Vitamin C: Killing Off Your Cold

As the weather transitions from the cold of February to the warm, spring showers of March, many people tend to get sick, and I myself am no exception. As I'm currently suffering through a cold, what better time to have a handy list of foods rich in vitamin C?

Although vitamin C can't cure a cold, it certainly prevents one. It's also important for repairing and growing tissues in your body, healing wounds, and absorbing iron. It can also protect against:

• Heart Disease

• High Blood Pressure

• Cancer

• Osteoarthritis

• Blindness

• And many, many more diseases! (For more information, click here.)

Signs of Vitamin C Deficiency

Although it's rare to be seriously deficient in vitamin C (a condition known as scurvy), many people have relatively low levels of it. Here are a few signs you may be lacking some vitamin C:

• Dry or splitting hair

• Gingivitis

• Rough, dry skin

• Easy bruising

• Nosebleeds

• Slower rates of healing infections/wounds

5 Foods High in Vitamin C

Source: Ellie Wong

1. Mangoes (my personal favorite!)

Mangoes contain 122 mg of vitamin C per fruit (the recommended daily value is 60 mg). Although peeling them can be time consuming and messy, they contain zeaxanthan, an antioxidant that filters out harmful blue right rays that can cause macular degeneration (the leading cause of blindness).

2. Strawberries

Strawberries have 85 mg of vitamin C in a cup in addition to a large amount of manganese, which keeps blood sugar stable. However, they rank as the #1 pesticide-covered type of produce, making it extremely important to buy the organic version.

3. Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts have 75 mg of vitamin C per cup, and as an added bonus, they contain kohlrabi, a cancer-fighting nutrient.

4. Kiwi

Two kiwis have as much as 128 mg of vitamin C! They also have high levels of serotonin, which can help you fall asleep more quickly and improve sleep quality.

5. Broccoli

One cup of raw, chopped broccoli florets has around 81 mg of vitamin C. It also contains vitamin K, which is important to bone health and proper blood clotting (unless you're Alexei Nikolaevich-- in which case, no amount of vitamin K would help with blood clotting).

Source: https://draxe.com/vitamin-c-foods/

Interested in learning more? Visit these websites for more information:

https://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-c-ascorbic-acid

https://www.prevention.com/food/9-foods-with-more-vitamin-c-than-an-orange/slide/9

https://draxe.com/vitamin-c-foods/

With love always,

Ellie ♡