Foods High in Vitamin C & E

Vitamins C and E are replenished easily by certain foods. Vitamin C is mostly in fruits and vegetables, whereas vitamin E is more diversified, and is in seeds, nuts, vegetables, fruit, fish and a few other foods like peanut butter. How do you know if you need these two vitamins? Certain lifestyles rob the body of nutrients.

Robbers and Deficiency Signs

If your lifestyle includes smoking, alcohol, pollution, stress and fried foods, your vitamin C levels decrease. If you eat fried foods, take birth control pills or live or work in areas that have air pollution, your body will have a decrease in vitamin E. The body sends us signs to signal that we need these vitamins. If you're bruising easily, have gums that bleed, or experience joint pains or excessive hair loss, these are signs of vitamin C deficiency. Severe PMS, fertility problems or lack of sex drive are signs of vitamin E deficiency. Check with your doctor; he may want to run a simple blood test.

How Much

Dietary supplement content is on food labels. If a packaged food has vitamin E or C in the contents, the Food and Drug Administration requires the quantity content to be on the label. The recommended daily allowance for vitamin E for adults is 15 mg or 22.4 IU a day, and for vitamin C it is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women.

Features Vitamin C and E

Vitamin C combats stress from behind the scenes, knocking down the first sign of an infection. Utilization is at an astonishing rate during times of stress. C is a water-soluble vitamin, so it passes out of the body rapidly through urine. Therefore, vitamin C needs to be replaced daily. Vitamin C also has antihistamine and antioxidant actions to fight infection.

Vitamin E increases formation of blood vessels, assists in normalizing blood viscosity and is important for cardiac cellular respiration. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant, which is essential for the absorption of iron.

Snack on Vitamin Enriched Foods

An easy way to replenish vitamins is to snack on raw sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds. Nuts that are cooked, salted and processed do not have the same benefit. Raw, unsalted nuts can be purchased at health food stores and have the highest vitamin content.

Foods Rich in Vitamins C

The vegetables that have the highest value of vitamin C are: peppers, cauliflower, watercress, tomatoes, cabbage, peas, broccoli, potato skin and spinach. Try eating them raw with a little ranch dip. Also, the following fruits are high in vitamin C: limes, grapefruits, strawberries, melons, kiwi, oranges, guava, papaya, mango and tangerines. Fruit is the most beneficial if eaten alone and in the morning.

Foods Rich in Vitamin E

There are five categories of foods that rank high in vitamin E. Seeds and nuts are great on a salad or as a snack. Those that are rich in vitamin E include sunflower seeds, peanuts, hazelnuts and almonds. The second highest are vegetables, baking sweet potatoes or beans, and lightly steamed peas, spinach and broccoli. Only two fruits are high in vitamin E--kiwi and mango. Fish have the highest amount of vitamin E, especially sardines, tuna and salmon. Finally, a few other are foods peanut butter, wheat germ, unrefined corn oil and wheat germ oil.

Cautions

Overcooking decreases the vitamin content in the foods. To receive the full benefit, eating raw fruits and vegetables is best. Fish is best steamed, poached or cooked in some way, never raw. Steam, simmer or boil vegetables in small amounts of water or microwave for a short time

References

• National Institute of health, the office of Dietary Supplements
• The Ohio State University
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 4th ed. Home and Garden Bulletin No. Publication Article:U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish