Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that helps to keep our immune system healthy and it’s particularly important during the winter months when colds and flu are rife
One veggie is packed with more vitamin C than citrus fruits, meaning adding it to your meals could help you fend off seasonal illnesses. With winter just around the corner, many of us will be battling colds and flu.
Although rest and patience are the only true cures for these illnesses. There are measures we can take to ease our symptoms while we recover, or even lower our chances of falling ill to begin with. Our diet plays a pivotal role in maintaining a robust immune system, which is responsible for warding off infections. If your immune system is healthy, you’re less likely to get sick – and if you do catch a bug, your body will be better equipped to fight it off swiftly.
Including the right amount of vitamin C in your daily diet is thought to help reduce the duration of colds.
It’s an essential component of any healthy diet and, along with other nutrients like vitamin D, zinc, and potassium, can bolster immunity. But contrary to popular belief, citrus isn’t the only – or even the best – source of vitamin C.
There’s a vegetable that boasts a higher concentration and it’s readily available at any supermarket.
Bell peppers contain 80.4mg of vitamin C per 100g, outstripping lemons, which have just 53mg for the same weight.
Oranges also contain 53.2mg per 100g, while grapefruits offer 31.2mg. Incorporating a wide array of fruits into your diet is beneficial, and it’s certain bell peppers are a great addition.
Just a 50g serving can fulfil the daily advised intake of 40mg.
A TikTok user has spotlighted that bell peppers, citrus fruits and kiwis are all rich in this vital nutrient.
“The body does not store vitamin C, and the yellow bell pepper has the most vitamin C among all the fruits you just saw there,” the video explains.
The NHS emphasises a balanced diet should provide enough vitamin C, but since our bodies can’t store it, we need to consume it daily.
Strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes are also good sources.