Vitamin C is also called ascorbic acid. Similar to glucose, vitamin C is composed of 6 carbons and is a hydrophilic molecule. Vitamin C can be found in our body either as ascorbic acid or ascorbate in its reduced form or in its oxidized form as dehydroascorbic acid. Vitamin C provides enormous benefits to our body which include protecting and keeping cells healthy.
Healthy skin, bones, blood vessels, and cartilage are easily managed with the aid of vitamin C. Intake of vitamin C can benefit us in many ways. It is ideal for women to take 75 milligrams of vitamin C a day and for men 90 mg a day will be sufficient. This article will explore some of the vitamin C-rich foods that are abundant in their beneficial properties. The most essential vitamin C -rich food along with their functions is given below.
List Of Some Vitamin C-rich Foods
- Kakadu plum
Kakadu plum is scientifically known as Terminalia Ferdinandiana and belongs to the Combretaceae family. It is also known by other names such as billygoat plum, green plum, salty plum, murunga, etc. Kakadu plum is known as the world’s first fruit with the highest levels of natural vitamin C which weighs about 700mg/100g DW.
This weight equals 100 times vitamin C in oranges. Since it has such a high amount of vitamin C it can undoubtedly be called as a superfood. It can offer almost 3000% of your daily vitamin C needs with just 100 grams.
- Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C. The most common citrus fruits that are rich in vitamin C are oranges, lemons, amlas, grapefruit, key lime, clementine, and so on. Among the citrus fruits, orange is having the highest vitamin C content in it. On average an orange contains 58.30g/100g of vitamin C. Amla is another vitamin C-rich citrus fruit.
- Other fruits and vegetables
Some other vitamin C-rich fruits include strawberries, kiwis, pomegranates, guava, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, papaya, apples, and so on.
Green leafy vegetables and Brussels sprouts are other choices of vitamin C other than fruits and veggies.
You Can Also Read : What Can Vitamin C do for Your Skin?
What Are The Benefits Of Taking Vitamin C Daily?
- Manage high blood pressure
Vitamin C is proven to have properties of reducing blood pressure. They can lower blood pressure by acting as a diuretic which will remove more sodium and water from the body. This will help in relaxing the blood vessels. On average taking up to 500mg of vitamin C can reduce blood pressure.
- Reduced risk of heart disease
One major factor that damages our hearts and causes many diseases is LDL(bad cholesterol) which with time will accumulate in our arteries and cause heart attack or stroke. Vitamin C can destroy LDL. Thus it helps in maintaining a healthy heart. Vitamin C also has the properties of preventing damage to tissues. This is done by trapping the organic free radicals, or by deactivating excited oxygen molecules.
- Boost immunity
Vitamin C works greatly for immunity boosting. It helps with the migration of neutrophils to the infected site by stimulating them. Other properties of vitamin C include improved phagocytosis, a process by which phagocyte cells destroy any kind of foreign substance that enters the body. Vitamin C also aids in the killing of microbial and oxidant generation.
- Prevents iron deficiency
Iron is an important substance that is required for healthy growth and development of the body. Iron has several benefits in supporting our body’s functions. Intake of vitamin C can reduce the deficiency of iron in our bodies. By the creation of a more acidic environment in our stomach, the oxidation of ferrous iron and ferric iron is prevented.
Some other benefits of having vitamin C daily include lowering uric acid levels, improving memory, helping prevent gout diseases, improving memory …
Though most of the food that we eat daily can offer vitamin C, the amount of vitamin C required for most of our bodies is inadequate. In this article, we look closer at what vitamin C is and what are its benefits. Some of the vitamin C-rich foods are also discussed. In a nutshell, we understood that vitamin C plays a major role in providing an overall improvement in our health.
