My Yoga Online has added 2 new great nutrition article by Carol DiPirro: The Nutritious World of Leeks and Kale-Veggie Superstar

Leeks, a member of the onion and garlic family, have long been grown and cooked in Europe and the Mediterranean. Historians claim Nero ate leeks in soup regularly, thinking they were good for his singing voice. He may have gotten the notion from Aristotle who claimed the clear cry of the partridge was due to its diet of leeks. Only recently have they become popular in the United States.

An average size leek contains approximately 40 calories and 305 mg of salt which is 13% of the daily requirement. They also contain significant levels of manganese (15%) and iron (8%). Leeks are believed to fight cancer, especially colon and prostate cancer. They contain quercetin and other compounds which inhibit carcinogenic development and also restrict the spread of cancer. Leeks also contain kaempferol, a substance which has been shown to reduce ovarian cancer in women. The green parts of leeks are especially nutritious, containing B vitamins and loaded with protective antioxidants such as carotenoids and lutein.

Kale, a descendent of the wild cabbage, is thought to have originated in Asia Minor and to have been brought to Europe around 600 B.C. by groups of Celtic wanderers. Curly kale played an important role in early Europe, having been a significant crop during ancient Roman times and a popular vegetable eaten by peasants in the Middle Ages. English settlers brought kale to the United States in the 17th century. Both ornamental and dinosaur kale are much more recent varieties. Dinosaur kale was discovered in Italy in the late 19th century. Ornamental kale, originally a decorative garden plant, was first cultivated commercially in the 1980s in California. Ornamental kale is now better known by the name Savoy.

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