Kale is sometimes confused with colewort and collard greens which go under the common name ‘sukuma wiki’.

According to Selina Wamucii, a mobile-driven business-to-business sourcing platform for fresh produce from smallholder farmers in Africa’s rural areas, though not actually as common as ‘sukuma wiki’, people indiscriminately refer to all these similar vegetables as kale. 

The difference, the platform notes, lies in the appearance of the leaves; kale leaves are acephalous, meaning that they lack the dome of a cabbage.

They also have dusty green or purple colours. Some varieties of kale are curly like spinach with their sprightly leaves while most are broad-leafed.

Nutritional valuee

Kales give the body about 200 per cent of the daily needs of vitamin C. This is two times the portion needed to naturally protect the body against diseases.

Studies have shown that the level of vitamin A, which enhances eyesight, comes in at 199 per cent, an equally impressive level.

The iron margin for keeping the haemoglobin part of blood pure in kale is eight per cent per serving, while the carbohydrate margin in the kale is also marginal at three per cent.

Also, the protein is at eight per cent. Potassium, which controls blood pressure, comes in at 14 per cent of the recommended daily amount.

David Rukerabigwi, a dietician and nutritionist in Kigali, says kale contains fibre, antioxidants, calcium, vitamins, C and K, iron, and a wide range of other nutrients that can help prevent various health problems.

For instance, he says, antioxidants help the body remove unwanted toxins that result from natural processes and environmental pressures.

He says that this leafy green vegetable is great for aiding indigestion and elimination, adding that making use of the kale stalks is also beneficial as they are a rich source of prebiotics, which are food for your microbiome.

Kale is also rich in vitamin K, which has always been known as the coagulation vitamin because it helps keep the body’s blood-clotting mechanism functioning in a healthy manner.

Vitamin K2, on the other hand, has been shown to activate 17 proteins. For example, vitamin K2 activates a protein called osteocalcin, which ensures that as much bone is built to replace the bone that is broken down.

Erick Musengimana, a nutritionist, says various nutrients in kale may support heart health.

For instance, he points out that for potassium, the American Heart Association   (AHA) recommends increasing the intake of potassium while reducing the consumption of added salt, or sodium.

This can reduce the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. A cup of cooked kale provides 3.6 per cent of an adult’s daily needs for potassium.

Just like any other type of green vegetable, kale contains chlorophyll which can help prevent the body from absorbing heterocyclic amines.

The human body cannot absorb much chlorophyll, but chlorophyll binds to these carcinogens and prevents the body from absorbing them.