Is Kale Really Toxic? Everything You Need To Know About Heavy Metals

Even the most beloved superfoods harbor dirty little secrets. While the health benefits of kale are undeniable, the leafy green continues to show up on the Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Dirty Dozen list. In other words, the non-organic crops are treated with a high volume of pesticides, and those pesticides remain even after the produce is washed.

While buying organic kale is one way to avoid pesticide consumption, some people have floated the idea that it may still contain toxic heavy metals.

The concern was popularized by molecular biologist Ernie Hubbard in 2015, who began noticing that many of his patients with fatigue and brain fog were also eating high volumes of kale. He then linked his theory with a 2006 Czech study, which said kale and other cruciferous veggies could easily accumulate a heavy metal called thallium, through the soil they're planted in.

Heavy metals 1are naturally-occurring elements with a specific gravity that is at least five times heavier than water. They are in the soil (i.e. iron, copper, lead, thallium, cesium), and can therefore, end up in food grown in soil. Heavy metals are also byproducts of industrial production—such as coal burning in the case of mercury—and end up polluting our oceans and bioaccumulating in the fatty tissue of larger fish, such as tuna, swordfish, and grouper.

While they often have a negative connotation, certain metals are essential nutrients in our diet. Zinc, B-12 (which contains cobalt), iron, manganese, and molybdenum are all essential for the function of human metabolism, energy production, and liver function. That said, all of them can be harmful to the body at very high levels.

When metals accumulate past certain levels, they can cause symptoms as varied as nerve damage and pain, nausea, vomiting, headaches, fatigue, thyroid dysfunction, and even kidney failure and cancer. Here: a list of metals and their associated symptoms if they accumulate to dangerous levels.

If you are concerned about metals, get tested at a functional medicine practice, and once you know your levels, work with a doctor to decide the next steps.

This could include promoting the body's natural elimination processes by targeting mechanisms, like nutrition, digestion, urination, and sweat. These processes can also help support a healthy gut, manage inflammation, and support the basic biochemical process called methylation.

Don't throw out your favorite leafy green just yet.

If you promote healthy elimination, by staying hydrated and eating a high-fiber diet, limit sugar and other inflammatory foods, move and sweat regularly, and manage your stress in healthy ways, you should not be overly concerned about metal levels in kale or other cruciferous vegetables.