20 Foods High in Vitamin C to Boost Your Immune System

Vitamin C is key nutrient when it comes to helping to reduce your risk of developing common health conditions. And it’s easier than you may think to add Vitamin-C rich foods to your daily diet.

Check out our list of 20 foods high in Vitamin C that can help to boost your immune system and keep you healthy.

What Are the Health Benefits of Vitamin C?

Vitamin C offers a long list of health benefits, including:

• Lowering your risk of heart disease
• Preventing gout
• Boosting your immunity
• Reducing your risk of developing a chronic disease
• Preventing memory loss
• Helping to manage high blood pressure
• Preventing iron deficiency

What Are the Signs of a Vitamin C Deficiency?

These 15 signs can help you determine if you have a Vitamin C deficiency:

1. 1. Dry, damaged skin
   2. Swollen, painful joints
   3. Unexplained weight gain
   4. Low immunity
   5. Slow healing wounds

1. Bright red hair follicles
2. Spoon-shaped nails
3. Iron deficiency anemia
4. Rough, bumpy skin
5. Fatigue and irritability
6. Weak bones
7. Corkscrew-shaped body hair
8. Bruising easily
9. Bleeding gums or tooth loss
10. Chronic inflammation

What Causes a Vitamin C Deficiency?

A Vitamin C deficiency can be a result of a variety of risk factors including:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much alcohol
• Not eating enough fruits and vegetables
• Eating disorders
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Food allergies or restrictive diets
• Type 1 Diabetes

20 Foods High in Vitamin C

In order to help prevent Vitamin C deficiency and boost your immune system, try adding these 20 foods high in Vitamin C to your diet.

• • Broccoli – Adding broccoli to your diet can give you more than half of your daily value of Vitamin C, with ½ cup of cooked broccoli providing 57%. It’s also great for preventing heart disease and eye disease and is rich in antioxidants.
  • Kakadu plums – This plum, native to Australia, is a true superfood, as it contains the highest known concentration of Vitamin C. You can get almost 500% of your daily recommended value in just one plum – that’s 100% more Vitamin C than an orange!
  • Strawberries – Eating one cup of strawberries each day will give you more than 100% of your daily value of Vitamin C. You’ll also receive a healthy dose of beneficial plant compounds, as well as folate, manganese, flavonoids, and antioxidants.
  • Black currants – Black currants, also known as cassis, have a rich, dark color. Just ½ cup gives you more than 100% of your daily value of Vitamin C. They also contain anthocyanins, which help fight against heart disease and cancer, as well as chronic and neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Brussel sprouts – Just ½ cup of cooked brussel sprouts gives you more than half of the daily value of Vitamin C. They are also a great way to get extra folate, manganese, potassium, and vitamins A and K.
  • Oranges – A classic source of Vitamin C, a single orange provides 92% of your daily value. They also help to protect against cell damage, increase iron absorption, boost your immune system, and help your body to make collagen.
  • Mustard spinach – A native of Japan, mustard spinach has a high Vitamin C content, even when it’s cooked. It’s high in Vitamin A, as well as nutrients like fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and folate.

• • American persimmons – A fruit that closely resembles a tomato, one persimmon has 18% of your daily value. Unlike its counterpart, the popular Japanese persimmon, the American persimmon has 9 times more Vitamin C. They also have high levels of antioxidants and Vitamin A, as well as manganese, which can help your blood to clot.
  • Lemons – A single lemon provides half of the daily value of Vitamin C. Full of antioxidants, they help to control weight, support heart health, prevent kidney stones, and protect against anemia.
  • Guavas – This deliciously sweet tropical fruit is rich in Vitamin C as well as lycopene. Just one guava gives you 138% of your daily value and can help lower your blood pressure as well your cholesterol levels.
  • Acerola cherries – High levels of Vitamin C in these red cherries make them a great choice for satisfying your daily value. You can also benefit from antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and polyphenols, which help to reduce the effects of UV damage and pollution on your body.
  • Sweet yellow peppers – With one of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C, sweet yellow peppers, beat out other varieties like red, green, or orange, with 380% of your daily value. This can benefit your overall eye health and reduce the progression of cataracts.
  • Rose hips – This small fruit from the rose plant is sweet and tangy and full of Vitamin C. Eating just six pieces gives you 132% of your daily value, and can help you to achieve healthier looking skin by supporting skin integrity.
  • Chili peppers – Spicy chili peppers are a great choice when you’re trying to add more Vitamin C to your diet. Different colored chili peppers contain different amounts of the vitamin, with red peppers delivering 72% and green peppers delivering 121% of your daily value.

• Cantaloupe – This sweet orange melon is a good source of Vitamin C, with one slice containing 19% of your daily value. It’s packed with fiber and Vitamin A and has a high-water content to help keep you hydrated.
• Parsley – Parsley is not just a colorful garnish. It’s high in Vitamin C as well as Vitamin K and antioxidants. Sprinkling just a couple of tablespoons of fresh parsley on your food will give you 11% of your daily value and help with iron absorption.
• Kale – This leafy vegetable can help you reach your daily value of Vitamin C, with one cup of cooked kale containing 23% of your daily value. It’s also a great source of Vitamin K as well as carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are essential for eye health.
• Kiwis – You can get 62% of your daily value of Vitamin C in just one kiwi. Eating kiwis regularly can also help with blood circulation, increases immunity, and can reduce your risk of blood clots and stroke.
• Lychees – One cup of lychee gives you more than 150% of your daily value of Vitamin C. They are also rich in copper, phosphorus, manganese, and magnesium and can improve both your heart and bone health.
• Papayas – A cup of papaya contains almost 100% of your daily value. It’s a delicious way to improve your memory, reduce brain inflammation, improve digestion, prevent skin damage, and support cognitive function.

Getting enough of this essential nutrient is even easier with this list of 20 foods high in Vitamin C.

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