Like many college students, my dietary practices would at best be considered questionable. Instant mac & cheese, Chik-fil-A chicken nuggets and frozen pizzas are not luxuries but staples of my one-man nutritional wrecking crew. My more health-conscious friends have tried to direct me to the fresh and organic lifestyle numerous times without success. A favorite healthy food mentioned when attempting to convert me is kale. The "Californian lettuce" has practically assumed state vegetable status and has become synonymous with hipster vegetarian culture. Knowing nothing about this magical vegetable, I decided to look up kale to see what all the fuss was about. Turns out, the ultra-nutritious vegetable isn’t as healthy as you might believe.
Studies have shown that kale is unusually proficient at absorbing the metal thallium from the soil. This thallium, which is an odorless, tasteless metal that is created as a byproduct of burning coal, is then incorporated into the blood stream when eaten. In normal quantities this is not usually a problem, but a common trend for kale aficionados is juicing. Juice blends that contain kale concentrate a large amount of kale, much more than is normally consumed, into a drink. Condensing the leaves fills the drink with vitamins and nutrients, but it also fills the juice with higher levels of heavy metals. High levels of thallium in the blood can lead to symptoms of chronic fatigue, arrhythmias, skin and hair problems, sensitivity to gluten and Lyme disease.
Increasing your intake of kale to this degree has also shown to lead to enlarged thyroids and complications with people who have thyroid problems. Not quite what you would expect from a healthy vegetable. Obviously, when eaten in moderation, kale is good for you and worthwhile to eat. But the danger comes when you try and eat a large amount of kale to jump start your health kick. Kale is not a wonder plant that will singlehandedly solve all of your problems. Going on a juice cleanse does not clear your body of toxins, but it does have the potential to add some new ones. Needless to say, if I decide to eat healthy, I am not going to devour all of the kale that is put in front of me. Next time you find yourself wanting to eat a little more healthy, be careful of what and how much you choose to eat. It’s easy to forget what it means to be full of vitamins and minerals.