Boost Your Immunity With this Vitamin C Smoothie
Forget "an apple a day keeps the doctor away." What you really want to reach for are oranges, papayas, mangos, pineapple, and other tropical fruits high in vitamin C! This essential vitamin boosts your immune response when it’s most important.[1] Plus, it’s a powerful antioxidant — and not just on its own. It helps regenerate other antioxidants in your body.[1]
Many people eat oranges to get a vitamin C boost; did you know that one orange contains 78 percent of your recommended daily value?[1] Yet you might be surprised that a lot of foods have even more vitamin C than oranges. We’re looking at you, kale and mango.
One of the easiest ways to get all that nutritious vitamin C power is to pack it all into a smoothie. We’ve created a "taste of the tropics" smoothie, full of banana, mango, orange, and lemon, with fresh raspberries to round it out, and a handful of kale for even more nutrition. There’s even a bonus boost from Global Healing’s new Vitamin C supplement.
A healthy diet is key to having a healthy immune system. Ideally, that diet is mostly or exclusively plant-based, gluten-free, and free of animal products. It’s also a delicious way to eat! Make all-natural raw fruit smoothies a regular part of your health regime.
Best Vitamin C Smoothie Recipe
This smoothie recipe is packed with vitamin C — it has 287.5 mg per serving! To get the highest level of the vitamin as well as antioxidants, use fresh fruits, because they're rich in fiber and nutrients.[2] Plus, they’re natural rather than processed, which is better for your body. The fruits in this smoothie aren’t just high in vitamin C, they also contain potent antioxidants. That means the smoothie is an excellent immune system booster. Your body will thank you.
You should find all of the fruits in this tropical-inspired smoothie in the produce section. However, if they’re out of season or unavailable, you can replace fresh with frozen for some or all of them. If you use frozen fruit, go easy on the ice, so it doesn’t get too thick. The kale adds C plus extra vitamins and minerals — namely, A, K, and B complex.
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1½ cups roughly torn kale
- ½ large navel orange
- 1 banana
- 1 mango
- ½ cup raspberries
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 2 dropperfuls Global Healing Plant-Based Vitamin C
- Ice
Directions
- Add kale, fruit, lemon juice, and Vitamin C Liquid Extract to blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add ice a few cubes at a time, blending to desired consistency.
- Serve immediately.
Why Vitamin C Is So Good for Your Health
There’s a reason so many people reach for a vitamin C supplement or eat high-vitamin C foods when they feel a bit under the weather. It’s an essential vitamin for your immune system — it will help you feel better in no time. That’s because vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant — and builds up other antioxidants in our systems, too, particularly vitamins A and E.[3]
Taking vitamin C supplements regularly can help keep you healthy. If you do feel under the weather, some experts have found it shortens the length of time you are down and out.[4] Vitamin C protects your cells from harmful free radicals by attaching to healthy white blood cells and helping them multiply.[5]
Vitamin C also boosts collagen formation — a protein building block of your entire body, forming and repairing connective tissues, including the cartilage in your joints.[6] Collagen is not only important for wound healing but also for an effective immune response.
Vitamin C supports lung function, too. A regular supplement may help you breathe easier. If you’ve got a respiratory bug or have overworked yourself, it helps you get more air with each breath.[7, 8]
Vitamin C works well with zinc to fight oxidative stress, not only helping respiratory symptoms, which zinc is known for,[9] but also keeping you looking and feeling younger longer.[10] and
Points to Remember
Vitamin C is a powerhouse vitamin for your health. Although most people associate oranges with this vitamin, mango, papaya, pineapple, and other tropical fruits are also high in C. Blend them into a delicious tropical smoothie full of healthy nutrients. Our vitamin C smoothie recipe brings a powerful punch of health, with mango, banana, raspberries, lemon juice, orange, and a bit of kale.
Fresh fruit is real food, rich in fiber and nutrients that your body wants. A plant-based diet is the best way to optimal health. You will get more vitamins and nutrients from your food if you choose organic options, and avoid meat and processed foods.
Vitamin C offers numerous health benefits! In addition to boosting your immune system and improving antioxidant levels in your blood, vitamin C can help you get sick less often, recover more quickly, and give your collagen levels a healthy boost. It also helps you be proactive against signs of aging. Vitamin C works together in your body with vitamins A and E, and zinc.
Get an even bigger boost from vitamin C with Global Healing’s new Organic Plant-Based Vitamin C liquid extract. One dropperful of the supplement (either in the smoothie or on its own) will help you feel even better than you already do.
References (10)
- Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Updated 27 Feb 2020. Accessed 10 Apr 2020.
- Dreher ML. Whole fruits and fruit fiber emerging health effects. Nutrients. 2018 Nov 28;10(12).
- Chen LH. Interaction of vitamin E and ascorbic acid (review). In Vivo. 1989 May-Jun;3(3):199-209.
- Douglas RM, et al. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007;(3):CD000980.
- Huijkens MJ, et al. Technical advance: ascorbic acid induces development of double-positive T cells from human hematopoietic stem cells in the absence of stromal cells. J Leukoc Biol. 2014 Dec;96(6):1165-1175.
- DePhillipo NN, et al. Efficacy of vitamin C supplementation on collagen synthesis and oxidative stress after musculoskeletal injuries: a systematic review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2018 Oct 25;6(10):2325967118804544.
- Larsson N, et al. Identification of vitamin C transporters in the human airways: a cross-sectional in vivo study. BMJ Open. 2015 Apr 8;5(4):e006979.
- Hemilä H. The effect of vitamin C on bronchoconstriction and respiratory symptoms caused by exercise: a review and statistical analysis. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2014 Nov 27;10(1):58.
- Maggini S, et al. A combination of high-dose vitamin C plus zinc for the common cold. J Int Med Res. 2012;40(1):28-42.
- Wintergerst ES, et al. Immune-enhancing role of vitamin C and zinc and effect on clinical conditions. Ann Nutr Metab. 2006;50(2):85-94.
†Results may vary. Information and statements made are for education purposes and are not intended to replace the advice of your doctor. If you have a severe medical condition or health concern, see your physician.
Dr. Edward Group, DC
FOUNDER | HEALER | ADVOCATEDr. Group, DC is a healer and alternative health advocate, and an industry leader and innovator in the field of natural health who is dedicated to helping others. He is a registered doctor of chiropractic (DC), a naturopathic practitioner (NP), and proud alum of Harvard Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management. Dr. Group, DC is the founder of Global Healing – a mission and vision he has shared through best-selling books and frequent media appearances. He aims to spread his message of positivity, hope, and wellness throughout the world.
