Top Vitamin C Sources for Cold and Flu Season!

It’s that time of year again where everyone seems to be getting ill, whether it’s catching the common cold, or worse yet, getting a dose of the dreaded flu! One sure fire way to minimise your chances of becoming ill is to make sure your immune system is strong and well equipped to fight off any bacteria it may encounter. Vitamin C possesses antioxidant properties, that help fight off bacteria in the body and keeps the immune system running strong. Read on for our Top Vitamin C Sources for Cold and Flu Season!

What food immediately pops into your mind when I ask you for a source of vitamin C? If you thought of an orange you just answered the same as about 90% of the population. However, although oranges do contain a substantial amount of vitamin C, you may be surprised to learn that they are in fact not the top source of vitamin C! Thanks to the food industry’s hard work and promotion, oranges hog the spotlight when it comes to vitamin C content. This simply isn’t fair to its other fruity friends like blackcurrants, which contain between 150-200mg per 100g compared to 52mg per 100g in an orange!

To give you a general idea, below is the vitamin C content of a few different fruits and vegetables (in mg per 100g of product):

Blackcurrants: 150-200
Yellow pepper: 77
Papaya: 60
Kiwi: 59
Lemon: 58
Strawberries: 57
Orange: 52
Lychees: 45

If oranges are so far down the list according to their vitamin C content then what are we doing using our time suboptimally and downing endless glasses of orange juice? Now you know the real powerhouses, it’s time to get smart -with blackcurrants boasting 3 x as much vitamin C as oranges I know which fruit I would rely on to scare off a cold.

Why not give your immune system a real feast and treat for the cells and blend up a smoothie with two or more great sources of vitamin C!

Shannon Lawlor

Shannon is a 24 year-old passionate vegan and health enthusiast living in Beijing, China. Shannon has a solid knowledge of nutrition from spending 2 years of her life as a student dietitian. She enjoys applying her knowledge of food and nutrition to help others achieve optimal health. Shannon loves trying new foods and is constantly creating new vegan recipes. Shannon is energetic and likes keeping active by weight training, walking her dog or doing yoga.

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