Kale benefits and side effects

Especially if you enjoy consuming salads all year round, like your signature winter kale salad with pistachios, kumquats, and ricotta cheese, the last thing you want to discover is that your favorite salad base may pose health concerns.

However, eating large quantities of raw kale only affects a small sect of individuals who typically struggle with a thyroid-related health condition.

Kale is rich in more than a handful of vitamins and minerals, and what makes this leafy green extra powerful in fighting cancer and specific radicals is this veggie's production of sulforaphane.

Is raw kale bad for your stomach

While Body Ecology claims sulforaphane has many positive attributes, this chemical also produces goitrogens, which are antinutrients that prevent the thyroid from properly absorbing iodine. If you suffer from either an iodine deficiency or a pre-existing condition such as hypothyroidism, eating too much raw kale may cause increased and abnormal cell growth or goiter in and around the thyroid.

This can lead to a depletion of energy, dry skin, and a slowing effect on your metabolism.

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