One vegetable 'keeps colds and flu at bay' and has more vitamin C than citrus fruits

One veggie boasts more vitamin C than citrus fruits, suggesting that adding it to your meals could help you ward off seasonal illnesses. With winter in full swing, many of us across Ireland are grappling with colds and flu.

While rest and patience are the only true remedies for these ailments, there are steps we can take to alleviate our symptoms while we recover, or even reduce our chances of getting sick in the first place. Our diet is crucial in maintaining a strong immune system, which is tasked with fending off infections.

If your immune system is healthy, you're less likely to fall ill – and if you do catch a bug, your body will be better prepared to combat it quickly. Including the right amount of vitamin C in your daily diet is believed to help shorten the duration of colds.

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It's a vital part of any healthy diet and, along with other nutrients like vitamin D, zinc, and potassium, can boost immunity. But contrary to common belief, citrus isn't the only – or even the best – source of vitamin C.

There's a vegetable that has a higher concentration and it's easily accessible at any supermarket. Bell peppers contain 80.4mg of vitamin C per 100g, surpassing lemons, which have just 53mg for the same weight, reports Surrey Live.

Oranges also contain 53.2mg per 100g, while grapefruits offer 31.2mg. Incorporating a wide variety of fruits into your diet is beneficial, and it's clear bell peppers are a fantastic addition.

Just a 50g serving can meet the daily recommended intake of 40mg.

A TikTok user has pointed out that bell peppers, citrus fruits and kiwis are all packed with this vital nutrient. "The body does not store vitamin C, and the yellow bell pepper has the most vitamin C among all the fruits you just saw there," the video explains.

The HSE emphasises that a balanced diet should provide enough vitamin C, but since our bodies can't store it, we need to consume it daily. Strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes are also good sources.

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