Vitamin C is essential for the proper working of a variety of your bodily functions. Find out which foods have the highest amounts of vitamin C, here.
Vitamin C, also referred to as ascorbic acid, is essential to the proper working of a variety of your bodily functions. Not only does it help to protect cells and keep them healthy, it also maintains healthy skin, blood vessels, bones and cartilage and can even help with wound healing as your body uses it to make collagen.
As vitamin C is water-soluble, it can’t be stored in your body and you can’t produce it, so you need to ensure you’re consuming enough each day (90mg for men and 75mg for women). Luckily, there’s a variety of foods for vitamin c, mainly fruits and vegetables, that are packed full of the vitamin, most of which you’ll likely already be consuming on a daily basis!
Here’s our top 15 foods for vitamin C to ensure you’re getting all you need from your diet:
Oranges are widely known as the food for vitamin C. If you drink around a 180ml glass of orange juice per day you’ll consume between 70 – 95mg which is around your daily recommended intake. If you eat a small – medium orange (around 100g), this contains about 53mg which accounts for 59% of your daily value.
Most varieties of peppers are packed full of vitamin C, which is great as they’re delicious when added into salads and make a welcome addition to many dinner recipes including Bolognese and chili con carne.
• Chili peppers: green chili peppers have the most amount of vitamin C with 109mg in one – accounting for 121% of your daily intake. Red chili peppers on the other hand have nearly half the amount with 65mg in one, which is about 72% your DV.
• Bell peppers: You’ll find around 75g of yellow peppers contains about 137mg, which equates to 152% of your DV, whereas red bell peppers contain around 95mg.
You may know that strawberries are widely considered a superfood and are packed full of fibre and are rich in antioxidants, but did you know they’re also one of the best foods for vitamin C too? 128g (a cup) of strawberries has about 85mg, which is over the DV for women and nearly there for men!
Blackcurrants are another fantastic source of vitamin C with 56g of the delicious fruits containing 101mg which is around 112% of the DV for men!
If you consume around 64g of broccoli, you’ll benefit from 50mg of vitamin C. Not only that, but these tasty vegetables are also packed with fibre and antioxidants. Opt for steaming it for 5 minutes instead of boiling it as this cooking method keeps more vitamin C inside.
Brussel sprouts are a true statement of a roast dinner and it also happens they’re a great food for vitamin C. They contain around 50mg per 64g, but they need to be cooked in order to obtain vitamin C from them. Sprouts are a great source of vitamin K and fibre too.
This tasty root vegetable is fantastically versatile and you’ll be delighted to know that it’s a great food for vitamin C with around 20mg in a medium baked potato. They’re also full of potassium and fibre.
Cauliflowers are a great source of vitamin C with 40mg present in around 128g of florets. On top of this, they’re also packed with vitamin K, folate and fibre.
Tomatoes contain around 20mg of vitamin C in a medium fruit and interestingly, their vitamin C levels go down when they’re cooked. If you’re eating them for their nutrients, it’s best to enjoy them fresh!
These tasty treats are low calorie and benefit from about 30mg of vitamin C per 64g. Cantaloupe melons are also a great source of carotenoids, B vitamins, potassium, magnesium, copper and flavonoids to boot!
It may surprise you but kiwis are actually one of the best foods for vitamin C. In just one medium kiwi you’ll consume about 70mg of vitamin C, alongside a fantastic amount of fibre, flavonoids and carotenoids. Even the skin which is often peeled off contains nutrients and fibre.
If you don’t fancy orange juice in the morning with your breakfast but still want to get that all important vitamin C, grapefruit juice could be a great alternative. Amazingly, grapefruit juice actually contains the same amount of vitamin C as orange juice with between 70 – 95mg present in 180ml.
This tasty tropical fruit is packed with vitamin C with 90mg in 128g, which is your entire daily intake! Not only high in vitamin C, papayas also contain carotenes, flavonoids, B vitamins, folate, potassium, magnesium and fibre too.
You may not believe it, but thyme is one of the best foods for vitamin C ever and fresh thyme actually contains three times more of the vitamin than oranges! In just 28g of fresh thyme you’ll consume around 45mg, which is almost 50% of the daily intake for men.
This small fruit from the rose plant is full of vitamin C. There’s lots of different ways they’re enjoyed including in tea and some even make jelly with them. However, the best way to get the most vitamin C from them is to eat them as is, as around 6 of the little fruits contain 119mg of vitamin C, which is about 132% of the daily recommended intake!
That’s our guide to the top 15 best foods for vitamin C. Want to find out more ways to get vitamins in your diet? Read our article on the best foods for vitamin A, next.
Sources:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-c/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325067
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/ss/slideshow-vitamin-c-sources
https://www.myfooddata.com/articles/vitamin-c-foods.php
