BEST FIVE VITAMIN C RICH FOODS: FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Top 5 Vitamin C Rich Foods

Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is a potent antioxidant that powerfully and positively affects our immune system and skin and bone health. Unfortunately, our body cannot produce this vital nutrient, and its deficiency can cause many health issues. The good news is we have a variety of foods high in vitamin C, primarily fruits and vegetables. You can also get vitamin C in the form of dietary supplements. Wellness Forever offers you some of the best supplements to ensure your body does not fall short of this vitamin.

Our body needs about 90 mg of vitamin C every day. Therefore, it is essential to consume foods high in vitamin C regularly in sufficient amounts. Vitamin C deficiency may cause scurvy, a disease characterized by fatigue, severe joint pain (leg), swollen and bleeding gums, susceptibility to bruises, irritability and sadness, and red or blue spots on your skin.

So, it is essential to know about the foods that contain vitamin C, which can help you get your daily dietary requirement of vitamin C.

Good Sources of Vitamin C: Vitamin C Fruits and Vegetables 

A well-known and richest source of vitamin C is the orange, a citrus fruit that offers almost 95 mg vitamin C per medium-sized fruit. It is said that even a single orange can help you cover up a significant portion of your daily requirement of vitamin C, thereby placing it in a category of one of the best vitamin C rich foods.

Other good sources of vitamin C include lemons (83 mg per one intact lemon), papayas (95 mg per small fruit), strawberries (84 mg per cup), chilli peppers (109 mg per chilli pepper), tomatoes, black currant (half cup contains 101 mg vitamin C), and green peas (58 mg per cup). Besides, cantaloupe, grapefruits, broccoli, red cabbage, kiwi, bell peppers, lychees, guavas, kale, and snow peas are some other vitamin C rich foods. Yet, the list of the following five fruits and veggies stands as the richest source of vitamin C.

Vitamin C Fruits and Vegetables 

•Kakadu plums

This Australian native superfood is enriched with the highest available vitamin C content of 5300 mg per 100 g, thereby placing it at the top of the list of vitamin C rich foods. It is also enriched with vitamin E, potassium, and antioxidant lutein. Just one plum holds 481 mg vitamin C, which is 530% of DV (% daily value).

•Guava

Despite not falling in the category of yellow or red fruits, this nutritious fruit is packed with vitamin C. Additionally, it is a rich source of fibre, potassium, and antioxidants. This tropical fruit of American origin offers almost 125.6 mg vitamin C per fruit and 377 mg per cup, which is 41.9% DV. Guava can aid weight loss, help manage your blood sugar levels, and boost your immunity.

•Kiwi

This good-looking fruit packed with several nutrients is also the richest source of vitamin C, and one medium-sized fruit contains around 71 mg vitamin C, which is almost 79% DV. The vitamin C content can help improve your immunity and help prevent iron deficiency. The fruit also contains wholesome proteins, folate, and vitamin K. 

•Red and yellow bell peppers

Bell peppers are popularly used in various cuisines, salads, or pizza toppings. The vitamin C content of the bell peppers increases as they mature and varies with colour as well. Yellow bell peppers hold almost double the vitamin C content compared to the green ones. Even a half cup of yellow bell peppers delivers 137 mg of vitamin C, nearly 152% DV.

Peppers are loaded with essential nutrients that help in blood clotting and maintaining bone health. Bell peppers also improve eye health because of their high lutein (eye vitamin) content.

•Broccoli

This versatile green vegetable can be relished raw, fried, or sauteed. Every 100 g broccoli provides 89 mg vitamin C. Even half a cup of steamed broccoli gives you almost 51 mg vitamin C, which is 57% DV. The popular vegetable can help you deal with hormonal imbalance and can help prevent anaemia because of its high vitamin C content.

Consuming any one of these five vitamin C rich foods will ensure you never suffer from vitamin C deficiency.

Importance of vitamin C 

Vitamin C (also referred to as L-ascorbic acid) is essential for our body, especially in winters. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, helps absorb iron, and plays a vital role in boosting your immunity. Vitamin C functions help maintain the overall health and functioning of our body.

Role of vitamin C in the body

• An essential role in collagen synthesis

The most important vitamin C function in the body is the biosynthesis of collagen, a protein that is an important component of connective tissue. Thus, it helps heal your wounds and grow and repair tissues in every part of your body.

Collagen is essential to make skin, ligaments, tendons, and blood vessels. Apart from protecting and supporting other soft tissues and organs, vitamin C helps maintain your skin firm and strong, thereby preventing wrinkles. 

• It helps the formation of neurotransmitters.

Another important role of vitamin C is that it helps produce certain neurotransmitters (acts as a cofactor and helps convert dopamine to noradrenaline) that help preserve your nerves, heart, and brain function.

• Improves your immune system

Vitamin C helps boost and maintain your immune system, thereby helping fight infections and diseases. A deficiency of vitamin C exposes you to a risk of getting infections.

• Aids iron absorption

Vitamin C is known to boost iron absorption. It traps non-heme iron and stores it in a form that can be conveniently absorbed by your body. A daily intake of 100 mg vitamin C can boost your iron absorption by almost 67%.

• Vitamin C functions as an antioxidant. 
• Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, helping prevent your body's cell damage.
• Maintains health of bones, teeth, and cartilage

Vitamin C function in the body also includes repairing and maintaining the health of your bones, teeth, and cartilage.

We cannot stress the importance of vitamin C in our bodies enough. It is necessary to consume vitamin C rich foods. A diet lacking in vitamin C can negatively impact your health. Apart from citrus fruits, several other fruits and vegetables form the richest source of vitamin C: Kakadu plums, guava, kiwi, red and yellow bell peppers, and broccoli. Besides foods that contain vitamin C, you can opt for vitamin C supplements offered by Wellness Forever to ensure you meet your daily dietary requirement of vitamin C. A vitamin C-rich diet will help you maintain good health that is disease-free.