Collard Greens

Health Benefits
(Source: World's Healthiest Foods, George Mateljan)

Unlike broccoli and kale and cabbage, you won't find many research studies devoted to the specific health benefits of collard greens. However, collard greens are sometimes included in a longer list of cruciferous vegetables that are lumped together and examined for the health benefits they provide. Based on a very small number of studies looking specifically at collard greens, and a larger number of studies looking at cruciferous vegetables as a group (and including collard greens on the list of vegetables studied), cancer prevention appears to be a standout area for collard greens with respect to their health benefits.

This connection between collard greens and cancer prevention should not be surprising since collard greens provide special nutrient support for three body systems that are closely connected with cancer development as well as cancer prevention. These three systems are (1) the body's detox system, (2) its antioxidant system, and (3) its inflammatory/anti-inflammatory system. Chronic imbalances in any of these three systems can increase our risk of cancer, and when imbalances in all three systems occur simultaneously, our risk of cancer can increase significantly. Among all types of cancer, prevention of the following cancer types is most closely associated with intake of collard greens: bladder cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Detox Support Provided by Collard Greens

Our body's detox process involves two distinct steps—called Phase 1 and Phase 2—and collard greens provide nutrients that support both of these steps. In Phase 1 of detox, potentially toxic compounds are activated to make them more reactive. Phase 1 of detox requires strong antioxidant support, and collards are antioxidant-rich greens that contain phenols, polyphenols, and conventional antioxidant nutrients like vitamins C and E. In Phase 2 of detox, activated compounds get hooked together with specific nutrients to make them water-soluble and allow for excretion from the body. Here is where the detox support provided by collards is perhaps most unique. Collard greens provide us with unique sulfur-containing compounds called glucosinolates. These glucosinolates can be converted into related compounds called isothiocyanates, or ITCs. The ITCs made from glucosinolates in collard greens (and other cruciferous vegetables) have been shown to modify enzyme activity in Phase 2 of detox and increase the likelihood of detox success. The chart below shows some of the best-studied glucosinolates in collard greens and ITCs that can be made from each of them.

GlucosinolateDerived IsothiocyanateIsothiocyanate Abbreviationglucobrassinindole-3-carbinol*I3CglucoraphaninsulforaphaneSFNgluconasturtiianphenethyl-isothiocyanatePEITCglucotropaeolinbenzyl-isothiocyanateBITC

* Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) is not an isothiocyanate. It's a benzopyrrole, and it is only formed when isothiocyanates made from glucobrassicin are further broken down into non-sulfur containing compounds.

The Antioxidant Benefits of Collard Greens

As an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids), and manganese, and a good source of vitamin E, collard greens provide us with four core conventional antioxidants. But the antioxidant support provided by collard greens extends far beyond the conventional nutrients into the realm of phytonutrients. Caffeic acid, ferulic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol are among the key antioxidant phytonutrients provided by collard greens. This broad spectrum antioxidant support helps lower the risk of oxidative stress in our cells. Chronic oxidative stress—meaning chronic presence over overly reactive oxygen-containing molecules and cumulative damage to our cells by these molecules—is a risk factor for development of most cancer types. By providing us with such a great array of antioxidant nutrients, collard greens help lower our cancer risk by helping us avoid chronic and unwanted oxidative stress.

Collard Greens' Anti-inflammatory Benefits

As an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (in the form of alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA), collard greens provide us with two hallmark anti-inflammatory nutrients. Vitamin K acts as a direct regulator of our inflammatory response, and ALA is the building block for several of the body's most widely-used families of anti-inflammatory messaging molecules. In addition to these two anti-inflammatory components, one of the glucosinolates found in collard greens—glucobrassicin—can be readily converted into an isothiocyanate molecule called I3C, or indole-3-carbinol (I3C). I3C is an anti-inflammatory compound that can actually operate at the genetic level, and by doing so, prevent the initiation of inflammatory responses at a very early stage.

Like chronic oxidative stress and chronic weakened detox ability, chronic unwanted inflammation can significantly increase our risk of cancers and other chronic diseases (especially cardiovascular diseases).

Collard Greens and Cardiovascular Support

Given the extensive list of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients provided by collard greens, it is not surprising that these greens provide us with cardiovascular support. In particular, many chronic blood vessel problems begin with excessive oxygen-related damage to blood vessel walls and blood constituents, as well as chronic inflammation.

Of particular interest with respect to collard greens has been the isothiocyanate (ITC) sulforaphane, which is made from glucoraphanin, one of the glucosinolates provided by collard greens. Not only does this ITC trigger anti-inflammatory activity in our cardiovascular system, it may also be able to help prevent and even possibly help reverse blood vessel damage.

A second area you can count on collard greens for cardiovascular support involves their cholesterol-lowering ability. As mentioned earlier in this profile, when we eat collard greens, fiber-related nutrients in this cruciferous vegetable bind together with some of the bile acids in the intestine in such a way that they simply stay inside the intestine and pass out of our body in a bowel movement, rather than getting absorbed along with the fat they have emulsified. When this happens, our liver needs to replace the lost bile acids by drawing upon our existing supply of cholesterol, and as a result, our cholesterol level drops down. Collard greens, in both raw and cooked form, have been shown to provide this cholesterol-lowering benefit. However, a recent study has shown that the cholesterol-lowering ability of raw collard greens improves when they are steamed. In addition to the support factors described above, it would be wrong to talk about the cardiovascular benefits of collard greens without mentioning their diverse array of B vitamins. Collard greens are a very good source of vitamins B2, B6, and choline, and a good source of vitamins B1, B3, folate, and pantothenic acid. A well-balanced intake of B vitamins - especially vitamins B6, B12, folate, and choline - can be important in controlling cardiovascular disease risk. Since excessive or deficient intake of these B vitamins can have an unwanted impact on your disease risk, it is great to have a food like collard greens that provide a helpful amount of so many B vitamins.

Collard Greens and Digestive Support

The fiber content of collard greens—over 7 grams in every cup—makes this cruciferous vegetable a natural choice for digestive system support. Yet the fiber content of collard greens is only one of their digestive support mechanisms. Researchers have determined that the sulforaphane made from a glucosinolate in collard greens (glucoraphanin) helps protect the health of our stomach lining by preventing bacterial overgrowth of Helicobacter pylori in our stomach or too much clinging by this bacterium to our stomach wall.

Other Health Benefits From Collard Greens

The anti-inflammatory nature of glucosinolates/isothiocyanates and other nutrients found in collard greens has been the basis for new research on inflammation-related health problems and the potential role of collard greens in their prevention. Current and potentially promising research is underway to examine the benefits of collard greens in relationship to our risk of the following inflammation-related conditions: Crohn's disease, inflammatory bowel disease, insulin resistance, irritable bowel syndrome, metabolic syndrome, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, and ulcerative colitis.

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