HOW MUCH VITAMIN C DO WE ACTUALLY NEED?
LOCKDOWN is a good opportunity to rethink your unhealthy habits. But rather than focusing on shedding the pounds, going on a spring health kick should be about feeling great, having more energy and supporting your immune system.
Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is one of the most important vitamins for overall health. Not only does it support your joints and help repair connective tissues, it’s useful in boosting the immune system.
This super vitamin is known to stimulate the production and function of white blood cells, and it also acts as a powerful antioxidant and protects the body from damage caused by free radicals. Studies have shown that it can help to reduce inflammation in the body, as well as fight fatigue.
And studies have found that, although vitamin C doesn’t appear to make you less likely to catch a cold, it may help you get over one faster and make symptoms less severe.
Despite recent, widely-shared online posts about the supposed ‘miracle’ wonders of vitamin C in high doses, there is no conclusive evidence to suggest that this vitamin – or any other supplement – can prevent or treat Covid-19.
Indeed, the NHS website warns that taking large amounts of vitamin C (more than 1,000mg per day) can cause stomach pain, diarrhoea and flatulence.
“THE recommended amount of vitamin C is 40mg a day for adults aged 19-64 years – equivalent to about an orange a day,” says Aisling Moran, nutritional scientist at Thriva (thriva.co).
When we think of vitamin C-rich foods, we often think of oranges – an average sized one will yield around 70mg of the vitamin, with a small one offering around 51mg.
But it’s a good idea to keep your diet varied and luckily the vitamin is found in plentiful amounts in many other common fruits and veggies too.
Here are a few other fridge and fruit bowl staples to keep in mind on your next trip to the supermarket. And each of them contains more vitamin C per 100g than oranges.
Is a nutrient-rich powerhouse in the cruciferous vegetable family. While 100g of oranges contain roughly 53mg of vitamin C, the same weight of broccoli yields around 89mg.
Offers around 128mg of vitamin C per 100g, which is pretty impressive – and this fabulous fruit is also a great source of vitamins A, E and K, which support eye, nerve and bone health respectively.
In 100g of kiwi, you’ll find around 93mg of vitamin C, and eating just one of these little beauties delivers around 64mg. They offer vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, and potassium too, and also contain a good amount of disease-fighting antioxidants.