With the winter weather starting to ramp up, many of us are starting to battle with seasonal illnesses.
While resting up and staying patient are the best remedies for seeing off a nasty cold, there are some things that we can do to alleviate our symptoms or even reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place.
Our diet plays a crucial role in maintaining a strong immune system, which is tasked with fending off infections. If your immune system is healthy, you’re less likely to fall ill – and if you do catch a bug, your body will be better prepared to fight it off quickly.
Including the right amount of vitamin C in your daily diet is believed to help shorten the duration of colds. It’s a vital part of any healthy diet and, along with other nutrients like Vitamin D, zinc, and potassium, can boost immunity.
Most people know that citrus fruits are a good way to get it into your system but there is a common vegetable that is packed with even more of the crucial nutrient. Bell peppers contain 80.4mg of vitamin C per 100g, surpassing lemons, which have just 53mg for the same weight, reports Surrey Live.
Oranges also contain 53.2mg per 100g, while grapefruits offer 31.2mg. Incorporating a wide variety of fruit and veg into your diet is beneficial, and it’s clear that bell peppers are a fantastic addition.
Just a 50g serving can meet the daily recommended intake of 40mg, so making sure they are in your meals could help you ward off seasonal illnesses.
One TikTok user has put a spotlight on bell peppers, as well as citrus fruits and kiwis, as top-notch providers of important vitamins. In the clip, user @healthtalk.eden.health says: “The body does not store vitamin C, and the yellow bell pepper has the most vitamin C among all the fruits you just saw there.”
The NHS emphasises the importance of a balanced diet for sufficient vitamin C intake and reminds us that, since our bodies can’t stockpile it, it’s essential to consume it daily. Not to be overlooked, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spuds are also hailed as potent sources.
Don’t miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.