In the midst of more or less severe cold and flu season, many of us turn to oranges and other famous fruits to double our body’s levels of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant praised for its essential role in supporting the immune system in the fight with viruses and infections. In addition, foods rich in vitamin C have a variety of other functions in the body.
If you understand how antioxidants work, then you know that vitamin C scavenges free radicals in the body and helps minimize the damage caused by oxidative stress. As a result, vitamin C may help protect against the development of certain conditions. Vitamin C also helps speed up wound healing and is involved in protein metabolism and iron absorption.
Citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and clementines contain a generous dose of vitamin C. However, there are plenty of other healthy fruits and vegetables that contain even more vitamin C. In fact, when ranked by their concentration of vitamin C per gram, oranges are about 9th on the list of best sources of vitamin C. Therefore, when you want to choose certain fruits to help prevent colds and flu viruses, there are several options to consider .
Or you can opt for Gripovita food supplement specially designed to maintain health and the proper functioning of the immune system.
What is vitamin C and what are the symptoms of deficiency
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin found in many foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and plays important roles especially in immunity, but also in neurotransmitter production, collagen synthesis and more. It is important that optimal levels of vitamin C are obtained from diet and supplements to reduce the risk of common diseases such as respiratory conditions and heart disease. In addition, vitamin C is vital for the synthesis of collagen, connective tissue, bones, teeth and small blood vessels.
The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin C is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women.
Vitamin C deficiency can cause greater susceptibility to infections, bleeding gums, frequent bruising and infection, slow wound healing, anemia, and scurvy.
Fruits rich in vitamin C
Guava
Guava is a tropical fruit with pink flesh, native to Mexico and South America. A single guava contains 125 mg of vitamin C or 138% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA). In addition, guava is particularly rich in lycopene, a plant nutrient with antioxidant properties.
According to a 6-week study of 45 healthy young people, eating 400 grams of peeled guava per day, or about 7 pieces of this fruit, significantly lowered blood pressure and total cholesterol levels.
Kiwi
One cup of kiwi contains 167 mg or 185% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C, while 100 grams of kiwi contains 93 mg of vitamin C. Kiwi is a great snack, being a fruit that can be very easily included in food.
Strawberries
Strawberries are among people’s favorites when it comes to fruits. One cup of strawberries contains 98 mg or 108% of the recommended daily dose of vitamin C. In addition, the big advantage is that these fruits are relatively low in calories, which is why you can get 368 mg or 408% of the recommended dose of the vitamin C while ingesting only 200 calories from these delicious berries. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries also contain vitamin C, but not in as high amounts.
Black blueberry
Blackcurrants are among the most underrated delicious superfoods. Their intense purple color is a product of anthocyanins, a type of flavonoids, with an antioxidant role, which can fight against free radicals and reduce the damage caused by oxidative stress. Currants are famous for their juiciness and their wonderful flavor. One cup of black currants contains 362 mg (402% of the DRI) of vitamin C.
Oranges
This well-known citrus fruit is undoubtedly the first fruit that comes to mind when we want to choose the best foods that contain vitamin C. Although it is not actually at the top of the list, oranges are still a rich source of this nutrient. Oranges contain 96 mg or 106% of the RDA of vitamin C per cup and 53 mg per 100 grams of fruit. Pomelo, which also falls into the category of large citrus fruits, is also rich in vitamin C. A whole pomelo contains more than 400% of the recommended daily allowance. Vitamin C is also found in significant amounts in other citrus fruits such as lemons, clementines and grapefruit. For example, a medium-sized grapefruit provides about 96% of the RDI, while a small clementine provides 40% of the RDI.
Papaya
One cup (145 grams) of papaya provides 88 mg of vitamin C or 98% of the RDA. Vitamin C is also beneficial for memory and has powerful anti-inflammatory effects on the brain.
