In the wake of the coronavirus disease COVID-19, a disease currently without a cure, having a strong immune system is currently the only way to withstand the effects and recover from being infected. Good nutrition is essential to having a robust immune system that can stand being hit by disease and illnesses without breaking down.
Vitamin C is one of those essential nutrients that are known to play an important part in strengthening one’s immunity to disease and illnesses.
Here’s a list of some naturally occurring Vitamin C packed fruits you should incorporate into your diet to better your chances of survival — should you be infected with the virus.
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Related: Why Vitamin C is important to your immune system
Vitamin C fruits for building immunity against COVID-19
Pineapple (chunks or juice)
Pineapples are one of the fruits with naturally occurring Vitamin C. To get the most from the fruit for your immune system, you should eat a whole medium sized fruit or drink one cup of juice.
Mango (chunks or juice)
Mangoes are another rich source of Vitamin C. Just get yourself a cup of mango slices (chunks), or its equivalent in juice and you’ll be good to go.
Oranges
One large orange fruit is packed with enough Vitamin C to fulfill your daily nutritional need. You can choose to juice it if that’s what suits you best. A cup of orange juice does just about the same thing in helping your immune system against the COVID-19.
Bananas
These are also good sources of the nutrient. And the good thing is, when possible, you can have all these together in a tasty fruit salad.
Pawpaw
One medium sized pawpaw fruit contains just what you’ll need from it for your daily Vitamin C dietary needs.
Grapefruit
Grapefruits (both white and pink) are packed with Vitamin C. Getting a cup of either juices would be fine to get you through the day.
Sweet and chilli pepper
Peppers are another great source of Vitamin C. Now it is one of the most commonly used spices and seasoning agents so, it is expected to contribute to your daily intake. However, since excessive heat can destroy the vitamins, it is advised to only put in these ingredients when a stew or soup is at the steaming or simmer-down stage.
Tomatoes
Much like peppers above, tomatoes are a daily presence in our stews and soups. They are rich in Vitamin C and contain enough nutrients for your body’s daily requirement. Tomatoes, like peppers should not be overly heated in stews so as to preserve much of their nutritional content.
Potatoes
Potatoes, though not fruits, are good sources of Vitamin C for your body to be nourished on — and they are pretty common on the local market as well. You can use them in mashed potato or french fries with some good gravy or sauce to go with it.
Related: 10 Common sense measures for surviving COVID-19
Other sources
The above are the fruits that are common enough for the everyday person in Ghana to have access to. They are not the only vitamin-rich fruits, however. Cauliflower, kiwifruit, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, as well as strawberries, are all great sources of Vitamin C.
Knowing how to properly use these in food preparation is important in retaining the nutritional value of the food items. For the fruits mentioned early on, there is no need for cooking. So they retain all their nutrients as you eat them. The others like peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes may need some heat in order to have them properly prepared for consumption. In their case, you should cook them over a moderate heat in order not to boil the nutrients to death.
Health is wealth, and a robust immune system built on good nutrition is wealth in times of illness and possible death.
