Every time I don’t feel good someone will tell me to take Vitamin C. This could be a nice glass of Simply Orange orange juice, Emergen-C, or maybe just eating an orange. People will recommend this to me because not only is orange juice super tasty, but it’s a vital nutrient to ones health. It helps grow and maintain someones bones, skin, and blood vessels. It has also been found to help with the heart, eyes, and even seasickness. 
Foods That Contain Vitamin C
There is a large amount of foods that have Vitamin C in them besides just oranges. While this list is very long, most of them can be found at your local grocery store. Guavas, sweet yellow peppers, chili peppers, thyme, parsley, kale, and kiwis are just to name a few. One thing I found to be interesting was strawberries contain Vitamin C. One cup contains 99% of the daily value a person should have. I find this to be very interesting because one medium sized orange only contains 78% of a persons daily value.
Health Benefits
Not only is Vitamin C an antioxidant but it’s a very powerful antioxidant that can strengthen your body’s natural defenses. Studies done have shown that the more Vitamin C you consume the more increased chance your blood antioxidant levels go up by 30% . This is what helps your body’s natural defenses fight off inflammation.
It also helps with someones blood pressure. A trial done on humans found that healthy adults taking Vitamin C reduced on average systolic blood pressure by 3.8mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 1.6mmHg. In adults who had high blood pressure, the systolic blood pressure was reduced on average by 4.9mmHg and diastolic by 1.7mmHg. However, those with high blood pressure should not rely on just this alone.
Vitamin C has also been found to improve the absorption of iron into ones diet. This is very useful for people who don’t eat meat, because it helps assist in converting iron that is poorly absorbed (such as plant-based sources) into a form that is much easier to absorb.
Lastly, boosting your immunity. Vitamin C encourages production of white blood cells which helps protect the body from infection. Also, the white blood cells function better while protecting themselves from damage by potential molecules known as free radicals. Thirdly, Vitamin C is an important part of the skin’s defense system and helps strengthen the skins barriers.
I know it can be hard for me to keep up with my daily intake but supplements are just as good! Or you could even try drinking a glass of orange juice on your way to work! I will do that sometimes and makes me feel more awake and ready for the day.
