6 Surprising Vitamin C Foods!

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What is Vitamin C?

An important water-soluble vitamin that also doubles as a powerful antioxidant, Vitamin C is crucial to our health. While Vitamin C also plays a role in many aspects of our health (including wound healing, bone formation, and the development of connective tissues in the body), being deficient in Vitamin C can cause havoc on just about everything from immune system function to skin health to energy levels.

Vitamin C Deficiency Symptoms:

While the most well-known Vitamin C deficiency disease is scurvy (with symptoms like bleeding gums, loose teeth and skin rashes), there are several more symptoms that could point out we are lacking in this important vitamin:

-Fatigue

-Poor Immune System

-Anemia

-Depression

-Bleeding Gums

-Weakened Bones

-Dry Skin

-Easy Bruising

-Nail Issues

-Dry/Splitting Hair

 

Vitamin C Benefits:

And these are just the tips of the iceberg!

-Powerful in Antioxidants – Antioxidants play a large role in health. They help fight off free radicals, minimize oxidative stress and damage to your cells. They may also help with multiple chronic conditions, including heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, helping fight free radicals and protect the body against disease.

-Heart Health – Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It works tirelessly to provide your cells with the oxygen and nutrients they need. Getting more Vitamin C foods into your diet may help protect the health of your heart and prevent heart disease.

-Glowing Skin – The antioxidant content in Vitamin C benefits skin health in a variety of different ways. Due to its involvement in the synthesis of collagen, Vitamin C can help slow down skin aging, protect the skin against damage and free radical formation caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays, and may also help prevent dark spots by suppressing melanin production.

-Boosts Immune System – Probably the best known benefit of Vitamin C, and most people’s go to defense during flu season and when colds come along. Studies have shown that getting enough Vitamin C may help reduce symptoms and shorten the duration of respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold.

 

Surprising Vitamin C Foods:

-Star Fruit – As you have probably gathered from it’s name…this fruit is shaped like a star, and it is packed with important nutrients and health benefits. High in Vitamin C, antioxidants and fiber, this is a fruit that you might consider adding to your plate.

-Kakadu Plum – Not very well known, but according to the Australian researchers…the Kakadu plum has the “highest recorded level of natural Vitamin C content of any plant in the world — more than 100 times that of oranges.”

-Acerola Cherry – It is believed that this lesser-known fruit is one of the richest sources of Vitamin C available to us, providing around 50–100 times more than oranges or lemons!

-Red Cabbage – Did you know that red cabbage contains more Vitamin C than ORANGES…our #1 go to when we think of Vitamin C?!

-Broccoli and Kale – We know that green leafy vegetables contain good sources of magnesium, zinc, calcium and other necessary nutrients, but did you know that a serving of these delicious greens contain high amounts of Vitamin C, too?

-Black Currants – Black currant is just bursting with Vitamin C! One cup of raw black currants can provide triple the amount you need for the entire day!

 

Can You Have Too Much?

Just like with everything else, too much of a good thing can be too much of a bad thing. Over indulging on Vitamin C can cause digestive issues, headaches, heartburn and wear down your tooth enamel. So if you find yourself to be deficient in Vitamin C, it’s always wise not to panic and go overboard.

Certain studies have found that taking between 200 and 500 milligrams per day is plenty to experience health benefits and that doses higher than this may not even be absorbed. Some experts recommend taking no more than 2,000 milligrams per day, especially if taking high doses for weeks or months on end.

6 Reasons to Consume More Dark Chocolate!

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As if we needed a whole article that gives us more reasons to consume CHOCOLATE!

But I think we don’t give chocolate enough credit for what it can do for us. It deserves a little more time in the spotlight and a deeper dive into the many benefits it offers!

Just 6 of the Benefits of Eating Chocolate!

1. Skin Health – A London research found that eating flavonol-rich chocolate could help prevent damage caused by ultraviolet light. It’s also thought that consuming good chocolate regularly may also reduce skin roughness, enhance hydration and improve blood flow to the skin.

2. Brain Health – Good dark chocolate contains Flavonoids and resveratrol that may play a role in reducing inflammation with the central nervous system and increase blood flow to the brain.

3. Antioxidant Superfood – Did you know that the flavanol content of cocoa powder is significantly greater than all of the other super fruit powders? The antioxidant capacity of dark chocolate is also higher than all of the super fruit juices…only to be outdone by the pomegranate.

4. Heart Health – Just like it can help increase blood flow to the brain, it can also increase blood flow to the heart. The flavanols in chocolate can also help prevent blood platelets from clotting, which could reduce the risk of stroke.

5. Contains Many Nutrients and Minerals – Chocolate is a good source of the necessary minerals and nutrients, such as magnesium, zinc, potassium and even iron.

6. Makes You Feel Good – As if the taste alone didn’t make you feel good…chocolate is also a good source of phenylethylamine, a wonderful chemical that stimulates those feel-good endorphins.

 

The Best Type of Chocolate and What to Look Out For

There is just about no end to the types of chocolate you can find at the store. White chocolate, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, semi-sweet, flavored chocolates, etc. But not every type of chocolate is a good one and contains all these health benefits we just discovered.

Cocoa Vs. Cacao

You’ve probably heard both of these, and their differences are not limited to their, sometimes confusing, spelling!

Cocoa:

-Made from processed cacao that has been roasted at high temperatures.

-The process destroys the antioxidants in the chocolate.

Cacao:

-Made by cold-pressing un-roasted cacao beans.

-The process preserves all of the antioxidants in the chocolate.

 

While the Hershey’s bars in the candy isle might look tempting, eating them can put your body at risk for many health issues.

Hershey’s and many other popular chocolate brands aren’t really selling chocolate. During the manufacturing process, cocoa butter is mixed with vegetable oils. This is a cheaper way to make the chocolate, but you end up with a product that contains high amounts of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and soy lecithin, which can be dangerous to your health. Soy lecithin contains genetically modified soy, along with soy phytoestrogens that may promote an increased risk of breast cancer in adult women. Studies have shown that soy lecithin can affect immature brain cells, and lead to impeded brain development.

On the flip side: The proper form of dark chocolate contain higher amounts of certain antioxidants than some fruits. Try combining dark chocolate with its highest contender: pomegranate!

 

Study Sources:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038885/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19735513/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16702322/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18045712/