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Foods rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, oranges and lemons, help to strengthen the body's natural defenses because they contain antioxidants that fight free radicals, which when found in excess in the body, favor the onset of some diseases.
Vitamin C should be consumed regularly because it is an excellent healer and facilitates the absorption of iron in the intestinal level, being particularly indicated in the treatment against anemia. In addition, vitamin C serves to facilitate skin healing and improve blood circulation, being great to help prevent cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, for example.
Foods that contain vitamin C
The following table indicates the amount of vitamin C present in 100 grams of the food:
Foods rich in Vitamin C | Amount of Vitamin C |
Acerola | 1046 mg |
Raw chili | 143.6 mg |
Natural orange juice | 41 mg |
Strawberry | 47 mg |
Papaya | 68 mg |
Kiwi | 72 mg |
Guava | 230 mg |
Melon | 30 mg |
Tomato juice | 14 mg |
Tangerine | 32 mg |
Mango | 23 mg |
Orange | 57 mg |
Cooked broccoli | 42 mg |
Cooked cauliflower | 45 mg |
Braised red cabbage | 40 mg |
Sweet potato | 25 mg |
Steamed seafood | 22 mg |
Fresh tomato | 20 mg |
Watermelon | 4 mg |
Natural lemon juice | 56 mg |
Pineapple juice | 20 mg |
In addition, other foods with vitamin C, although in lesser quantity are lettuce, artichoke, pineapple, banana, spinach, avocado, apple, carrot, plum, pumpkin and beet. The ideal to obtain a good amount of vitamin C from foods is to consume them fresh or in juices.
Recommended daily dose of vitamin C
The recommended daily dose of vitamin C varies according to lifestyle, age and sex:
Children and adolescents:
- 1 to 3 years: 15 mg.
- 4 to 8 years: 25 mg.
- 9 to 13 years: 45 mg.
- 14 to 18 years: 75 mg.
Men from 19 years old: 90 mg.
Women:
- From 19 years old: 75 mg.
- Pregnancy: 85 mg
- During breastfeeding: 120 mg.
Smokers: about 35 mg of vitamin C per day should be added to the daily recommendation, as smokers have a greater need for vitamin C.
Contamination and medications can interfere with the vitamin C absorption process, so in these cases, in healthy adults, it is advisable to consume 120 mg of vitamin C per day, which corresponds to a glass of orange juice.
Some studies indicate that vitamin C can help prevent certain diseases and improve respiratory and systemic infections, so it is advisable to consume between 100 to 200 mg a day to prevent diseases.
See more about vitamin C in the following video:
When to take effervescent vitamin C
Effervescent vitamin C is indicated mainly for people who have symptoms of lack of vitamin C, such as easy bleeding from the skin and gums, which are scurvy symptoms. Effervescent vitamin C can also be useful for:
- Avoid and fight the purple marks that appear on the skin even in small lesions;
- Accelerate muscle recovery in physical activity practitioners and athletes, helping muscle hypertrophy;
- Strengthen the immune system, preventing colds and flu;
- Strengthen cartilage because it promotes collagen synthesis by the body, preventing weakening of the joints.
However, healthy people generally do not need vitamin C supplementation, as this vitamin can be easily acquired through food. Discover all the benefits of vitamin C.
How to keep vitamin C longer
To keep vitamin C in food it is important not to leave fruits, such as strawberries, papayas, kiwis or oranges peeled in contact with the air and exposed to light for a long time, as these factors can decrease the vitamin C present in the food. Thus, when making orange or pineapple juice, it is important to place it in the refrigerator in a dark, covered jar to prevent the juice from contacting the air and light in the refrigerator.
In addition, vitamin C dissolves in water when cooking food, such as broccoli, cabbage or peppers, and is destroyed at high temperatures, so to ingest the maximum amount of vitamin C it is important to eat food naturally, without cooking.