The Highest Vitamin C Fruits You Can Eat

Although it’s still controversial as to whether vitamin C can protect against colds and flu, there are medical experts who believe you should increase your intake of vitamin C in the winter months for protection against viruses and bacteria that can cause wintertime illness. Encouragingly, a study published in the Journal of Manipulative Physical Therapy in 1999 did show that high doses of vitamin C when given to a group of test subjects decreased cold and flu symptoms by eighty-five percent when compared with a control group. Because some studies have shown that high doses of vitamin C in supplement form may not be as effective and may actually be harmful, it’s best to use natural sources of vitamin C, particularly fruit. What is the highest vitamin C fruit you can add to your diet for possible protection against colds and flu?

When it comes to the highest vitamin C fruit, the answer may surprise you. Most people think of the orange as being the riches source of natural vitamin C. In actuality, this distinction goes to the Kakadu plum, a fruit native to Australia. This vitamin C rich fruit has up to fifty times the amount of vitamin C found in a single orange. Following closely behind the Kakadu plum is the camu camu fruit, grown in the Amazonian rain forests of Peru, which is just starting to gain popularity in the United States due to its health properties. Although these fruits may be the highest vitamin C fruits in the world, they aren’t widely available in the United States. Camu camu can be purchased as a juice and as a powder either online or at certain health food stores.

If you want to choose among the highest vitamin C fruits available in your local grocery store, black currants are a good choice and can be made into jellies and syrups which can be served for breakfast. Other highest vitamin C fruits include the guava, kiwi, and lychee which are available at some supermarkets. You may need to visit an Oriental grocery store for lychee.

Using these natural fruits is a safer and more effective way to boost vitamin C levels than is taking a vitamin C supplement which some studies have shown to be harmful. Plus, you’ll get the benefits of the fiber content of the fruit and the additional vitamins and minerals these fruits contain. The best plan may be to select several highest vitamin C fruits and chop them up to be used as a fruit salad or to add them to cereal or yogurt. In this way, you can benefit from a variety of fruit sources as opposed to just one.

Highest vitamin C fruits are a tasty way to boost your vitamin C levels for the upcoming cold and flu season. Although controversial, that extra vitamin C derived from fruits could be what you need to stay out of your doctor’s office this winter.