12 Vitamin C-Packed Foods to Rev Up Your Immune System

Our bodies can't produce vitamin C on their own, but this important nutrient has many important health benefits and can be obtained from various food sources.

"The primary function of vitamin C is manufacturing collagen, a main protein substance in the body," says Abbie Gellman, a registered dietitian, and chef. "Vitamin C is also vital for would repair, healthy gums, and prevention against being easily bruised."

Additionally, vitamin C helps our bodies with immunity and absorption of other nutrients. It also helps us maintain healthy bones, teeth, and skin and is an antioxidant, which means it fights free radicals that can cause illnesses and accelerate the aging process.

"Eating foods rich in vitamin C has been associated with helping prevent and/or treat a range of health conditions, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and the common cold," Gellman says. "Vitamin C also helps you absorb non-heme iron, which is the type found in plant foods such as leafy greens. We cannot easily absorb non-heme iron, but vitamin C works synergistically to help us absorb the nutrient more easily."

But is it true that we should load up on vitamin C when we feel a cold coming on? Not necessarily, says registered dietitian Lauren Sharpe. She explains that in a 2013 review of 29 randomized studies involving more than 11,000 participants, taking vitamin C each day did not reduce the risk of getting a cold among the general population.

However, some research shows high doses of vitamin C can decrease the length of the cold symptoms, she says, pointing out that this required substantial doses of 8,000 mg per day. "Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, so any amount that the body doesn’t need (more than 400 mg) will be excreted in the urine," she says. "In addition, a daily dose of more than 2,000 mg can cause abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea."

Overall, Sharpe points out that it is not recommended to take high doses of vitamin C without a registered dietitian or medical doctor's consent. Instead, you'll want to aim for around 75 mg per day for women or 90 mg per day for men, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Looking for some tasty foods that will help you get enough vitamin C each day? Here are some of the best sources of vitamin C, recommended by Gellman and Sharpe.