Once you get good momentum on your health journey, there often becomes a shift in how you view food. No longer is it solely about calories, but instead, it becomes more about how the food makes you feel and the nutrients it provides. This shift allows you to reap the many benefits of food and understand how it can be transformative to your health outcomes. Vitamin C is one nutrient that offers amazing health benefits, and it’s a relatively easy nutrient to consume since it is found in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Let’s dive further into this vitamin to see how it could fit into your healthy eating plan.
4 Facts to Know About Vitamin C
- Water-soluble vitamin: Water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body, so excess amounts are excreted through urine. Because of this, you’ll want to include food sources of vitamin C daily to maintain healthy levels in the body.
- Powerful antioxidant: Vitamin C is well-known for its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help protect the cells in our body from free radical damage, which can lead to a lower risk of developing chronic diseases like cancer or heart disease.
- Boosts immune function: We all do our best to stay well and avoid sickness. In addition to washing your hands regularly, a nutrient like vitamin C could be a game-changer in keeping you healthy, as it plays a key role in optimizing your immune system.
- Aids in the absorption of iron: You may have heard that some nutrients help other nutrients. Vitamin C is one of those. It can help improve the absorption of iron from plant-based foods, which is important for maintaining healthy blood and preventing anemia. So be sure to eat a little vitamin C (like bell peppers) along with your iron-rich foods (like a spinach salad).
How Much Vitamin C Do I Need Each Day?
The recommended daily vitamin C intake varies depending on age, sex, and other factors. The current recommended daily allowances (RDAs) for vitamin C are set by the National Institutes of Health and are as follows:
- Infants 0-6 months: 40 mg
- Infants 7-12 months: 50 mg
- Children 1-3 years: 15 mg
- Children 4-8 years: 25 mg
- Children 9-13 years: 45 mg
- Teens 14-18 years: 65-75 mg (depending on sex)
- Adults 19+ years: 75-90 mg (depending on sex)
- Pregnant women: 85 mg
- Breastfeeding women: 120 mg
Top 10 Vitamin C-Rich Fruits and Vegetables to Add to Your Diet
Fruits and vegetables are some of the richest sources of vitamin C. Familiarize yourself with the following foods to easily optimize your vitamin C intake.
Fruits
- Guava: One medium-sized guava contains about 126 mg of vitamin C.
- Strawberries: One cup of sliced strawberries contains about 97 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Strawberry Scallops
- Papaya: One medium-sized papaya contains about 95 mg of vitamin C.
- Pineapple: One cup of diced pineapple contains about 79 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Grilled Chicken Pineapple Sandwich
- Kiwi: One medium-sized kiwi contains about 71 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Grilled Cod with Kiwi Cucumber Salsa
Vegetables
- Red Bell Peppers: One medium-sized red bell pepper contains about 152 mg of vitamin C.
- Green Bell Peppers: One medium-sized green bell pepper contains about 95 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Cheesy Bell Pepper Nachos
- Brussels Sprouts: One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains about 97 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Baked Pumpkin Pasta with Brussels Sprouts
- Broccoli: One cup of chopped broccoli contains about 81 mg of vitamin C. Try It Out: Broccoli Cheese Soup
- Kale: One cup of chopped raw kale contains about 80 mg of vitamin C.
The Bottom Line
Vitamin C is found in many delicious fruits and vegetables. Adding these foods regularly into your diet can help boost your immune system, absorb iron, and protect against free radical damage. Which vitamin C food will you try?
