Kale can aid in the reduction of cholesterol, which may lower the risk of heart disease.

Cholesterol has many important roles in the body. It is utilized to create bile acids, which are substances that aid in the digestion of fats. When you consume a fatty meal, your liver converts cholesterol into bile acids, which are subsequently released into your digestive system. When all of the fat has been digested, the bile acids are reabsorbed into the circulation and utilized again. Bile acid sequestrants are substances that bind to bile acids in the digestive system and prevent them from being reabsorbed. This lowers overall cholesterol levels in the body.

Bile acid sequestrants found in kale can help decrease cholesterol levels. Over time, this might lead to a lower risk of heart disease. Drinking kale juice every day for 12 weeks boosted HDL (the "good") cholesterol by 27% and decreased LDL cholesterol by 10%, while also improving antioxidant status, according to one research. Steaming kale greatly increases the bile acid-binding effect, according to another research. Steamed kale is 43% as effective as cholestyramine, a cholesterol-lowering medication in a similar way.