy. The only thing you need is a piece of ginger root. Just make small nicks, on a piece of ginger tuber and plant it in a little soil. The green shoot will appear and there will be several small ginger tubers appearing below it. Harvest when the green shoots die.
Ginger powder: is it any good?
Nothing like the natural and dried powder is used if you don’t have access to the real thing.
What are the active chemicals in Ginger?
The active ingredients in ginger root are gingerols, shogaol, and paradols. Gingerol is the main bioactive compound in ginger. It has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
Benefits of ginger
Antioxidant and anticancer effect
Ginger and some of its components are effective antioxidants in vitro. Due to the antioxidant property, it is considered to exert an anticancer effect. It has potential action in colon cancer. In humans in vivo action needs further research.
The cognitive improvement and neuroprotective effects occur due to the antioxidant effect.
Even dried ginger may have beneficial effects in treating dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease (Ghayur, Gilani, Ahmed, Khalid, Nawaz, Agbedahunsi, Choudhary, Houghton 2008). But this effect in Alzheimer’s disease is not conclusive.
Better digestion and prevents nausea
Several research data show that active ingredients of ginger accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract. But the exact mechanism of action is still not clear.
Ginger also reduces cholesterol and improve lipid metabolism. This makes its role in the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases significant.
A survey of a group of obstetricians and gynecologists: Most recommend taking an antiemetic (71.3%), and specifically ginger (51.8%), to patients with moderate to severe nausea (Power, Holzman, and Schulkin 2001).
Ginger has been recommended to combat nausea associated with chemotherapy.
Gingerol in ginger helps maintain orodental health by its antibacterial activity.
Ginger is used in many illnesses, such as colds, nausea, arthritis, migraines, and hypertension since ages.
Even when we see the safety profile of ginger, there is an incomplete understanding of the mechanism of action. Thus you need caution while trying any therapeutic uses. But including ginger in your diet will only enhance the taste. Do you include ginger in your diet?
Other posts in this series
Asparagus: Also a medicinal plant
Beetroot: Benefits and worries
Disclaimer: This post is meant for spreading healthcare information and not meant as a replacement for a professional medical opinion. Always consult a medical professional before taking any decision related to health and healthcare. Healthcare information is a rapidly evolving field. While all attempts are made to keep this website updated, the author/s and or website disclaim all responsibility for any inadvertent omission/commission. Read my full disclaimer.
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
Sharma and Gupta 1998Grant and Lutz 2000
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5008850/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3665023/
Sharing is good Karma!
Protected: Healthy Joints:Diet for Rheumatoid Arthritis #BlogchatterAtoZ
Do Salads help in Satiety?
Consuming low-energy-dense salad before rather than with the main course increased vegetable consumption by 23%. To moderate energy intake, maximizing the amount of salad eaten may be more important than the timing of consumption.
problem of obesity, it is important to identify effective strategies for decreasing energy intake.
Research has shown that reducing the energy density of foods and meals is one promising approach for moderating energy intake in both the short and long term (Rolls, 2009; Ello-Martin, Roe, Ledikwe, Beach, & Rolls, 2007).
In multiple controlled studies, consuming a preload of a low-energy-dense food such as soup, fruit, or vegetables reduced meal energy density and energy intake. It is unclear, however, whether the effect of consuming a low-energy-dense food depends upon eating it as a first course, or whether it would be as effective eaten as a side dish along with the main course.
For me it works if I have it as a first course and take atleast ten to fifteen minutes to have it
Maximizing salad intake was an effective strategy for reducing meal energy intake.
Reference:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3264798/
https://www.deepdyve.com/lp/elsevier/salad-and-satiety-the-effect-of-timing-of-salad-consumption-on-meal-HJ6u0sj8Dr
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