We usually associate the vitamin C to citric fruits or vegetables, and the truth is that these foods are the best sources of this micronutrient. While vitamin C is also found in a wide variety of nuts.
Although they are not a powerful source of vitamin C, consuming nuts on a regular basis will also provide us with good doses of this vitamin to reach the sufficient dose recommended by specialists.
In addition, nuts are a type of food that due to its characteristics can be consumed at any time of the day. Many of them can be eaten naturally or fried in oil, although raw intake is always healthier.
The nuts with the most vitamin C
- Chestnuts: This dried fruit is considered to be the one with the greatest contribution of vitamin C to the body. Every 100 grams contain 17.2 mg of this vitamin. In addition, chestnuts are a seasonal fruit that is preferably consumed in winter.
- Pistachios: For every 100 grams of food, pistachios provide 7 mg of vitamin C. For many consumers it is considered a delicacy and has a relatively high price in the market.
- Hazelnuts: Hazelnuts provide 3 mg of this vitamin per 100 grams of food, whether eaten with the shell or without shell.
- Walnuts: Walnuts are considered one of the nuts with the greatest health properties, although it is appropriate to moderate their consumption. It is highly beneficial for memory and is consumed naturally. For every 100 grams of food it provides 2.6 grams of this micronutrient.
- Pinion: For every 100 grams of pine nuts we will be incorporating up to 2 mg of vitamin C into the body.
In addition to these nuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, Macadamia nuts are also a source of vitamin C, although in a much lower proportion.
Required dose of vitamin C
Nutrition and endocrinology specialists emphasize the importance of having optimal levels of vitamin C, due to the different functions that this micronutrient performs in the body. Although, it is especially key to immune system health and skin care.
Thus, from the National Institute of Health of the United States They have prepared an interesting table in which the ideal amount that each person should ingest of vitamin C per day is collected, taking into account fundamental factors such as age, sex or pregnancy:
| Stage of life | Recommended amount |
|---|---|
| Babies up to 6 months of age | 40 mg |
| Babies 7 to 12 months of age | 50 mg |
| Children 1 to 3 years of age | 15 mg |
| Children 4-8 years old | 25 mg |
| Children 9-13 years of age | 45 mg |
| Adolescents (males) 14 to 18 years of age | 75 mg |
| Adolescents (girls) 14 to 18 years of age | 65 mg |
| Adults (men) | 90 mg |
| Adults (women) | 75 mg |
| Pregnant teens | 80 mg |
| Pregnant women | 85 mg |
| Lactating adolescents | 115 mg |
| Lactating women | 120 mg |
Under normal circumstances, an adult man needs to consume between 90-100 mg of vitamin C a day. Therefore, to reach these values it would be necessary to eat a very high amount of nuts.
That is, nuts are suitable foods to complement the diet and help cover the daily intake of this vitamin. However, to meet this objective it is essential to incorporate citrus fruits and vegetables into our diet on a daily basis; such as orange, kiwi, broccoli, red bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, parsley, persimmon, strawberries, or guava.