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Kale: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions

Kale

Other Name(s):

Boerenkool, Borecole, Brassica oleracea, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, Brassica oleracea var. viridis, Chou Fourrager, Chou Kale, Col rizada, Kale Frisé, Kale Frisé Sibérien, Kale Leaf, Kale Noir, Kale Rouge de Russie, Winter Greens.

Overview

Kale is a dark, leafy vegetable that is commonly eaten as a food source. Kale can also be eaten as a medicine.

Kale is taken by mouth as an antioxidant and for bladder cancer, breast cancer, heart disease, colitis, constipation, Crohn's disease, diabetes, hangover, hot flashes, high cholesterol, loss of vision (macular degeneration), and wound healing.

How does work?

Kale contains chemicals that are thought to help prevent cancer. Chemicals in kale might also have antioxidant activity.

Uses

Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...

  • Bladder cancer: There is some evidence that people who eat large amounts of kale and related vegetables have a lower risk of developing bladder cancer.
  • Breast cancer: Some early research suggests that eating kale and related vegetables is linked with a slight increase in the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women. However, eating kale and related vegetables is not linked with a higher risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women.
  • Heart disease.
  • Colitis.
  • Constipation.
  • Crohn's disease.
  • Diabetes.
  • Hangover.
  • Hot flashes.
  • High cholesterol.
  • Loss of vision (macular degeneration).
  • Wound healing.
  • Other conditions.
More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of kale for these uses.

QUESTION

Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See Answer

Side Effects

Kale is LIKELY SAFE when consumed in food amounts. It isn't known if kale is safe or what the possible side effects might be when taken in medicinal amounts.

Precautions

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough information about the safety of eating kale in medicinal amounts during pregnancy or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and stick to usual food amounts.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of kale depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for kale. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).

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References

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