Vitamin C provides immunity, healing, and protection and goes well beyond just consuming an orange a day. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, which means it’s used for daily functions and is not stored in your body, we can’t make it, we must get it from the foods we eat each day. You may have heard the term ascorbic acid; it’s the same thing!

The health benefits go well beyond helping when you get the sniffles. It’s needed for your body to produce collagen, which affects the health of your skin. After a skin injury or surgery, it can help heal by giving your skin the boost it needs to recover to its normal state. Another boost for your body with vitamin c is if it’s paired with iron rich foods. By consuming these foods together, iron becomes more available for your body to use. An example of this could be broccoli and lean meat, orange juice and oatmeal or quinoa with fresh lemon juice.  Vitamin C may help protect against some cancers, cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration. Did you know vitamin C also is a stress reliever and helps with regular mood? Showing it helps you from your head down to your toes.

Are you ready to add more vitamin C to your meals and snacks each day? Just remember a balanced plate with a variety of colors of fruits and vegetables is key to getting all the nutrients our body needs to maintain and prevent health challenges. We of course think of oranges and grapefruits for vitamin C. How about red and green bell peppers, brussels sprouts, kiwi, strawberries and tomatoes? All rich in vitamin C. Even though vitamin C deficiency is rare, it’s important to know what symptoms to look for. These include tiredness, hair loss, wounds not healing, bleeding gums and iron-deficiency anemia.

Build a healthy body that is rich in a variety of fresh foods and don’t forget your Vitamin C!

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