Vitamin C won’t cure the common cold, we now know, but it may help shorten your misery, make your symptoms less severe and prevent it from becoming something worse.
It can help protect you from deficiencies of the immune system, as well as cardiovascular disease and skin and eye problems, including cataracts. Studies suggest it may also enhance the benefits of chemotherapy in cancer patients. It can also help with the symptoms of arthritis and asthma.
Where to find it
Right out of the gate, everybody says oranges. You’ll still find your vitamin C in citrus fruits, but the following foods supply more than does a medium orange:
- Broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Cauliflower
- Chili peppers
- Green peppers
- Kale
- Kiwi
- Papaya
- Pineapple
- Red peppers
- Strawberries
How much do you need?
Vitamin C is among water-soluble vitamins, passed through the body more readily than fat-soluble vitamins, which can be stored in tissues. That means getting too much probably isn’t harmful, but your body really doesn’t use more than 500 milligrams a day, said Karah Stanley, a St. Elizabeth dietitian. The recommended dietary intake is 75 milligrams a day for women, 90 mg for men.
The last word
As with most vitamins, getting vitamin C as part of your regular diet is preferable to taking supplements because of a variety of benefits to the fruits and vegetables rich in C, among them antioxidants and fiber.
“But having said that, a lot of people don’t eat diets that are like that,” Stanley said. “If you’re not making the right food choices, you may need supplements.”
