How to Get More Vitamin C in Your Diet
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential nutrient needed by our bodies. There are many sources of this nutrient. Here are a few tips to get more vitamin C in your diet.
Tips:
Include lots of vegetables in your diet. Remember what your parents told you when you were a kid? Well, they were right. Eating vegetables gives you all the nutrients you need. Some of those with high vitamin C content are :
eating orange
Green leafy vegetables
Broccoli
Tomatoes
Green and red peppers
Cabbage
Winter squash
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
Eat citrus fruits. Most fruits have enough vitamin C in them. Here are some good fruit sources:
Orange
Cantaloupe
Papaya
Mango
Watermelon
Pineapple
Strawberries
Cranberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Drink juices that are fortified with vitamin C. Manufacturers are now incorporating vitamin C in their juices. Choose one that offers you ample amount of this nutrient.
Take supplements. If you don’t like vegetables and rarely eat fruits, you may choose to take vitamin C supplements. Find out how much you’re taking in everyday. Supplement only what you’re not getting. Toxicity from this nutrient is rare as your body can’t store the excess vitamin C. You’ll just excrete it through your urine. Having too much in your body will just put this essential vitamin to waste.
Facts:
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals, toxic chemicals and pollutants in your body. Free radicals are byproducts that accumulate when your body converts food to energy.
Some functions of Vitamin C are:
It maintains healthy tissues.
It’s needed for proper growth of tissues.
An essential component for collagen formation. Collagen strengthens body tissues and the skin.
Aids in wound healing.
Repairs and maintains healthy bones and teeth.
Here are the normal required amounts of vitamin C you need everyday.If you don’t have any medical condition that causes you to make adjustments on your daily vitamin C intake, you may use this guide to determine your daily requirements of vitamin C.
Infants and children need about 15-50 mg of vitamin C.
65-75 mg is required for adolescents.
Adults are required to have about 75-90 mg.
A deficiency in vitamin C will put you at risk for the following conditions:
Scurvy - This is a serious vitamin C deficiency condition. Some of the symptoms of this are general weakness, poor wound healing, gingivitis, irritability, internal and external bleeding.
Anemia is a condition wherein you have insufficient amount of red blood cells. These are essential in transporting nutrients in all parts of your body.
Bleeding disorders and poor wound healing - Without sufficient vitamin C, your body will not be able to synthesize enough collagen that’s important in maintaining healthy tissues.
The key to getting enough vitamin C is having a well balanced diet. It’s never too late to start eating right. Choose what you eat properly and you’ll be on the road to good health.