While inflammation is a natural response to injury and pathogens in the body, chronic inflammation presents a whole set of problems when your body does actually have any "invaders" to fight off, resulting, instead, in joint pain, stiffening, reddening and other discomfort or debilitation.

If you suffer from chronic inflammation, kale may help, according to the Huffington Post. The Vitamin K is vital, and a serving of kale offers critical omega-3s as well. (Other foods recommended are salmon, beets, tomatoes and almonds.

Dr. Axe offers seven health benefits of kale, and anti-inflammation properties are the number one reason, calling it "the perfect anti-inflammatory food." The reasoning is that many modern, Western, processed foods are high in omega-6 fatty acids thanks to vegetable and canola oils; while human are evolved for an omega-6/omega-3 balance, our diets are heavily weighted to omega-6s.

Kale, which offers a balance that's slightly weighted to omega-3s, can help even things out—along with its other properties. (Don't miss the other benefits according to Dr. Axe... antioxidant, detox, heart support and more.)

When many of us think of inflammation, arthritis comes to mind—and, true to form, kale can be helpful in combatting the symptoms of arthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, kale and other dark green leafy greens are packed with antioxidants to fight arthritis pain. According to the Skinny Chef (best-seller Jennifer Iserloh), kale is also especially high in carotenoids that might fight arthritis.