Kale’s Gross Side Effect, and What You Can Do to Prevent It (2024)

FAQs

What to avoid with kale? ›

People who may need to avoid or limit kale intake are those who form oxalate-containing kidney stones or take the blood thinners Coumadin or warfarin. Be sure to check with your health care professional or dietitian if you have questions.

Due to the presence of oxalates, kale can increase the risk of kidney stones. Kale contains goitrogens, substances that inhibit the synthesis of thyroid hormone. So, its intake can increase the risk of iodine deficiency. Being rich in iron, consumption of kale in excess can lead to iron toxicity.

While none of Hubbard's test subjects had been consuming doses even close to poisonous levels, the medical and scientific literature linked low-level doses to many of the complaints brought to his clinic: fatigue, heart arrhythmia, and—in more extreme cases—nausea, neurological problems, and hair loss.

Kale also provides healthy carotenoids such as beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin. Cons: As an abundant source of vitamin K, kale must be used with caution if you're using blood thinners.

Kale contains roughly 112.8 grams of vitamin K, which can be dangerous to people who take blood thinners, such as warfarin or aspirin. Vitamin K is used by the body to help blood clot, so when it's taken with a blood thinner, it decreases the medication's effectiveness and makes the blood more likely to clot.

Raw kale can be hard to digest. Kale's fibrous cell walls may prevent your body from absorbing nutrients, but cooking kale can reduce its antioxidant content. Nutrition experts say steaming kale is a good way to make it easier to digest while preserving most of the nutrients.

Plus, eating too much fiber (like what you find in kale) could wreck havoc on your GI system, causing bloating, diarrhea, gas, constipation, and even improper absorption of nutrients. Of course, you'd have to be eating a lot of kale to suffer these effects, says Manganiello, but it's still something to keep in mind.

“Cancer studies seem to show that raw kale is more beneficial than cooked, while cholesterol studies seem to show that steamed kale is more beneficial than raw,” says Harris, who recommends a bit of both in your diet. But whatever you do, don't boil, saute or stir-fry the veggie too long or with too much added liquid.

Whereas cooked leafy and cruciferous vegetables such as kale, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower take approximately 40-50 minutes to digest. Root vegetables like turnips, beetroot, sweet potatoes, radishes and carrot digest in an hour.

Kale and other greens (such as swiss chard, arugula, spinach, etc) are also loaded with oxalates, a compound that can promote kidney stones and severe pain in the body organs and tissues.

Why do I feel bad after eating kale? ›

Fiber from kale leaves can get stuck in the intestines. As a result, you will feel bloated and pass gas more often. Not only that, kale leaves also contain a sugar called raffinose. This type of sugar is difficult to digest by the stomach.

For most people, kale is a safe and healthy food choice. However, in rare cases, kale can cause an allergic reaction. In recent years, there has been a large rise in allergies reported in industrialized countries. A person can develop a food allergy to any food, especially if they eat that food often.

Kale, for example, has more calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin K than spinach, while spinach has more vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, potassium, zinc, folate, and magnesium. They are both incredibly healthy options, but which one is best for your body is actually subjective.

Kale - Harvard University just linked Kale to one's overall sense of optimism, due to the various phytonutrients of the plant. Sulforaphane travels from your kale smoothie to your liver where it amps up your body's natural detox power. Glucosinolates are a known cancer fighter.

As kale contains a variety of nutrients, a person can consume it regularly as part of a balanced diet. However, some people may need to limit how much kale they consume. These include people taking beta blockers and blood thinners, as well as people with kidney disease.

However, excessive consumption of rigid fiber can cause digestive problems. Fiber from kale leaves can get stuck in the intestines. As a result, you will feel bloated and pass gas more often. Not only that, kale leaves also contain a sugar called raffinose.

Oxalic acid overload

Are green smoothies bad for kidneys? The answer may be yes if you overdo it on leafy green vegetables – Swiss chard, spinach, kale and beet greens – that all contain high levels of oxalic acid, a naturally occurring compound that forms oxalate crystals in the body.