Wellness Live

Vitamin C comes in many forms and has a host of benefits for your body: good sources of vitamin C can help it produce collagen, support a healthy immune response, and assist in utilizing the iron we get from food.*

Vitamin C is prevalent in many foods—even ones you wouldn’t normally consider.

Why is vitamin C intake important?

Vitamin C is a nutrient your body requires to create and maintain cartilage, muscle, and connective tissue. It’s an antioxidant that can help shield your cells from free radicals, or molecules that play a role in oxidative stress.*

Vitamin C isn’t produced in your body—rather, you’ll need to get it from a diet full of vitamin C-rich foods. You can also increase your vitamin C intake through supplements; however, always consult a doctor before introducing a new supplement into your routine.*

Oranges are a good source of vitamin C

Growing up, you were probably told to drink a glass of milk for vitamin D and a glass of orange juice for vitamin C. And this wasn’t bad advice—a standard orange contains 70 milligrams of vitamin C, or 78% of the recommended daily value (DV).

Oranges aren’t the only food source of vitamin C, and surprisingly, they don’t have the highest concentration of this vitamin. Half a grapefruit contains 44 milligrams, and Kakadu plums—an Australian superfood—contain 530% of the DV, the most of any known food source.

Surprisingly, so are veggies like broccoli and brussels sprouts

Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable, which is notoriously high in fiber and is very nutrient-dense. Half a cup of broccoli gives you 57% the average DV of vitamin C (around 51 milligrams).

Brussels sprouts, which are also high in fiber (along with vitamins A & K, folate, and potassium) provide a little over half the average vitamin C DV with just half a cup. Vitamin K, like vitamin C, is important for bone health.*

Peppers pack a lot of vitamin C as well

More specifically, bell peppers and chili peppers are rich vitamin C sources. Bell peppers’ vitamin C content actually grows as the vegetable ages—a half cup of yellow bell peppers offers 152% the average DV, which is twice the amount of green peppers.

Chili peppers pack more than just extra spice—one green chili pepper holds 121% of the average recommended DV, equal to 109 milligrams of vitamin C. In addition to their rich flavor, chili peppers are also rich in capsaicin (the compound that causes the burning sensation when you eat a chili), which according to a 2012 study on energy balance may help boost your body’s natural metabolic rate, as well as support a healthy inflammatory response.^*

Kiwis are another fruit surprisingly high in vitamin C

Another good source of vitamin C in food? Kiwifruit. One medium kiwi has 71 milligrams of vitamin C (that’s 79% the average DV). One study found that over 10 men with a vitamin C deficiency who ate two kiwis per day over the course of four weeks increased their white blood cell count by 20%.*

Consider supplements as another source of vitamin C

If you find you aren’t getting enough vitamin C in food, consult your physician about vitamin C supplements. Supplements can help increase your vitamin C intake, and many, like those from Source Naturals®, have a neutralized pH, making them easy on your digestive system.*

For more information on healthy living and wellness tips from Source Naturals, click here.

Resources

Ludy, Mary-Jon, et al. “The Effects of Capsaicin and Capsiate on Energy Balance: Critical Review and Meta-Analyses of Studies in Humans.” Chemical Senses, Feb. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257466/

Bozonet, Stephanie M, et al. “Enhanced Human Neutrophil Vitamin C Status, Chemotaxis and Oxidant Generation Following Dietary Supplementation with Vitamin C-Rich Sungold Kiwifruit.” Nutrients, Apr. 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4425162/ 

^Not all inflammation is associated with disease states. Inflammation is also the body’s healthy immune response to life’s normal stressors such as strenuous exercise or an occasional high-fat/high-calorie meal. The body’s inflammation response to life’s occasional, normal stressors is important for optimal health.