Vitamin C is an important nutrient and antioxidant required by the body. Your immune system depends wholly on this vital nutrient and it cannot be produced in your body, it must be gotten through the foods you eat.
The daily requirement for vitamin C for women is 75 mg while men require 90 mg. It is a water-soluble vitamin and it is found abundantly in a lot of fruits and vegetables that we will be looking at.
The best way to get your vitamin is from foods and vegetables, supplements should only be taken in times of severe deficiency and still then, it must be prescribed by a medical doctor.
Supplements increase the risks of toxicity. Apart from boosting the immune system, it has many other important roles in the body. Below are some of the impressive health benefits of vitamin C.
Important Functions of Vitamin C in the Body
- Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant, it reduces the risks of chronic diseases and fortifies your body’s natural defenses. It protects your cells and entire body from free radicals and also prevent oxidative stress.
- This essential vitamin can help regulate your blood pressure therefore, reducing the risks of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases triggered by hypertension.
- It can reduce the levels of uric acid in your body. uric acid causes many health complications like kidney stones, gout, and others.
- Vitamin C prevents iron deficiency and anemia by helping to increase the rate of iron absorption from foods eaten. It also makes plant-based iron easy to absorb.
- It increases the production of white blood cells and it helps them to function better. It also protects these cells from free radicals.
- Vitamin C hastens healing and shortens the healing time of serious injuries.
- This essential vitamin protects your brain and memory as you age. It increases cognitive functions and keeps the levels of antioxidants in your brain high.
- Vitamin C reduces your risks of cancer and fights infections, flu, and common colds. It fights and prevents eye problems and it helps in the elimination of toxins from the body.
10 Rich Sources of Vitamin C Aside Oranges
Everyone knows that oranges are rich sources of vitamin C, a medium-sized orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C and oranges are one of the best sources of vitamin C but not the best.
It will surprise you to know that there are a lot of fruits and vegetables with a high content of vitamin C than oranges.
Strawberry is a superfruit with a lot of essential nutrients and it contains vitamin C more than oranges. A cup of strawberries contains 84.7 mg of vitamin C.
Due to this rich content of vitamin C and other nutrients, strawberries play a lot of important roles in the body and they also help to whiten your teeth naturally.
A cup of papaya contains 88.3 mg of vitamin C. papayas are one of the rich sources of vitamin C, they improve your immune system and help brighten your complexion.
SEE ALSO: 5 Amazing Health Benefits of Papaya
3. Bell Peppers
Yellow bell peppers are very rich in vitamin C, they have 5x the content of vitamin C in oranges. The yellow bell peppers contain more vitamin C than the red and green bell peppers.
Peppers, in general have more vitamin C than oranges, most especially bell peppers and chili pepper.
One pineapple contains 78.9 mg of vitamin C, this makes it one of the richest sources of this essential vitamin. It also contains a powerful enzyme called Bromelain, this enzyme promotes healthy digestion and treats bloating.
It also fights inflammation and accelerates healing in sick people.
This nutritious cruciferous vegetable contains 132 mg of vitamin C. It is also dense in fiber and important phytochemicals that lead the fight against cancer and tumors.
Cauliflower is richer in vitamin C than oranges that a little portion of this nutritious veggie gives you 127.7 mg of vitamin C. It is also dense in other important nutrients like proteins and fiber.
Mango is a storehouse of vitamins C and A. it contains 122.3 mg of vitamin C and this helps it in building your immune system.
It is also rich in vitamin A and that is why it helps in treating and preventing eye problems.
SEE ALSO: 10 Amazing Health Benefits of Mangoes
Kales are very rich in vitamin C, a cup of kale provides 80.4 mg of vitamin C. This in addition to its rich content of fiber, vitamins K and A makes this vegetable a healthy food.
Brussels sprouts also known as little cabbages are loaded with a lot of nutrients including high quantities of vitamin C. One little brussel sprout contains 74.8 mg of vitamin C.
Their bitter taste should not discourage you from benefiting from this powerful vegetable and you can reduce the bitter taste by roasting them.
Kiwis are very rich in vitamin C that just 2 kiwifruits gives you 137.2 mg of vitamin C. they are also dense in potassium and copper.