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Is Kale Really Toxic? Everything You Need To Know About Heavy Metals
Even the most beloved superfoods harbor dirty little secrets. While the health benefits of kale are undeniable, the leafy green continues to show up on the Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Dirty Dozen list. In other words, the non-organic crops are treated with a high volume of pesticides, and those pesticides remain even after the produce is washed.
While buying organic kale is one way to avoid pesticide consumption, some people have floated the idea that it may still contain toxic heavy metals.
The concern was popularized by molecular biologist Ernie Hubbard in 2015, who began noticing that many of his patients with fatigue and brain fog were also eating high volumes of kale. He then linked his theory with a 2006 Czech study, which said kale and other cruciferous veggies could easily accumulate a heavy metal called thallium, through the soil they're planted in.
Recent research hasn't backed up the claims, but without a proper understanding, the statements may sound scary. To help make sense of it, let's talk heavy metals: where they come from, what to do about them, and what it all means for our kale consumption.
Where do heavy metals come from?
Heavy metals 1are naturally-occurring elements with a specific gravity that is at least five times heavier than water. They are in the soil (i.e. iron, copper, lead, thallium, cesium), and can therefore, end up in food grown in soil. Heavy metals are also byproducts of industrial production—such as coal burning in the case of mercury—and end up polluting our oceans and bioaccumulating in the fatty tissue of larger fish, such as tuna, swordfish, and grouper.
Arsenic is predominantly found in its organic form in rice, other grains, and vegetables. When organic, arsenic has to be at very high levels to cause physical problems—most people will just pee it out before it becomes an issue.
Are heavy metals bad for us?
While they often have a negative connotation, certain metals are essential nutrients in our diet. Zinc, B-12 (which contains cobalt), iron, manganese, and molybdenum are all essential for the function of human metabolism, energy production, and liver function. That said, all of them can be harmful to the body at very high levels.
When metals accumulate past certain levels, they can cause symptoms as varied as nerve damage and pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, and even kidney failure and cancer. Here: a list of metals and their associated symptoms if they accumulate to dangerous levels.
Luckily, our bodies have great mechanisms for eliminating heavy metals. It's also rare for metals to accumulate to dangerous levels, unless someone has been exposed to contaminated water supplies or occupational exposure, such as mercury fumes in industrial settings.
What to do about heavy metals.
If you are concerned about metals, get tested at a functional medicine practice, and once you know your levels, work with a doctor to decide the next steps.
This could include promoting the body's natural elimination processes by targeting mechanisms, like nutrition, digestion, urination, and sweat. These processes can also help support a healthy gut, manage inflammation, and support the basic biochemical process called methylation.
These practices should be done with the help and guidance of a health professional, not based on popular or trendy "detoxification" methods.
So, what does this mean for kale?
Don't throw out your favorite leafy green just yet.
If you promote healthy elimination, by staying hydrated and eating a high-fiber diet, limit sugar and other inflammatory foods, move and sweat regularly, and manage your stress in healthy ways, you should not be overly concerned about metal levels in kale or other cruciferous vegetables.
If you are concerned about your metal intake from these foods or another source, or are experiencing unwanted healthy symptoms, it's worth visiting a healthcare practitioner.
Robin Berzin, M.D., is a functional medicine physician and the founder of Parsley Health. She currently lives in New York, NY and her mission is to make functional medicine affordable and modern, so more people can access a holistic, root-cause approach to health.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Berzin went to medical school at Columbia University and later trained in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is also a certified yoga instructor and a meditation teacher, and has formally studied Ayurveda. Dr. Berzin writes for a number of leading wellness sites, and speaks regularly for organizations including the Clinton Foundation, Health 2.0, Summit and the Functional Forum, on how we can reinvent health care.
She's also a mindbodygreen courses instructor, teaching her Stress Solution program designed to help you tune down the stress in your life and tune up your energy and happiness.
More from the author:
Functional Nutrition Training
Check out Functional Nutrition Coaching
A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts
Learn moreMore from the author:
Functional Nutrition Training
Check out Functional Nutrition Coaching
A cutting-edge nutrition deep dive taught by 20+ top health & wellness experts
Learn moreRobin Berzin, M.D., is a functional medicine physician and the founder of Parsley Health. She currently lives in New York, NY and her mission is to make functional medicine affordable and modern, so more people can access a holistic, root-cause approach to health.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Berzin went to medical school at Columbia University and later trained in internal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital. She is also a certified yoga instructor and a meditation teacher, and has formally studied Ayurveda. Dr. Berzin writes for a number of leading wellness sites, and speaks regularly for organizations including the Clinton Foundation, Health 2.0, Summit and the Functional Forum, on how we can reinvent health care.
She's also a mindbodygreen courses instructor, teaching her Stress Solution program designed to help you tune down the stress in your life and tune up your energy and happiness.
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