[Half a lemon is not enough] How much Vitamin C is effective to take care of your health and where can you find it
Have you also heard that a shot of lemon on an empty stomach is enough to ward off viruses and flu?
This belief has become popular because this fruit is loaded with vitamin C , but such a small dose is not enough to offer you extra protection.
Therefore, we are going to reveal to you the amount that does help to strengthen the immune system and offers you other additional benefits that, perhaps, you do not know yet.
If you're wondering how much vitamin C a lemon has, approximately 50 milligrams. And it's not even close to the amount you need to stay healthy.
What is vitamin C and how can it help you?
Also known as ascorbic acid, vitamin C is a water-soluble micronutrient with many virtues that positively impact health.
Its properties and effectiveness have been studied more than those of any other vitamin or mineral.
So much research and testing even gave birth to a Nobel Prize in physiology in its name and has lengthened the list of protective effects that we present below:
Revitalizes the immune system
It benefits the innate immune system (with which you were born) and the adaptive one that develops over the years as you are exposed to external substances such as bacteria, toxins and environmental pollution.
Experts explain that it is because it could stimulate natural killer cells that fight any threat that attacks the body.
Therefore, when you lack vitamin C, the probability of contracting diseases, viruses and infections increases.
Acts as an antioxidant
It helps protect cells against free radicals, feared enemies that cause aging and diseases such as cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
Free radicals are molecules produced by the body as a result of biological reactions; from the most basic things like eating, drinking and breathing, to when your food is converted into energy, you do exercises or you are exposed to solar radiation.
Well, it has been determined that to stay young and healthy you must neutralize them through healthy habits, including taking advantage of the antioxidant power of vitamin C.
Helps repair tissues
When you cut or scratch yourself, this nutrient helps your wounds heal faster, thanks to the fact that it is part of the scar tissue growth process.
Among its functions is to form collagen, a protein that the body uses to produce skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels.
As if that were not enough, it helps repair and maintain cartilage, bones and teeth.
Increases iron absorption
One way to take advantage of the richness of foods is to combine them intelligently.
And a mixture from which you can absorb many benefits is iron with vitamin C.
It turns out that it is easy for the body to assimilate iron from foods of animal origin, but it is difficult to do so in the chemical form of iron found in vegetables.
Good news: Vitamin C can improve that absorption process.
So when you eat legumes, try to include foods rich in this vitamin. And for greater effectiveness, opt for supplementation.
What happens when you have a Vitamin C deficiency?
Although severe deficiencies are not common, many people do not reach optimal levels of vitamin C.
It is estimated that one in 10 adults consumes enough vegetables and fruits with this vitamin, when precisely this food group is where its largest suppliers are.
There are people more likely to suffer from its deficiency:
- Those who have a decreased ability to digest and absorb food.
- Those who do not eat a balanced diet and consume processed foods.
- Older adults with little capacity to absorb nutrients due to age.
- Smokers who are exposed to oxidative stress caused by cigarette smoke.
- Pregnant and lactating women require extra vitamin C.
When you have a deficit, it is easy to notice the signs: feeling unwell, dry skin, pain and inflammation of the joints, muscle weakness, tiredness, mood swings, inflammation and bleeding of the gums, poor wound healing, bruising and loss of appetite.
So, when the deficiency is prolonged, scurvy, anemia and depression can develop.
The magic number: how much should you take?
The human body does not produce vitamin C on its own.
It also does not store it, so there is no point in consuming more than the recommended dose; If you do, the extra amount will end up in the toilet.
Experts suggest between 100 and 200 mg daily, which is easy to obtain through diet.
But when it comes to strengthening defenses, daily intake should reach up to 2,000 mg per day.
This amount helps prevent oxidative stress in the muscles (athletes and high-performance sportspeople) and reduce the duration of the common cold.
Daily upper limits vary by age:
| Stage of life | Limit | superior | diary | |
| Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation | |
| Birth to 12 months | not established | not established | ||
| Children from 1 to 3 years | 400mg | 400mg | ||
| Children from 4 to 8 years | 650mg | 650mg | ||
| Children from 9 to 13 years old | 1200 mg | 1200 mg | ||
| Adolescent from 14 to 18 years old | 1800mg | 1800mg | 1800mg | 1800 mg |
| Adults (19+ years) | 2000mg | 2000 mg | 2000mg | 2000mg |
IMPORTANT: if you exceed the maximum permitted limits of vitamin C according to the WHO , you may experience diarrhea, nausea, heartburn and abdominal pain.
Get the exact dosage with food and supplementation
Feeding
Its main source is food, specifically citrus fruits and vegetables.
In this table we show you the contribution that each of them makes to your diet:
| Food | Milligrams per serving | Percent Daily Value (%) DV Amount of vitamin C that one serving contributes to your total diet. |
| Red bell pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup | 95 | 106 |
| Orange juice, ¾ cup | 93 | 103 |
| Orange, 1 medium | 70 | 78 |
| Grapefruit juice, ¾ cup | 70 | 78 |
| Kiwi, 1 medium | 64 | 71 |
| Green bell pepper, sweet, raw, ½ cup | 60 | 67 |
| Cooked broccoli, ½ cup | 51 | 57 |
| Fresh strawberries, sliced, ½ cup | 49 | 54 |
| Brussels sprouts, cooked, ½ cup | 48 | 53 |
| Grapefruit, ½ medium | 39 | 43 |
| Raw broccoli, ½ cup | 39 | 43 |
| Tomato juice, ¾ cup | 33 | 37 |
| Melon, ½ cup | 29 | 32 |
| cooked cabbage, ½ cup | 28 | 31 |
| Raw cauliflower, ½ cup | 26 | 29 |
| Baked potato, 1 medium | 17 | 19 |
| Raw tomato, 1 medium | 17 | 19 |
| Spinach, cooked, ½ cup | 9 | 10 |
| Green peas, frozen, cooked, ½ cup | 8 | 9 |
When preparing your food, take into account that vitamin C deteriorates due to the action of light and high temperatures. It also dissolves in cooking water.
The best way to cook them is to steam them for a short period of time.
And remember that the qualities of this vitamin decrease when stored for a long time, so try to eat your food as fresh as possible.
Supplementation
A large percentage of people do not get enough vitamin C, an uninspiring outlook, especially in times of a global pandemic.
The most common reason is that they do not eat enough fruits and vegetables , or if they do, they do not include a great variety on their plates.
There are also those who do not have time or do not know how to prepare healthy meals, and those who opt for processed foods.
The good thing is that you can close this nutritional gap with a supplement that serves as an elevator and takes you up to 2,000 milligrams in a single push.
The need to have a defense system that resists everything from the most common to the unexpected attacks is becoming more and more evident.
Therefore, supplementing with vitamin C will be an effective support, as long as you complement it with a healthy lifestyle.
It is also suitable for those who practice keto, vegans and vegetarians.
You no longer have to think about how much vitamin C a lemon has, better supplement yourself with Vitamin C.
