FEND OFF THE FLU WITH ZESPRI KIWIFRUIT
-
Did You Know
We all need our share of nutrients each day to stay healthy, vital, and fit. This is no truer than when cold weather hits! For many, the colder temperatures signify the start of cold and flu season. Fortunately, you can fend off the common cold and reduce the severity of the flu with a healthy dose of vitamin C.
In fact, dieticians recommend maintaining a consistent diet of nutrient-rich foods that contain not only vitamin C, but also vitamins A and D, as well as zinc and potassium to keep your body ready to handle flu season — typically September through May.
This makes kiwifruit the perfect choice to help you get right as rain when you’re feeling under the weather.
Is Vitamin C Good for the Flu and Common Cold?
The common cold is the single most frequent infection in humans. The average person will get it several times in a given year. While the cure for the common cold still eludes us, it goes without saying that getting a healthy dose of vitamin C every day supports healthy immune function. This can help lessen the duration and symptoms of a common cold.
Vitamin C and the Immune System
The immune system is the body’s natural defense mechanism against infections and pesky invaders. While vitamin C is essential for the immune system, the human body doesn’t store it. That means that you have to get what you need from food: broccoli, tomatoes, and fruits — like kiwifruit.
Because we tend to get sluggish and feel fatigued while stricken with the flu, Vitamin C’s contribution to healthy, normal energy metabolism is the perfect counter that reduces tiredness and fatigue. Fortunately, both Zespri Green and SunGold kiwifruit contain Vitamin C in abundance!
How Much Vitamin C Do I Need?
Everyone’s needs are as unique as they are. But according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin C range between 80 mg and 90 mg for adults, at least 85 mg for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
And getting your RDA of vitamin C is easy with Zespri Kiwifruit!
A single medium-sized SunGold kiwifruit contains more than three times as much vitamin C than an 8oz glass of orange juice (260 mg compared to about 82 mg). A serving of Zespri Green kiwifruit clocks in at 126 mg, which is more than double the amount of Vitamin C in a large orange!
With the versatility of kiwifruit, getting your daily dose of vitamin C couldn’t be easier!
Zespri Kiwifruit: Simple Ways to Get Vitamin C for the Flu
There’s no easier way to enjoy the nutritional benefits of Zespri Kiwifruit than to simply cut and scoop your kiwifruit. But in our blog, Zespri SunGold Kiwifruit for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, we give plenty of other quick and easy recipes for incorporating Zespri Kiwifruit in any meal. But if you happen to start feeling under the weather, you can get your megadose vitamin c for your cold with our SunGold Smoothie.
The SunGold Smoothie combines Zespri® SunGold Kiwifruit with a small banana, orange juice, and yogurt to deliver a powerful nutrient-dense blend of vitamin C and potassium to help keep your energy levels up when you need it the most — at the onset of the flu or common cold.
