You can find vitamin C in more than just oranges and lemons.
These days we need to stay healthy, and that means eating a balanced diet, rich in the nutrients our bodies need, such as Vitamin C. Thanks to some of our frontline workers—our farmers, fishermen, vendors, suppliers, truck drivers, the crew at your local supermarket, the delivery guys—we don’t have to rely solely on canned goods during the enhanced community quarantine. We still have access to vegetables, fruits, poultry, dairy, seafood, meat—the food we need to stay healthy.
One of the nutrients that our body needs to keep our immunity strong is vitamin C. According to Medical News Today, “Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, plays many important roles in the body. In particular, it is key to the immune system, helping prevent infections and fight disease.” And because the body doesn’t produce or store vitamin C, it’s something that we need to get from our daily diet or from supplements.
Related: Here Are 7 Simple Ways You Can Boost Your Immunity During Lockdown
Vitamin C has many functions: According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, “Vitamin C plays a role in controlling infections and healing wounds and is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals. It is needed to make collagen, a fibrous protein in connective tissue that is weaved throughout various systems in the body: nervous, immune, bone, cartilage, blood, and others. The vitamin helps make several hormones and chemical messengers used in the brain and nerves.”
What’s more, Medical News Today says that people with adequate levels of vitamin C are thought to be better equipped to fight off infections compared to people with vitamin-C deficiency. “[It] may also help prevent acute respiratory infections, especially in people with malnutrition and those who are physically stressed.”
That said, it’s important to note that vitamin C will not cure you of or protect you against COVID-19, no matter what you might have read or heard online. What vitamin C can do, much like all the other nutrients the body needs, is help keep your immunity system strong and your body healthy.
The daily vitamin C requirement is 90 mg for males and 75 mg for females. It is found in a number of fruits and vegetables. Below is a list of just a few, according to Healthline and Medical News Today:
Guavas – Guavas are super loaded with vitamin C: A single guava provides 126 mg of vitamin C. That’s a whopping 140% of the Daily Value (DV).
Lemons – Another fruit you should include in your grocery list are lemons. “Lemons contain 77 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, with one medium lemon delivering 92% of the DV.”
Papayas – If you have a papaya tree in your backyard, time to harvest the fruits. These, too, are rich in vitamin C. “Papaya contains 62 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams. One cup of papaya delivers 87 mg of vitamin C.”
Oranges – No need to tell you that citrus fruits like lemons and oranges are great sources. One medium orange alone provides 70 mg. That’s 78% percent of DV.
Broccoli – You can also get your daily dose of vitamin C from cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli. Half a cup of steamed broccoli has 57% of the DV for vitamin C.
Sweet, Red Pepper – Another super fruit that’s readily available is the sweet, red pepper. Half a cup provides 95 mg of vitamin C or around 106% of DV.
Kiwis – “One medium kiwi packs 71 mg of vitamin C or 79% of the DV. Studies have shown that the vitamin-C-rich kiwifruit may help reduce oxidative stress, lower cholesterol, and improve immunity.”
Strawberries – Half a cup of fresh strawberries delivers 49 mg or around 54% of DV.
If you’re having a hard time getting your required DV of vitamin C from fruits and vegetables at the moment, ask your physician if you need to and can take vitamin C supplements. On top of skincare products, Bella Pelle Philippines now also sells nutritional supplements, including vitamin C, and delivers them straight to your doorstep.
Metagenics Ultra Potent-C 500, P1,500
Ultra Potent-C works to help support your immune system and provide you with antioxidants needed to protect against free radicals. According to the Metagenics official website, preliminary research has also shown that Potent-C may be absorbed by white blood cells more efficiently than other ascorbic acid, and in turn may increase its effectivity.
*Please consult your doctor before using any nutritional supplement.
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