Vitamin C helps us strengthen our immune system, aids collagen production, aids wound healing, and acts as an antioxidant that protects cells from free radical damage. . Unfortunately, unlike other animals, humans cannot synthesize vitamin C by themselves. Therefore, to maintain good health, we must obtain enough of it from food or dietary supplements (1).
This ecological tip discusses how to obtain vitamin C from food naturally.
The best natural sources of vitamin C
- Sea buckthorn (700 mg vitamin C per 100g)
Sea buckthorn is a type of berry tree whose fruits are known for their medicinal properties. Sea buckthorn fruits contain a high amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Sea buckthorn syrup or sea buckthorn jam is popular.
- Rose hip (426 mg vitamin C per 100g)
Rose hips are also a very good source of vitamin C. Rosehip tea should be steeped (not boiled) in lukewarm water for several hours, as the vitamin C contained in the tea is broken down by cooking.
- Black currant (200 mg vitamin C per 100g)
Black currant is rich not only in vitamin C but also in antioxidants. June and July are the main blackcurrant season.
- Paprika (120-180 mg vitamin C per 100g)
The easiest way to get enough vitamin C is to eat sweet peppers, which are available in all supermarkets in winter and summer. Yellow peppers contain the most vitamin C, followed by red peppers and green peppers the least.
- Parsley (130 mg vitamin C per 100g)
Fresh parsley surprisingly contains a surprisingly high amount of vitamin C. It is worth including it in the daily diet because in winter it is easy to get this herb rich in vitamin C. It is excellent in salads and sandwiches.
What is the recommended daily dose of vitamin C?
According to the National Health Information Portal (2), the recommended daily dose of vitamin C is:
- 110 mg for an adult male
- 95 mg for an adult woman
- 105 mg for a pregnant woman
- 125 mg for a nursing woman
The recommended daily dose of vitamin C is traditionally based on the prevention of vitamin C deficiency diseases. Therefore, there is research (3) that claims. that 200 mg per day is the optimal intake of vitamin C in the diet for the majority of the adult population maximizing the potential health benefits of the vitamin with the least possible risk of insufficient intake or adverse health effects.
However, it is necessary to be careful about the excess of vitamin C. The excess is defined as 2000 mg per day for an adult.
Trusted Sources:
- National Institutes of Health: Vitamin C
- NZIP: Vitamin C
- Balz Frei, Ines Birlouez-Aragon & Jens Lykkesfeldt (2012) Authors’ Perspective: What is the Optimum Intake of Vitamin C in Humans?, Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 52:9, 815-829
