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Best Foods with Vitamin C

Vitamin C has been known as a home remedy for healing a common cold and other diseases. Whenever you have a cold, your mom must have asked you to drink orange juice or lemon as these are good sources of vitamin C. In the 18th century, the sailors of British navy were suffering from the killer disease scurvy, and they were given foods containing vitamin C as the treatment. This was the first time the role of vitamin C in treating scurvy was discovered. Vitamin C can also give you protection against immune system deficiencies, eye disease, skin problems, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses.

Our body cannot produce vitamin C. It is also a soluble vitamin, which means the portion that is not absorbed by the body passes out as urine. Therefore, you need to replenish the amount of vitamin C lost by including foods containing vitamin C in your diet every day. We get vitamin C from plant-based food sources such as fruits, vegetables, and herbs mostly. Here we are going to look at the best foods with vitamin C that you can include in your everyday diet.

1. Oranges

Orange contains a significant amount of vitamin C which reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer. It is a good source of lutein, folate and vitamin A as well. It is also a potent antioxidant and is good for the immune system. Including orange in your diet can prevent skin wrinkles and dryness, giving you a beautiful, young and glowing skin. You can have a glass of orange juice as part of your breakfast every morning.

2. Strawberries

This ruby-red fruit is juicy, sweet and packed with vitamin C. One cup of strawberries contains about 98 milligrams of vitamin C. You should buy organic strawberries to get the full dose of vitamin C from it. Here are some other benefits of strawberries:

  • It contains manganese that helps to keep the blood sugar level normal.
  • It has a good quantity of folate that helps to promote heart health.
  • It can help whiten your teeth naturally.
  • It contains antioxidants that prevent diabetes, vascular disease, cancer, and dementia.

Just have a handful of strawberries every day. You can also add strawberry slices to your cereal, yogurt or oatmeal for a healthy breakfast.

3. Pineapple

This tropical fruit is juicy and contains a high dose of vitamin C that helps to prevent iron deficiency. It contains an enzyme, bromelain that helps in protein digestion. It also contains important nutrients such as potassium, folate, fiber, and magnesium. A glass of pineapple smoothie is great to drink and is highly nutritious. You can also eat slices of fresh pineapple as a snack or dessert.

4. Mango

Mango is not only very tasty but also has loads of health benefits. It contains a very high quantity of vitamin C that helps to absorb iron in the body and reduce the risk of arthritis. It is a source of the antioxidant zeaxanthin that filters the harmful blue light rays. These rays cause macular degeneration and thus protect our eyes. Mango smoothie on a hot day is everybody’s favorite.

5. Kiwi

Only a few slices of this super-fruit is packed with 128 milligrams of vitamin C and helps to lower oxidative stress, control cholesterol level and improve the immune system. Some other benefits of kiwi include:

  • It has high levels of the hormone serotonin that helps to improve sleep quality.
  • It is rich in potassium and copper as well, but low in calorie; so it is highly nutritious and doesn’t increase your weight.
  • It can reduce the stickiness of blood platelet that reduces the chance of blood clots and stroke.
  • It helps in blood circulation and improves the immune system.

If you are suffering from vitamin C deficiency, then eating just two kiwis daily for a month will increase the activity of white blood cells by 20%.

6. Guava

Just by eating one guava, you will be able to fulfill 200% of your daily recommended vitamin C intake. It is rich in antioxidant lycopene that protects the body against damage from free radicals that may cause diabetes, heart disease, arthritis or even cancer. It helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels also.

7.  Bell Peppers

Bell peppers contain more vitamin C than citrus fruits like orange. Here are some things you need to know about the health benefits of bell peppers:

  • A yellow bell pepper has 341 milligrams of vitamin C which is one of the highest amounts of vitamin C that any food can contain.
  • They have low calorie and thus makes a perfect snack.
  • Red peppers contain vitamin A as well that is good for eye health.
  • Green bell pepper contains fiber, vitamins A, K, and B6.

You can chop some bell peppers in your salad every day and get all these benefits. It is best to eat bell peppers raw to get all the nutrients from it.

8. Papaya

Papaya is rich in vitamin C which helps in improving memory and reducing oxidative stress. It has the enzymes papain and chymopapain that helps to reduce inflammation. It also provides you glowing skin, clears your sinuses and strengthens your bones. You can have a glass of papaya smoothie daily and see the health improvements yourself.

9. Broccoli

Broccoli contains vitamin C and K which are good for blood clotting and bone health. Cooking lowers the vitamin C content in broccoli, so it’s better to eat it raw or half boiled. Broccoli is a great source of potassium, calcium, and fiber. It lower oxidative stress, improve immunity and reduce the chance of heart disease and cancer. You should have a plate of broccoli in your lunch or dinner.

10. Lemons

Lemons contain vitamin C that acts as an antioxidant and so protects the body from the harmful free radicals. It was used to treat scurvy in the 18th century and is still as effective in treating this disease even today. It prevents the growth of cancer cells in the body, improves the relapse time and reduces the side effects of chemotherapy.

The current recommended daily value of vitamin C intake is 90 mg for adults and most of these foods contain more than this amount. Deficiency in vitamin C can cause frequent infections, bleeding gums, anemia, poor wound healing and other serious health conditions like scurvy, heart disease, and even cancer. You should always eat fresh fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C; otherwise, the amount of vitamin C declines by 80% over time. If you eat the foods suggested here at least in a small quantity, then your daily intake of vitamin C will be fulfilled. A diet that is rich in vitamin C can prevent disease and give you good health.

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