It’s 2015, and in the health and wellness world, the Kale Craze is in full swing — people are eating, roasting, blending, and juicing it. But one molecular biologist in Marin County stumbles upon evidence that this queen of greens might be hiding toxic levels of certain heavy metals. And it’s even worse in organic varieties. Could kale be behind the mysterious symptoms in his patients?

EDITOR’S NOTE: Several updates were published in our Fall 2015 issue, exploring how thallium functions, its prodigious history in scientific literature, and how people should now think about eating kale and other vegetables. These are collected in an article entitled “The Vegetable Detective, Take Two.“

"The Vegetable Detective" originally appeared in Craftsmanship Quarterly, a multimedia, online magazine about artisans, innovators, and the architecture of excellence. You'll find many more stories, videos,  audio recordings, and other resources on our site — all free of charge and free of advertising.

Written by TODD OPPENHEIMER

Introduction by CHRIS EGUSA

Narrated by GÖRAN NORQUIST

Produced by CHRIS EGUSA

Music by MIKE SNOWDEN / BLUE DOT SESSIONS