8 Top Foods to Boost Your Immune System With Vitamin C

Cold and Flu season are rapidly approaching and most of us are either trying to avoid getting sick or trying to kick seasonal allergies. Since Vitamin C helps the body maintain healthy tissues and a strong immune system, it's a great ally in boosting your immunity. Vitamin C also assists in the body's absorption of iron.  According to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin C for adult men is 90 mg, and for adult women it is 75 mg.  Recent studies have questioned the effectiveness of vitamin C in pill form, so get your vitamin C naturally with these top 8 food sources.

1. Guava fruit.  Guava are one of the best fruits available since they're cholesterol and sodium-free, plus low in fat and calories.  A 1/2 cup of this fruit contains 188 mg of vitamin C and only 56 calories. They are also high in fiber.  Guava may be eaten raw or blended into a smoothie.  The rind is also edible and contains 5 times more vitamin C than an orange!
2. Red Sweet Pepper.  Most people instantly think of oranges or orange juice when they think of vitamin C.  However, 1/2 cup of raw red sweet pepper contains 142 mg of vitamin C and only 20 calories; cooked, a half cup yields 116 mg of vitamin C.  I like these peppers chopped into my salads for additional color and amazing taste.    
3.  Kiwi fruit.  The kiwi is rich in vitamin C.  One medium-sized kiwi contains 70 mg of vitamin C and 62 calories. 
   
4. Oranges. Surprised they didn't make the top of the list? A medium orange offers 70mg of vitamin C and approximately 62 calories.  Pure orange juice offers 60-94 mg of vitamin C and 80-85 calories.
5. Green Sweet Peppers.  Raw, these peppers offer 60 mg of vitamin C per 1/2 cup and only 15 calories.  When cooked, this is lowered to 51 mg of vitamin C.
6. Grapefruit juice provides almost as much vitamin C as green sweet peppers: 3/4 cup contains 50-70 mg vitamin C and approximately 84 calories.
7. Vegetable juice.  Have you had a V8 lately? Vegetable juice contains numerous nutrients, including a healthy dose of vitamin C (about 50 mg and 34 calories in 3/4 of a cup).  Tomato-based vegetable juice also provides a healthy dose of lycopene, an illness-fighting
   
   phytonutrient. 
8. Strawberries are great sources of antioxidants, like vitamin C, and also contain fiber.  A 1/2 cup of strawberries has 49 mg of vitamin C and only 27 calories.