Ensuring you get all the vitamins you need means many of us take daily supplements to augment our food choices. Vitamin C is an important vitamin that helps maintain healthy tissue, protects against cardiovascular disease and promotes a strong immune system among other health benefits. However, it’s important to take all vitamin supplements in the correct amounts, particularly after a recent Swedish study revealed that men who take vitamin C supplements over a long period of time are more at risk of developing kidney stones.
The same study showed that men who took multivitamin supplements that included smaller amounts of vitamin C did not face the same risk. Kidney stones are a painful condition in which crystallised matters form in the kidney, occasionally blocking the urinary tract and requiring treatment to remove them. More men are likely to suffer from kidney stones than women.
One conclusion to draw from the study is that the best way to ensure you get the right amount of vitamin C is naturally through your diet. The recommended daily amount (RDA) for vitamin C is a minimum of 90mg for adult men and 75mg for adult women, and here are 5 foods you can include in your daily diet to get all the vitamin C you need.
- Guava and kiwi – these sweet tropical fruits are positively drenched in vitamin C. Pulp them to make a smoothie or just eat on their own.
- Leafy greens – pile on the likes of Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard and cress on to your dinner plate for a naturally vitamin C boost.
- Bell peppers – the vitamin C content of these delicious sweet vegetables depend on their colour with yellow having the most and green the least.
- Chilli peppers – spice up your life and your plate with green and red chilli peppers, both of which have a high concentration of vitamin C.
- Herbs – fresh or dried, parsley and thyme have the highest vitamin C levels of any herbs. Add them to your meals as you cook and gain all the benefits quickly and simply.
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