Getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals every day is essential for your overall health. But with our busy lives, it can be hard to find the time to prepare healthy meals, let alone eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Vitamin C is a crucial nutrient our bodies need to keep our immune system functioning, reduce inflammation and prevent chronic conditions.

It can be found in an array of fruits and vegetables, but one of the best and most delicious ways to get it is by making a vitamin C-packed punch!.

The Importance of Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is essential for the overall functioning of the body. It helps in the growth and repair of tissues, maintenance of healthy bones and teeth, improves brain function and helps boost immunity.

Your body doesn’t make vitamin C, so it’s essential to get it through food. However, many of us fail to get the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, which is about 75 to 90 milligrams per day depending on your age and gender.

Getting enough vitamin C has numerous health benefits:.

It helps in the absorption of iron
It reduces chronic inflammation, which is associated with diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer
It helps lower blood pressure and reduce risk of hypertension
It helps with collagen production, which maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage
It boosts immunity, preventing and fighting infections and illnesses
It is an antioxidant, which protects cells from oxidative stress and damage, which can cause aging and disease

Fruits and Vegetables Rich in Vitamin C

An array of fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C. The following are some of the best sources:.

Oranges
Grapefruit
Lemons
Limes
Kiwis
Strawberries
Mangoes
Pineapples
Spinach
Bell peppers (red and green)
Kale
Broccoli

How to Make a Vitamin C-Packed Punch

Making a vitamin C-packed punch is easy and can be customized to your taste preference. Here is a recipe for a basic punch:.

Ingredients

4 oranges
2 lemons
2 limes
1 cup of strawberries
3 cups of water
1/4 cup of honey

Instructions

Wash and halve the oranges, lemons, and limes.
Using a citrus juicer, juice the oranges, lemons, and limes and pour into a pitcher.
In a blender, blend the strawberries and water until smooth, then pour into the same pitcher as the fruit juice.
Add honey to the pitcher and stir.
Refrigerate punch for at least an hour.
Once chilled, stir punch and serve over ice.

You may also add other fruits such as pineapples, mangoes or kiwis for extra flavour and vitamin C.

Benefits of Drinking a Vitamin C-Packed Punch

Drinking a vitamin C-packed punch has a wide range of health benefits:.

It boosts your immune system
It helps ward off infections and illnesses
It promotes healthy skin, bones, blood vessels and cartilage
It helps lower inflammation and reduce the risk of chronic diseases
It relieves stress and fatigue, providing energy to the body

Conclusion

Vitamin C is an important nutrient that should be included in our daily diet. Drinking a vitamin C-packed punch is a tasty and easy way to ensure we get the recommended daily intake of vitamin C, boosting our immunity and preventing chronic diseases.

Citrus fruits and berries are some of the best sources of vitamin C, and by following the recipe above, you can easily make a healthy punch that is packed with this nutrient.

Try making your own vitamin C-packed punch and enjoy the numerous health benefits it brings!.