The Calm, Quiet Vitamin -- and Why You Need It

Know what's super bad for your body? Inflammation. It’s thought to be at the core of problems like heart disease and heart attacks.

Know what's a great way to quiet inflammation? Get your fill of vitamin K. Good choices: just about anything leafy and green -- from spinach and kale to collards and turnip greens.

Fanning the Flames of Inflammation

Inflammation is your body's response to injury or infection. And when it occurs in your blood vessels, inflammation can be a sign of bad things to come -- like ruptured arterial plaques, clot formation, heart attack, and stroke. Enter leafy greens. They pack a real vitamin K punch, and more and more research is linking high vitamin K intake to a lower bodywide inflammation index.

Going for the Green

Bored with salads? The trick to getting more greens -- and more vitamin K -- into your diet may be learning to use them more creatively. Start with something simple but different, like this Basic Sauteed Kale recipe from EatingWell.

Then, move on to these K-rich greens recipes that will have you feeling like a world traveler:

.Simmer kale with chickpeas and exotic spices for this vegetarian Indian dish: Indian-Spiced Kale and Chickpeas.
.Slip collard greens into your red sauces, like with this unique Italian dish: Pasta with Greens and Tomato Sauce.
.Mix spinach with butternut squash and beans for this Brazilian soup: Amazon Bean Soup with .Winter Squash and Greens. Here's why your hands can't do without K.