Are you getting your vitamin C?

Vitamin C is a vitamin we need just about every day.  What foods have vitamin C and why do we need vitamin C?  I like to drink a glass of 100% orange or grapefruit juice every morning for breakfast.  One night my husband asked if watermelon had vitamin C in it.  I said it was a good source of vitamin C.  The next morning, I opened the fridge to find out we were out of juice.  But there on the table was a plate of watermelon wedges for my morning vitamin C.

Why do we need vitamin C?  Such an important vitamin for our health.

Healthy skin – vitamin C promotes youthful looking skin.  Having enough vitamin C in your diet helps prevent wrinkles, and dry skin.  Fruits and veggies that provide vitamin C also provide those healthy antioxidants.  These antioxidants act like a natural sun screen as they help protect your skin against harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.  Antioxidants help promote collagen synthesis which helps keep your skin firm and prevents sagging.  Since vitamin C helps synthesize collage it is also important in wound healing.

Protein synthesis – so many guys who want to bulk up focus only on protein.  And we do need protein in our diets.  But for protein synthesis to take place we also need vitamins and minerals.  Vitamin C is one of the vitamins needed for protein synthesis. 

Immunity – vitamin C may not prevent the common cold but it does play a role in keeping our immune system healthy.  

Iron absorption – vitamin C helps us absorb that non-heme iron in foods.  If you are having a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, drink some orange juice as the vitamin C in the orange juice will help you absorb the iron in the Cheerios.  

Why do we need vitamin C daily?

Well, you may be able to skip a day or two, but vitamin C is water-soluble, which means our bodies don’t store vitamin C.  Our bodies can’t make vitamin C so we need to eat foods that provide vitamin C.  

What foods provide vitamin C?  Almost everyone knows citrus foods provide vitamin C but many people are unaware of the many foods that add some vitamin C to your day.  Serve that watermelon at picnics and you are serving up a good dose of vitamin C.  (And according to the Watermelon Board, watermelon also provides you with potassium, lycopene, vitamin B6, vitamin A and it is very low in calories.) 

 Add some green or red pepper to your salad and you added vitamin C.  As noted below, one-half cup of red pepper has more vitamin C than a glass of OJ.   Recently I was shopping in Costco on a Sunday – a day Costco offers great food samples.  One of the samples was kiwi fruit.  The server told every person that kiwi is a good source of vitamin C, and she was absolutely correct.

Food	Milligrams (mg) vitamin C per serving	% Daily Value
Red pepper, raw, ½ cup	95	158
Orange juice ¾ cup	93	155
Orange 1 medium	70	117
Grapefruit juice ¾ cup	70	117
Kiwifruit, 1 medium	64	107
Green pepper, raw, ½ cup	60	100
Broccoli, cooked, ½ cup	51	85
Strawberries, ½ cup sliced	49	82
Grapefruit ½ medium	39	65
Broccoli, raw, ½  cup	39	65
Tomato Juice, ¾ cup	33	55
Cantaloupe, ½ cup	29	48
Cabbage, cooked, ½ cup	28	47
Cauliflower, raw, ½ cup	26	43
Potato, baked, 1 medium	17	28
Tomato, raw, 1 medium	17	28
Watermelon, 1 cup	13	21
Spinach, cooked, ½ cup	9	15
Green peas, cooked, ½ cup	8	13

Note:  Daily Values were developed by the Food and Drug Administration to help consumers know how much of a nutrient a food provides.  The DV for vitamin C is 60 mg for adults and children aged 4 and older.  

Should you get your vitamin C from a pill?  The best way to get vitamins and minerals in our diet is from food.  A supplement may provide vitamin C but it won’t provide all the antioxidants you would find in foods like an orange or green pepper.  So, rely on food for your vitamin C.

As the table shows, many foods can supply your daily vitamin C needs.  Add some spinach, red or green pepper, and some tomato to your salad.  Enjoy the watermelon at a summer cook out.  Serve some cantaloupe at breakfast or pack some cubed cantaloupe for lunch.  Order the baked potato instead of fries at a restaurant.   Put some fresh strawberries in smoothie or enjoy them cut up with a sprinkle of sugar.  

red bell peppers

Sources:  collagen, foods, Watermelon, Watermelon Board,       Image sources:  watermelon board, kiwi