10 Vitamin C rich foods for the Indian kitchen

IT is also known as the immunity superstar and is one of the most important vitamins which can be found in various foods and dietary supplements. It helps form and maintains bones, skin, and blood vessels.

Vitamin C is water-soluble and is known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate.

It is a potent antioxidant and hence, it is also shown to have immensely positive effects on the immune system and skin.

The importance of vitamin C foods and supplements is increasing because it is a very good vitamin that helps fight viruses and bacteria.

Now, since the body cannot store vitamin C, it is necessary to feed the body in the standard quantity every day to fill the daily needs of vitamins. This is not just for a particular vitamin but for all the other vitamins and minerals which cannot be stored or produced by the body naturally.

There has to be a standard or a required amount of anything which is good for your body and the same goes for vitamin C.

The RDA for Vitamin C ranges from 15–75 mg for children, 75 mg for adult women, 90 mg for adult men, and 85–120 mg for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

There are certain symptoms of vitamin C deficiency such as:

• Problems fighting viruses and bacteria
• Weight loss
• Tiredness and weakness
• Muscle and joint pain
• Splitting hair
• Dry skin
• Swelling gums
• Tooth loss
• Nose bleeds
• Easy bruising

Care should be taken in this regard as it can cause a lot of damage in the long run. Hence, it becomes a very important vitamin for our body that needs to be consumed daily.

Here are 10 vitamin C rich foods that will help you fight these symptoms and eventually keep you away from problems occurring due to its deficiency. These foods are readily available and many of which are found in your kitchen every day.

1) Red Pepper

Red peppers are one of the finest sources of vitamin C because they have 190 mg/100 gm present in it. Red peppers provide us with a healthy night vision. They also increase our metabolic rate without increasing our heart rate and blood pressure like hot peppers do. You can also calculate your metabolic rate and understand how it works.

Here is my favorite healthy red pepper recipe which will show you how you can use red pepper in the best possible way.

2) Parsley

This vegetable has some unique health benefits. Its consumption improves your skin complexion because it is rich in vitamin C which makes collagen.

It also helps us with inflammation as it is rich in antioxidants such as vitamin C. Parsley is also a natural breath freshener, especially after eating garlic or onion. It has 130 mg/100 gm nutritional value and thus, consuming parsley in your diet can be of great help to you. 

3) Broccoli

Broccoli is a favorite of the gym-goers. It is a tasty vegetable that is rich in vitamin C with 90mg/100gm proportion. When we think to add green vegetables to our diet, I think broccoli is the first vegetable to come to our minds. It has an amazing characteristic to deplete estrogen which causes breast cancer in female bodies.

Moreover, like many other whole foods, broccoli is also packed with fiber which helps keep a check on your cholesterol levels. Since broccoli has a high content of vitamin C, it helps boost immunity in the body and later helps fight against bacteria and viruses.

Here is my favorite broccoli recipe which is easy to make, healthy and delicious at the same time.

4) Cauliflower

Cauliflower is also a highly impressive vegetable due to its nutritional profile. It is a mixed bag of many vitamins and minerals, however, vitamin C tops the table with 40mg/100gm.

Cauliflower is that vegetable that is high in fiber and it is great for your overall health. Moreover, it provides digestive help and prevents chronic diseases in a body. Cauliflower is also a great source of antioxidant due to its high vitamin C content which protects our cells from free radicals and inflammation. 

5) Peas

When it comes to vitamin-rich foods, peas have a good amount of it along with vitamin K and folate in good proportions and this makes it one of the best immunity boosting food.

They are very good for your digestive system as well. It also contains carotenoid pigment lutein.

Lutein reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration or loss of vision in old age and its nutritional value is 40mg/100gm

6) Lemon

With the current pandemic, many people have started consuming lemonade as their first-morning drink instead of tea or coffee. The major reason for this is the high content of vitamin C present in lemon which has antioxidant properties.

It’s citrus property also prevents or limits the duration of the common cold in people. Vitamin C present in lemon has the ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and lower blood pressure problems. Lemon benefits also help reduce skin wrinkling and stop the aging process. 

Lemons have 40mg/100gm of nutritional value.

7) Potato

Potatoes are stuffed with phytonutrients, which are organic components of plants and they promote health. Since potatoes are filled with vitamin C along with manganese and vitamin B6, it acts as antioxidants and helps our bodies fight viruses and bacteria. Potatoes also help us fight blood pressure, heart diseases and also give us resistance against cancer.

Potato nutrition value is 20mg/100gm.

Here is my favorite healthy potato recipe that you should try.

The previous 7 foods are vegetables found in our kitchens almost every day. The remaining 3 foods are fruits and they are not found in our kitchens every day. Although they are readily available in the markets. These fruits are vitamin C rich fruits and are very helpful to the human body.

8) Guava

The first thing which is very important for us here to think is guava nutritional value which is 100mg/100gm in value.

It will come to your surprise that Guava has more vitamin C content than oranges and lemon combined. This fruit over time has had a tremendous impact on our hearts with its splendid taste and texture.

It is extremely good for your skin as it has an ample amount of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Guava is also helpful for our overall heart health. The other guava benefit is it keeps a check on our sugar levels by keeping our body insulin under control.

9) Strawberry

We all know strawberries are considered to be one of the most loved fruits in vitamin C rich food’s family and who does not love jellies and jams?

They work very well with them and also ice-creams and juices and milkshakes. Who knew something so small was so important with your health point of view, and the number of nutrients that it possesses.

Strawberry is a vitamin-rich fruit and when we compare it to other fruits, their concentration of vitamins and minerals is inversely proportional to its size. Strawberries help the body to heal quickly, improves circulation, and also helps fight anemia by increasing the absorption of iron.

Strawberry nutrition value is 60mg/100gm.

10) Orange

Oranges are one of the favorite fruits of many people. I am sure it is your favorite too. They are delicious and extremely healthy. The best and the most preferred way to consume oranges is in the form of orange juice.

Rich in vitamin C, this citrus fruit is a great antioxidant that has an impeccable effect on your skin. It gives you glowing skin and a pulp texture to it. Oranges also help fight cancer and avoid major problems caused due to it.

Oranges also have the ability to take care of your blood pressures, heart health and even diabetes.

The orange nutritional value is 50mg/100gm which is very solid.

If someone finds it difficult to obtain sufficient amounts of vitamin C from the foods mentioned above, I also have a suggestion for you guys.

Consider consuming a vitamin C capsule. This can be a handy source of vitamin C on the go and my personal favorite. I can only recommend this since my entire family uses it to boost immunity.

To wrap this up, here are my top picks for vitamin C rich food which we can readily find in our Indian kitchen and have the best health benefits to keep us going through these tough times and keep the immune system strong and healthy.