7 Natural & Rich Sources Of Vitamin C in India
Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It helps in supporting brain and eye health, immunity and plays a very important role in the functioning of our skin. We depend on the food we eat for our vitamin C requirements. Most of us rely on fruits and vegetables for our vitamin c requirements, but we need to know how much vitamin c there is in these fruits and vegetables and how much of this vitamin we need.
Vitamin C is even vital for collagen synthesis, connective tissue, bone, muscles, teeth and blood vessels. Our human body cannot synthesise or store vitamin C, hence its necessary to consume it in sufficient amounts regularly.
If vitamin C is not consumed regularly then various vitamin c deficiency symptoms may occur, like bleeding gums, poor wound healing, weak immune system, anaemia and scurvy.
This blog will look at what Vitamin C does, how much of it you need in your diet and what the best sources of Vitamin C are.
There are a variety of food sources enriched with vitamin C. Top 7 sources are listed below.
But before that, please have a look at the video to get a quick glance about Fruits rich in Vitamin C:
Natural Sources of Vitamin C are:
1. Plum : Richest Source of Vitamin C
Kakadu plum, a native of Australia and contains 100 times more vitamin C as compared to oranges. It has the highest known concentration of vitamin C, containing up to 5300 mg per 100mg.
It is even rich in potassium, Vitamin E and various antioxidants which is beneficial for our skin and immune system.
Know more about Plum by clicking here!
2. Guava
This pink-fleshed tropical fruit is a native of South America and single guava contains around 200mg of vitamin C which is nearly double that of orange and it is even rich in the antioxidant lycopene.
3. Oranges
Oranges are widely eaten around the world and make a significant portion of dietary vitamin C intake. It is one of the vitamin c foods which provides about 76mg of vitamin C which is vital for our immune system, connective tissue, heart and blood vessel health.
4. Acerola cherries
It is believed that just one-half cup of these cherries provides ample vitamin C and extracts from these cherries even have cancer-fighting properties. Thus it should be present in our diet as it is highly beneficial for our skin and body.
5. Kiwis
It is one of the fruits rich in vitamin c and provides 71mg of vitamin c to our body and even helps in reducing oxidative stress, lowers cholesterol and boosts the immunity. It even plays a role in increasing blood circulation of our body.
6. Red and yellow bell peppers
It is seen that one green chilli pepper contains 105 mg of vitamin C whereas a red chilli pepper provides 65mg of vitamin C. Chilli peppers contain capsaicin which reduces inflammation and redness.
These contain a huge amount of antioxidants which are important for maintaining heart health and plenty of vitamin c is present in them which helps in boosting collagen synthesis and preventing lung cancer.
7. Strawberries
These are one of the vitamin c fruits which provides about 89mg of vitamin c and are rich in various antioxidants. Strawberries prevent cancer, vascular diseases, dementia and diabetes. It even lowers the blood cholesterol level in our body, reduces blood vessel inflammation and prevents heart diseases.
Vitamin C deficiency diseases
Vitamin c plays a vital role in performing various important functions in our body. But, if a proper requirement of vitamin c is not met, then it may lead to various diseases.
The most common symptom of vitamin c deficiency is bleeding gums, also known as scurvy. Its other symptoms include fatigue, depression and connective tissue disorders like gingivitis, internal bleeding, delayed wound healing, joint pains, nose bleeds, dry skin and splitting hair.
To prevent dry skin, you can read - "How to avoid dry skin?"
Vitamin C products
Vitamin C is highly essential for our body and apart from the presence of vitamin c in fruits and vegetables, it is even present in some other forms in ointments, face washes, serums and even in form supplements.
Vitamin C serums for skin are highly common these days and it boosts collagen synthesis and contains a huge amount of antioxidants which helps in bringing out brighter, clearer and smoother skin.
Are you thinking about - "What is Collagen?"
These serums even protect us from the harmful radiations of the sun and free radicals(biggest enemy of healthy skin). It lifts away dark spots and gives rise to even more glossy and brighter toned skin. It rejuvenates the dull and lifeless skin and helps in bringing back life to it. Such vitamin C rich serum prevents and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
But - "How Vitamin C Serum Beats Wrinkles and Fine lines?"
Thus vitamin c is vital for our immune system, connective tissue, cardiovascular system and among many other body functions. Not getting enough of vitamin c can even lead to various problems, but overconsumption is also harmful. So it is necessary to seek medical advice and take the proper amount of vitamin c as required by your body.
By eating some of the fruits mentioned above each day, your need can be fulfilled appropriately.
A balanced diet rich in vitamin C is an essential step towards good health, glowing skin and disease prevention.
To know more about the benefits of vitamin C serum, you can click here!
FAQ’s
1. How much vitamin c per day?
It has been recommended that the daily requirement of vitamin c in adults is around 65 to 90 mg. However, the maximum amount of vitamin c can be taken is 2400mg but excessive and overconsumption of vitamin c supplement should be avoided as it may lead to diarrhoea and nausea.
2. What is the chemical name of vitamin C?
The common chemical name of vitamin C is ascorbic acid and it is a water-soluble vitamin present in citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables. Its major deficiency leads to a disease called scurvy which is characterised by bleeding gums.
3. What is vitamin c good for?
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid is highly essential for our body and performs various functions for our body. These include collagen synthesis, protects the cell and keep them healthy, maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, bones, cartilages, respiratory and cardiovascular system.
4. What are the sources of vitamin C?
Citrus fruits like orange, kiwi, guava, plums, grapefruits, papaya, strawberries and green vegetables like broccoli, chillies, Brussel sprouts and capsicum are good sources of it and contains high vitamin c content.
