Time To Boost Your Vitamin C Levels: Highest Vitamin C Foods List

Food is a natural way to repair and renew the body without the help of any external aid. This is commonly known as body defense power or immunity, and food nutrients that help in this process are called vitamins and minerals. So, we are here to discuss a one-star vitamin that is essential for immunity called Vitamin C. It is also known as ascorbic acid. Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant as well as an immune-boosting vitamin. So with us, discover the highest vitamin C food list that you can incorporate into your diet:

1. Kakadu Plums: These Australian fruits are superfoods as they contain up to 5,300 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, making them the richest source of this vitamin. They contain 100 times more vitamin C as compared to oranges. They are also rich in potassium, vitamin E, and other antioxidants.
2. Acerola Cherries: A single cup provides 825 mg of vitamin C, which is 916% of the daily value needed. They are also loaded with polyphenols known to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the body.
3. Rose Hips: These small, tangy fruits provide about 426 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.
4. Guavas: One guava fruit provides 126 mg of vitamin C, which is 140% of the daily recommended intake. Guavas are rich in dietary fiber and lycopene antioxidants too.
5. Sweet Yellow Peppers: Half a cup (75 grams) of sweet yellow peppers delivers 137 mg of vitamin C.
6. Blackcurrants: One-half cup of blackcurrants contains 101 mg of vitamin C. They get their color from anthocyanins, a kind of flavonoid that has antioxidant properties.
7. Thyme: Fresh thyme has the highest concentration of vitamin C among herbs, with 45 mg per 28 grams.
8. Parsley: Two tablespoons (8 grams) of fresh parsley provide 10 mg of vitamin C.
9. Mustard Spinach: One cup (56 grams) of raw mustard spinach provides 195 mg of vitamin C.
10. Kiwifruit: One medium kiwi has 71 mg of vitamin C.
11. Broccoli: Half a cup of cooked broccoli (78 grams) provides 51 mg of vitamin C.
12. Brussels Sprouts: Half a cup of cooked Brussels sprouts (78 grams) delivers 48 mg of vitamin C.
13. Lemons: lemons are citrus fruits and they are very commonly used in day-to-day life as a source of vitamin C. One medium lemon with peel provides 83 mg of vitamin C.
14. Lychees: A cup of lychees has 136 mg of vitamin C. They are summer delicacies available for a limited period. They are juicy, yummy fruits to have your vitamin C dose.
15. American Persimmons: One American persimmon contains 16.5 mg of vitamin C.
16. Strawberries: One cup of halved strawberries (152 grams) contains 89 mg of vitamin C.
17. Oranges: One medium orange offers 70 mg of vitamin C.
18. Kale: One cup of raw kale (67 grams) provides about 80 mg of vitamin C

A few Interesting Facts About Vitamin C

• The human body does not produce vitamin C, so we must obtain it from food sources, particularly fruits and vegetables.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance for adults is

• Birth – 6 months 40 mg
• 7 months – 12 months 50 mg
• 1 year – 3 years 15 mg
• 4 years – 8 years 25 mg
• 9 years – 13 years 45 mg
• 14 years – 18 years (boys) 75mg
• 14 years – 18 years (girls) 65mg
• For adult men, it’s 90 mg and 75 mg for women
• For pregnant women it’s 85 mg and for lactating mothers it’s 120 mg daily.
• Smoking decreases vitamin C levels in the body, so smokers need an extra 35 mg of vitamin C daily.
• The maximum daily intake is unlikely to cause harmful effects on health. The Upper Limit is 2000 mg daily. Excess levels can lead to gastrointestinal distress and diarrhea.
• Vitamin C deficiency happens when your diet gives less than 10 mg of vitamin C daily for one month or longer. The most common signs and symptoms of a deficiency are as follows :
• In Scurvy, vitamin C deficiency most prominent disease, shows symptoms resulting from the loss of collagen (protein) in the body that weakens connective tissues:
  • Skin bruises and bleeding eruptions.
  • Bleeding gums
  • Loss of teeth
  • Hair loss
  • Healing from wounds and injuries is delayed.
• Fatigue, malaise
• Joint pains
• Iron-deficiency anemia due to decreased absorption of nonheme iron

Fruits Rich In Vitamin C

Fruits are an essential source of vitamin C which is very crucial for immunity, bone health, skin, hair, digestive system, etc. Fruit with the highest vitamin C are as follows: 

• Kakadu Plums: These Australian fruits contain the highest known source of vitamin C, up to 5,300 mg per 100 grams.
• Acerola Cherries: Also known as Barbados cherries, they provide about 1,677 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.
• Rose Hips: These fruits from the wild rose plant contain approximately 426 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.
• Guavas: A single guava fruit has 126 mg of vitamin C, which is more than 140% of the daily recommended intake.
• Blackcurrants: With about 181 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams, blackcurrants are a potent source of this vitamin.
• Kiwi: One medium kiwi fruit contains about 71 mg of vitamin C.
• Strawberries: One cup of halved strawberries (152 grams) offers 89 mg of vitamin C.
• Papayas: A cup of papaya (145 grams) provides about 88 mg of vitamin C.
• Oranges: one of the common citrus sources of vitamin C, a medium orange gives 70 mg of vitamin C.
• Lemons: A whole raw lemon, including its peel, provides 83 mg of vitamin C.
• Cantaloupe: A cup of cantaloupe melon (177 grams) contains about 59 mg of vitamin C. Rich in fiber and vitamin A. Single Slice of melon can give you 19% of the daily value of vitamin C.
• Mangoes: One cup of sliced mango offers 60 mg of vitamin C.
• Pineapple: One cup of pineapple chunks has about 79 mg of vitamin C.

Unusual Food Sources of Vitamin C

Besides fruits and vegetables, there are other food items that contains vitamin C in variable amounts as follows: 

• Eggs
• Fish (Raw)
• Liver
• Spleen
• Raw milk contains vitamin C but boiling milk destroys vitamin C so most of the commercial milks are fortified with vitamin C after pasteurization.

Vitamin C surely represents a micronutrient crucial for healthy living, and we can easily obtain it from the daily food items we eat, mainly fruits and vegetables. So, to achieve strong immunity, healthy hair and skin, good bone health, and other health benefits, eat balanced meals to fulfill your daily vitamin C needs.