If you want to look and feel healthy, your first step is getting enough vitamin C! It helps fight infections, reduces inflammation and lessens free radical damage in your body. The following foods rich in vitamin C will boost your health like no other!
1. Guava
It’s hard to find a more nutrient-rich food than the guava(1). Just 100 grams of the fruit contains 228 milligrams of vitamin C, which is more than triple what you need in one day. As if that weren’t enough, guavas are also packed with dietary fibre, vitamin A and lycopene. These nutrients are essential to health and longevity. In short, guavas are fiery little green balls of disease prevention!
2. Bell Peppers
Famous for their superb carotenoid content, bell peppers(2) are a superfood if there ever was one. The vitamin profile of these colourful fridge staples is pretty overwhelming, featuring lots of vitamin C in addition to vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, E and K in various amounts. One cup of bell peppers contains 157% of your required daily intake of vitamin C, ringing in at 117.48 milligrams. All hail the bell pepper!
3. Cantaloupe
Sweet, a little slimy and great to sink your teeth into, cantaloupes(3) make quite the healthy snack. One cup contains 78% of your vitamin C needs, along with traces of many other vitamins and minerals. Cantaloupes also contain anti-inflammatory cucurbitacins and two different carotenoids. Naturally sweet and easy to eat, they are a great natural substitute for the less healthy sources of sugar that might tempt you throughout the day.
4. Brussels Sprouts
They may taste a little funny to those who aren’t used to their cruciferous magic, but there’s no denying Brussels sprouts’ jaw-dropping health benefits. These leafy vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin C: you’ll get 85 milligrams from 100 grams, or 142% of your recommended daily intake. Brussels sprouts are also rich in vitamin K along with minerals like calcium, iron, manganese and phosphorus. They are also thought to protect against heart diseases and some cancers, which is always a plus!
5. Oranges
Perhaps the best-known source of vitamin C, oranges’ sour freshness will energize you from the moment you bite into one. One benefit of vitamin C is that is fights sun damage and helps create collagen, both of which lead to softer, more radiant skin. Regular consumption of these fibrous fruits can also decrease levels of “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein, in patients with high cholesterol.
6. Broccoli
Detoxify your system by steaming some broccoli(6) and adding it to your next meal! One cup of this bulbous vegetable contains 135% of your daily vitamin C needs. Even more impressive is its vitamin K profile: broccoli gives you 245% of your vitamin K requirement for one day. In addition, it contains a formidable trio of phytonutrients, namely glucoraphanin, gluconasturtian and glucobrassicin. These three nutrients in combination support every step of your body’s detoxification process.
7. Kiwi
While this hairy green fruit(7) may look unassuming from the outside, it’s a true nutritional powerhouse. In fact, kiwi fruit baffles nutritionists on account of how well it protects the nuclei of human cells from oxygen-related damage. Because kiwi contains the prime antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene as well as lots of flavonoids and carotenoids, no one is exactly sure what gives them such great cell-protective powers. Suffice it to say that this mysterious fruit contains lots of essential nutrients that your body will thank you for in no time.
8. Kale
We hardly need to tell you about how healthy kale(8) is; you can practically taste the health value seeping out of its leaves as you chew it. This salad staple is great for your heart, owing to its vitamin C, B6, fibre, potassium content. Boosting potassium intake while cutting down on sodium intake is an excellent strategy to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Kale is also high in vitamin A, which moisturizes your hair and lets your body grow and repair tissues.
9. Black Currant
These rich berries(9) are an excellent source of vitamin C. Boost your immune system and rid your body of free radicals by snacking on them whenever you get the chance. 100 grams of black currants contains more than 300% of your daily vitamin C needs. The same amount contains 20% of your iron requirement for a day. Their anthocyanins are great for fighting aging and age-related diseases. If you haven’t tried black currants, now is the perfect time!
10. Strawberries
Fortify your diet with the sweet crimson delights known as strawberries and never look back. Strawberries contain lots of vitamin C—98% of your daily needs in 100 grams. Strawberries have other vitamins and minerals too, like vitamins A, E and many B-complex vitamins. They contain lots of minerals, among them iodine and fluorine, and happen to taste divine as well.
The selection of foods above is chock-full of vitamin C. Their nutrient content secures a place for all of them in a healthy diet—especially if you want to lower your risk of scurvy and make sure you don’t get sick any time soon. Try to have at least one of these foods rich in vitamin C everyday.
sources:
[1]https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/guava.html
[2]https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=50&tname=foodspice
[3]https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=17
[4]https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/brussel-sprouts.html
[5]https://www.livescience.com/45057-oranges-nutrition-facts.html
[6]https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=9
[7]https://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=41
[8]https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/270435.php
[9]https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/black-currants.html
[10]https://www.nutrition-and-you.com/strawberries.html