Maintaining a healthy, balanced diet filled with different nutrients plays a key part in our everyday health and wellbeing. In this article, discover how vitamin C can contribute to your normal immune system function, as well as some potentially surprising natural sources you might want to add to your shopping list.
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We all know the idea: eat well, feel well. A balanced diet, a bit of variety, eating the rainbow, everything ticking along nicely in the background.
And then… life gets in the way.
Meals get rushed, plans change, and suddenly “balanced” looks a little different to what we had in mind. Which is exactly why the small things matter.
And Vitamin C is another one of those small things.
Everyone knows eating a healthy, balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health. Sounds simple right? But we’re sure you’ll agree that even with the best intentions in the world, sometimes life gets in the way and a balanced diet goes flying out the window. However, it is important to remember that a healthy, balanced diet can help to keep the immune system working properly and we need to look after our immune systems so that they can fend off infections where possible.
A number of different nutrients are involved in supporting our immune systems to work normally and one of these noteworthy nutrients is vitamin C.
Our Twinings Herbal Expert Sophia Forrester loves vitamin C due to it contributing to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. It can also help to support healthy skin, blood vessels and bones and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
However, vitamin C needs us to play our part! It cannot be stored in the body, so we need to make sure we are including it in our diet every single day. Vitamin C supplements can be very useful, but Sophia believes that nothing beats getting vitamin C than from your diet.
She’s not alone, as the British Nutrition Foundation also says “wherever possible, vitamin and mineral intakes should come from a nutritionally balanced and diverse diet”. Food and drink can contain a whole host of other beneficial nutrients which together with vitamin C help to make up a balanced and nutritious diet.
But don’t worry, this is easier than you think. And no, you don’t need to eat a million Oranges a day. In fact, the NHS advises adults need 40mg of vitamin C a day and you should be able to get this all from your daily diet.
Although famously found in Citrus Fruit, you can also find naturally occurring vitamin C in loads of different fruit and veg. Some might even surprise you:
Strawberries– top up your porridge with more Strawberries as there’s 48mg of vit C in your daily portion of 7 strawberries.
Broccoli (steamed)– there is 36mg of vit C in two spears of this mini tree like veg, but don’t forget to steam rather than boil*
Red Peppers– throw in a salad, toss in a stir fry – whatever you choose to do with it, ½ a red pepper can contribute 107.1mg of your daily vitamin C.
Tomatoes– one medium tomato will give you 25.4mg of vit C. Why not combine with your red pepper to top up your salad bowl?
Oranges– we can’t not mention the Orange as it’s worked hard to earn it’s vitamin C reputation. You’ll find an impressive 52mg of vit C in an average sized orange.
(All mg of vit C from the Department of Health, all portion sizes from the NHS)
*Sophia always advises consuming any vitamin C rich foods raw or steaming them with minimal water. This is because vitamin C is water soluble and some can be lost in cooking water.
One delicious way of adding more vitamin C to your day is with a Twinings refreshing Sparkling Tea. This versatile infusion adds a unique twist to your day and provides so much more than something to quench your thirst.
The Sparkling Teas are rich in antioxidant vitamin C* and contain a number of vitamins and minerals. The range is also free from any artificial sweeteners or colours, created with no added sugar* and less than 50 calories in each can.
With three flavours to choose from, it's a simple yet delicious way to add more vitamin C to your day—and they're great for on the go.
Refresh: Juicy raspberry lemonade with hibiscus. Blended with Chinese white tea infusion, Refresh contains Magnesium, Niacin and vitamin C
Defence: Zesty orange with passionfruit and elderberry. Blended with Chinese green tea infusion, Defence contains Zinc and vitamins C and D
Boost: Zingy lemon with ginger and lemon balm. Blended with an Indian black tea infusion, Boost contains vitamins B6, B12, and C
*Twinings Sparkling Teas contain naturally occurring sugars from fruit juice. They are high in vitamin C which contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and to the protection of cells from
oxidative stress.
Feeling at your best every day is the inspiration behind our carefully crafted Superblends Defence Infusion. A delicious combination of green tea, juicy fruit flavours and Echinacea root will comfort you with taste while the added benefit of 20mg of Vitamin C* helps to support the normal function of your immune system.
*based on an infusion brewed with 200ml hot water for 3 minutes
Cold Infuse Vitality Raspberry & Hibiscus 12 Infusers
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