April 4 is National Vitamin C Day! A special day designated to celebrate this incredible vitamin and encourage people to get more of it!
Possible benefits of Vitamin C
According to WebMD, science is still learning all the benefits of this powerful vitamin. So far, we’ve learned:
- Vitamin C helps us ward off colds and supports our immune system.
- It can lower the risk of heart disease.
- It can reduce blood pressure.
- It’s good for your skin and hair.
- It supports prenatal health.
- It can reduce the risk of eye disease.
- It may even help prevent skin wrinkling.
- A lack of Vitamin C is associated with stress-related diseases.
- Vitamin C may lower your risk of stroke.
- It can reduce inflammation.
- And it may even reduce the risk of cancer!
How much Vitamin C should you have?
While the recommended daily intake is 75-90mg for adults, the limit is actually 2000mg per day. There’s no harm in taking extra Vitamin C, but going over 2000mg per day may cause some uncomfortable side effects like nausea or diarrhea.
Where is Vitamin C found?
Vitamin C is found in nearly all fruits and vegetables, so it’s important to eat your recommended servings every day. Even if you do manage to eat the recommended 4-5 servings of fruit and 4-5 servings of vegetables, it may be difficult to reach your target Vitamin C, so taking a multivitamin or supplement could be a good idea.
Tips to maximize your Vitamin C
- Drink more fruit smoothies
- Use orange juice instead of milk in your smoothies
- Make veggie wraps for dinner
- Keep fresh fruit in reach
- Add vegetables to your pizza toppings
- Pre-cut fruits and veggies for easy-to-grab snacks
- Add vegetables to your sandwiches
- Load your baked potato with broccoli or beans instead of bacon
- Make fruit your dessert
- Stay stocked on frozen veggies and throw them into your dish whenever possible.
