Issue 9 February 2011
Quantum Vitamin C the Natural Way
During the winter months, when flu and other illnesses run rampant, many of us take vitamin C supplements or otherwise increase our intake of this vitamin. However, our bodies don’t store vitamin C, so we should eat foods rich in this vitamin throughout the year, and not just during the winter months. Vitamin C provides many benefits, such as boosting our immune system, especially against microbes and viruses; helping protect us from cancer; enhancing cardiovascular health, nourishing our skin and perhaps even preventing wrinkling, boosting eye health, reducing stroke risk, and more. The recommended daily intake (USDA) is 60 mg a day. That’s easy to get in your diet. However, if you want to increase your intake during flu season or during high-stress times of your life, you can easily choose foods rather than supplements as a way to do so. Be aware that if you take vitamin C supplements, too, you may experience side effects from getting too much vitamin C. Taking it in excess usually does not cause serious problems, but reports of symptoms include gastrointestinal problems and stomach cramping, flatulence, diarrhea, and, in some rare instances, kidney stones.
Because food is the best medicine, here are some choices for getting vitamin C the natural way. The list of foods that contain significant amounts of vitamin C is long and deliciously nutritious. Our list starts with choices that have among the highest vitamin C content per a 100- gram serving , and works down to food that have less vitamin C, although still more than other food choices.
For a food with one of the highest levels of vitamin C, choose red or green chili peppers. Hot green chilis pack an impressive 242.5 mg of vitamin C per 100 gram serving. That’s about two and a half whole chili peppers or one cup chopped. Hot red chili peppers have about half the vitamin C as the green variety, but are still
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up there among the top choices for vitamin C-rich foods.
Guavas provide almost as much vitamin C per serving as hot chili peppers, although the amount can vary by variety.
Dip into your hummus with pepper slices. Yellow peppers provide the most vitamin C wallop per serving of pepper varieties, followed by red peppers and then green.
Spice up your dishes with vitamin C-packed herbs. Thyme and parsley are rich in vitamin C and add scrumptious flavor to most soups, stews and stir-fries. Basil adds an additional dash of C.
Curly kale, especially when eaten raw, is high in vitamin C, as are other varieties of kale. Mustard greens and garden cress are also high in C. A good rule of thumb for increasing your vitamin C intake is to think “dark, leafy greens.” Plus, they are packed with other vitamins and minerals, too.
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are veggies of choice to add vitamin C to your diet. Cabbage, spinach, tomatoes, and celery are also good choices.
Kiwis are at the top the fruit list, along with guava, when it comes to vitamin C. (In some countries, this fruit is called Chinese Gooseberry.) Papayas are a good choice, along with the standards of oranges and tangerines. Strawberries also make the list of vitamin C-rich fruits, as do limes, cantaloupe, grapefruit and raspberries.
Generally nuts and seeds don’t have much vitamin C; however walnuts, which provide a cornucopia of essential vitamins and minerals, are one of the few types of nuts that have some vitamin C. Coconut does, too.
Quantum Health 13
HEALTH
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