A small study has found that the leafy green vegetable, which has long been hailed for its health properties, could actually be dangerous if too much is consumed.
Biologist Ernie Hubbard discovered that kale contains heavy metals such as thallium and cesium, as well as traces of nickel, lead, alumium and arsenic. This is regardless of whether it's organic or not.
Ernie Hubbard decided to research more about kale after finding that "health fanatics" - people who exercised, ate healthily, didn't smoke or drink - were visiting their doctors about complaints such as chronic fatigue, skin and hair issues, arrhythmias, gluten sensitivity and other digestive troubles.
Initially, nobody could pinpoint what the problem was. But after taking urine samples from the patients, Hubbard discovered that many of them registered high levels of thallium and cesium.
He then discovered that the cruciferous family of vegetables - kale, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower - absorb thallium from the soil.
Putting two and two together, he realised there was most definitely a link.
Kale has sky-rocketed in popularity in recent times. People are eating and drinking it because it's rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin K and anti oxidants.
But it's also rich in heavy metals such as thallium, Hubbard told Craftmanship magazine, which is typically found in rat poison.
And while Kale only contains small amounts of the metal, if large amounts are consumed on a daily basis, this can cause health issues such as fatigue, heart problems, nausea and hair loss.
