Kale to Lower Inflammation and
Reduce Neck and Back Pain
Video by Dr. Justin Thompson
This month’s green drink recipe is one of the simpler ones I have discussed. All that is needed is 4 ingredients! So, it is an easy way to get your nutrients if you still haven’t made that trip to the grocery store. I used an apple, avocado, kale, and raspberries! You can add water or almond milk to change the smoothie to your desired consistency. In the video I did not use any as I prefer my smoothies to have a thicker consistency.
Kale is considered the queen of the greens. This superfood is packed with health benefits! Since kale is quite low in calories, it makes it one of the most nutrient dense foods in existence. Kale contains flavonoids such as quercetin and kaempferol which are powerful in terms of protecting the heart, lowering blood pressure, and lowering inflammation. They also have anti-depressant, anti-viral, and anti-cancer influences!
Research
“Many flavonoids are shown to have antioxidative activity, free radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities, while some flavonoids exhibit potential antiviral activities.”
“Epidemiological studies beginning in the 1990s have reported that intake of quercetin, a polyphenolic flavonoid found in a wide variety of plant-based foods, such as apples, onions, berries, and red wine, is inversely related to cardiovascular disease.”
“Numerous preclinical studies have shown that kaempferol and some glycosides of kaempferol have a wide range of pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anticancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic and antiallergic activities.”
Recipe
½ Apple
½ Avocado
1-2 handfuls of raspberries (can sub with frozen raspberries)
1-2 handfuls of kale (can sub with frozen kale)
2 cups of water to desired consistency (can sub with almond or coconut milk)
Daily doses of essential nutrients (optional)
Resources
Calderón-Montaño JM, Burgos-Morón E, Pérez-Guerrero C, López-Lázaro M. A review on the dietary flavonoid kaempferol. Mini Rev Med Chem. 2011 Apr;11(4):298-344. doi: 10.2174/138955711795305335. PMID: 21428901.
Kumar S, Pandey AK. Chemistry and biological activities of flavonoids: an overview. ScientificWorldJournal. 2013 Dec 29;2013:162750. doi: 10.1155/2013/162750. PMID: 24470791; PMCID: PMC3891543.
Larson AJ, Symons JD, Jalili T. Therapeutic potential of quercetin to decrease blood pressure: review of efficacy and mechanisms. Adv Nutr. 2012 Jan;3(1):39-46. doi: 10.3945/an.111.001271. Epub 2012 Jan 5. PMID: 22332099; PMCID: PMC3262612.
Our Message
We know how important it is to find a Chiropractor near you that you can trust. At our Dallas location, near the corner of Mockingbird Ln., and Abrams Rd., our Chiropractors make sure our patients get the best understanding of their pain and their health. Our Doctors want to get you out of pain without medication, usual medical procedures or expensive surgeries. We also take the time to teach you how live a lifestyle that will keep you out of pain.