SAVED BY THE KALE

5 Factors That Makes Kale Healthy

WRITER: CARLTON RYAN

In recent years, kale has gained a reputation for being amazingly nutritious and healthy. As it turns out, this dark, leafy, green vegetable lives up to its hype. In fact, there are five great benefits that come from eating kale.

Disease prevention

Antioxidants like carotenoids and flavonoids are found in abundance in kale. Antioxidants, a kind of molecule, battle against free radicals, which attack cells and cause many diseases. Consuming large antioxidant totals protects from heart disease and cancer.

Anti-inflammatory properties

Inflammation is both a symptom of conditions like arthritis, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and a common side effect of intense exercise. Eating kale will help relieve these problems since it is stocked with inflammation fighting omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin K, which also plays a crucial part in bone health and blood clotting.

Very high iron content

Kale has more iron than beef (on a per-calorie basis). While critical to health, many vegetarians struggle to get enough iron, making kale a great addition to their diets. Iron helps the blood transport oxygen and produce hemoglobin, and aids in proper liver function.

4. A healthier digestion

The digestive system cannot work as it should without plenty of fiber, which helps prevent constipation and other digestive problems. It also controls overeating. Fortunately, kale is one of the best vegetable sources of fiber.

5. A better weight

Kale can play an important role in reaching (or maintaining) a healthy weight. It is a great way to get needed nutrients since it is low in calories and has no fat, but is high in vitamins and minerals. The large fiber totals found in kale also help suppress hunger pangs.

While health experts suggest multiple servings of vegetables per day, most people don’t succeed. Glancing over the list of health benefits above should show why vegetables like kale are so critical to good health. As one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, just about everyone could gain from adding kale to their diets.

SOMETHING IN THE AIR?

Air purifier or dehumidifier: which is best to relieve allergies?

WRITER: MARY GALEA

Dust, dust mites, mold spores, pet hair! Your house may look perfectly clean and fresh, but these potential allergens are always lurking in your home. They can be in carpets, curtains, furniture, mattresses, bedding, every corner and, of course, in the air you breathe.

If you suffer from indoor air allergies, they are hard to avoid, so it makes sense to reduce them as much as possible. You can do this by using an air purifier to remove them from the air, or, as they thrive in humidity, use a dehumidifier.

How do allergens cause allergic attacks?

Your immune system reacts to certain particles you breathe in, and symptoms

gies?

may include sneezing, runny nose, itchy throat, rashes, itchy skin, and itchy, watery eyes. You are not alone in your misery, as about 20 percent of people in the United States suffer from allergies.

The most common triggers indoors are dust, dust mites, mold, and pet dander. Dust consists of minute pieces of substances like dirt, insects, food, and animal matter. Dust mites, which live in dust, mostly live in carpets, mattresses, bedding and fabric furnishings, where they find a large quantity of human dander. Mold is a fungus which, in the outdoor world, is an asset as it acts as a decomposer of organic matter. But in your home, if the conditions are right, it sheds microscopic spores, which may cause allergies and ill health.

Research from the University of California showS why dust mites and mold cause allergies. They don’t appear to have much in common, as mold is a plant and dust mites are arachnids. However, the study found that both contain a compound called chitin, which is also found in the exoskeletons of cockroaches, shrimp, and other shellfish. These animals also cause allergies. Although not proven yet, the researchers expect to find that chitin is the substance that triggers allergic responses.

How does an air purifier help relieve allergies?

The quality of indoor air is very important to your health, but especially so if you have allergies. An air purifier will remove dust, dust mites, pollens, bacteria, viruses, mold spores, and pet dander from the air.

There is a common myth that an air purifier somehow sucks up all the dust in your house. This is not true; it can only remove airborne particles, not the dust that settles on your floor, countertops or furniture.

Using an air purifier is especially important if you are allergic to pet dander, as this is mostly always flying in the air and does not settle much.

Keeping your environment clear of allergens is the only way to control allergies adequately. Buy a good quality purifier with a high-speed fan that operates without much noise. Some of the less expensive models

The dehumidifier reduces the humidity in the air, making it too dry for mold and dust mites to survive. Ideal humidity for a home is 60 percent in summer and 25-40 percent in winter.

The biggest clue that you have a humidity problem is a musty odor, especially around wet areas of your home—bathroom, laundry, and kitchen.

Benefits of using a dehumidifier

• Reduces humidity level

• Decreases mold and dust mites

• Helps with respiratory problems

• Reduces odors

The downside of a dehumidifier is that it does not kill or remove allergens from the air and only reduces the favorable living conditions they need to survive.

To measure the humidity in your home, buy a dehumidifier with a humidistat. A humidistat is a feature that continually measures the humidity, and adjusts the running speed accordingly. If you own a dehumidifier that does not have this feature, purchase a hygrometer to measure your home’s humidity. Then operate the dehumidifier only when needed.

Now you know the specific purposes of each appliance, and it should be easy to choose, based on the humidity and allergen conditions of your home.

If your home has excess dampness, choose a dehumidifier, but if your home is relatively dry, an air purifier would be more suitable for you. Make have noisy fans. If you must turn it down to a lower speed to stop noise, the effectivity is reduced.

Benefits of using an air purifier

• Removes airborne allergens

• Removes dust and pet dander from the air

• Removes odors

• Removes pollen

• Some models kill bacteria your choice based on your home and health situation.

An air purifier is not all you need—it will not stop dust mites from breeding or mold spores from propagating in high humidity, which provides ideal conditions for them to flourish.

Lower the humidity in your home by simple things such as opening your doors and windows, or using an exhaust fan in your bathroom, kitchen, and laundry. A dehumidifier will achieve the same result.