This pasta dish is packed with vitmain K.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—You might not have heard a lot about vitamin K, which is actually a family of compounds necessary for blood clotting, proper bone formation, and liver function. And if you’re eating a healthy, vegetable-rich diet, odds are there are many vitamin K sources on your menu; in fact, people taking blood thinners to prevent heart attack and stroke actually need to watch their intake to ensure they don’t get too much of it. On the other hand, even though we need only a small amount of this vitamin, some of us don't get enough. A Tufts University study found that less than 50 percent of men aged 18 to 44 get the required 90 micrograms per day.

Vitamin K’s roles in blood clotting and bone generation are both due to its function as a calcium transporter. K helps lock bone cells into place as they create new scaffolding. Studies show that the vitamin helps protect against bone loss and may help prevent fractures. There's also evidence that it's key for liver function, and researchers in Taiwan found that a synthetic form of vitamin K stopped the spread of liver cancer in lab tests.

All the more reason, then, to eat your dark green vegetables; spinach, kale, broccoli, collards, Swiss chard, brussels sprouts, and parsley are the best food sources of vitamin K. The greener the plant, the more K it contains. Other good vitamin K sources include romaine lettuce, avocados, asparagus, tomatoes, kiwi, soybeans, soybean oil, olive oil, and canola oil.