The Top Foods High in Vitamin C — and Why the Nutrient Is So Important

“Vitamin C is a nutrient we need for so many processes in the body,” says Marisa Moore, RDN, who’s based in Atlanta. “And it’s one of those essential vitamins we can’t make in our bodies.” Vitamin C is in so many of the foods we eat daily. There are also plenty of vitamin C supplements and multivitamins out there.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require food labels to list the vitamin C that naturally occurs in foods, only the amount of vitamin C that has been added. So, it can be difficult to know which packaged foods are good sources. Luckily, plenty of whole foods such as fruits and vegetables are chock-full of C.

“People should always begin with a diet high in fruits and vegetables,” says Michael Wald, MD, ND, PhD, a certified dietitian nutritionist in Chappaqua, New York, and the host of the podcast Ask the Blood Detective. “Age, genetics, absorption, disease, exercise, stress, sleep, alcohol, and various other lifestyle factors all play a role in the amount of vitamin C one needs.”

Vegetables That Are High in Vitamin C

The following vegetables are excellent sources of vitamin C.

• Red bell peppers: A 1 cup portion of chopped bell peppers has 191 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C.

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• Red chili peppers: One pepper contains 64.8 mg.

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• Brussels sprouts: One cup of cooked Brussels sprouts boasts about 96.8 mg.

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• Broccoli: One cup of chopped broccoli has 81.2 mg.

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• Potatoes: One potato contains 17.7 mg.

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Fruits That Are High in Vitamin C

• Guava One of these tropical pink-fleshed fruits delivers 125 mg of vitamin C.

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• Strawberries Berries are brimming with antioxidants,

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   and 1 cup of sliced strawberries has 97.6 mg of vitamin C.

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• Papaya Another tropical pick, 1 cup of papaya’s cubed flesh yields 88.3 mg of C.

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• Kiwi Small but powerful, one kiwifruit has 64 mg.

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• Blackberries One cup of blackberries contains 30 mg.

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Health experts recommend getting 90 mg of vitamin C per day for men and 75 mg for women. This number can vary depending on your age, gender, life stage, and lifestyle choices like smoking, says Moore.

But people should not exceed 2,000 mg a day.

While it’s difficult to consume too much vitamin C through food alone, it may be possible if you’re taking vitamin C supplements. Too much vitamin C supplementation does not cause adverse health effects, but it may lead to uncomfortable symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramps.

It’s also very difficult to have a vitamin C deficiency or scurvy, a disease caused by this deficiency, in developed nations, as vitamin C is in so many of the foods we eat daily. It is possible, however, if you have very little access to fruits and vegetables or a lifestyle habit or health condition that prevents absorption.

At the very minimum, your body needs 10 mg of vitamin C per day, Moore says. If you’re concerned about your vitamin C intake, be sure to speak with your healthcare provider.

There’s no disputing that vitamin C is a vital compound needed for the healthy functioning of our bodies. The list of conditions vitamin C may help improve or prevent, through diet or supplementation, is ever-growing, but some claims need more research.

• Neurodegenerative Diseases These include Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Research thus far on consuming vitamin C in general has promising results for the treatment of neurological diseases in animal studies, but human studies are still needed.

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• Cancer Consuming ascorbic acid (the chemical name for vitamin C) through food was shown to reduce the risk of breast, bladder, pancreatic, endometrial, esophageal, and lung cancer, among others. It may do this by reducing oxidative DNA damage and protecting the body’s tissues from carcinogens.

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   Intravenously administered high-dose vitamin C may improve the quality of life of people with cancer, but the FDA hasn’t approved it as a cancer treatment.

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• Depression, Anxiety, and Mood Some studies have shown that vitamin C can have positive effects on mood and related disorders, such as depression and anxiety. In fact, a study suggests that vitamin C supplementation helps improve focus, motivation, and cognitive function.

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  Other research suggests that higher serum levels of ascorbic acid through dietary intake are associated with reduced depression.

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• The Common Cold How many times have you been told to take vitamin C when you’re sick? When you feel the flu coming on, Moore says gulping down a bunch of vitamin C supplements probably won’t do much to prevent it. “Vitamin C might help to decrease the duration of a cold, but taking it preventively — the research doesn’t necessarily support that,” she says.

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• Skin Health Vitamin C creams and serums have been on the market for a while now, claiming to improve the appearance and health of skin. The available research seems to confirm these benefits. Topical applications of ascorbic acid can play a role in reducing wrinkles and increasing skin elasticity by preventing the loss of collagen, a protein that helps keep your skin firm and full.

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• Iron Absorption Moore says there is strong evidence that vitamin C helps the body absorb more iron from food, especially nonheme iron from meat-free food sources. Pairing vitamin C–rich foods with iron-rich foods — for example, spinach with orange segments, or black beans with salsa — is especially important for people who are vegan, vegetarian, or anemic, and for women of childbearing age, Moore says.

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• Vitamin C is essential for repairing wounds and tissue, maintaining healthy bones, and protecting cells from damage.
• Many fruits and vegetables — like bell peppers, strawberries, kiwi, and guava — offer more vitamin C than oranges.
• Health experts generally recommend 90 mg of vitamin C daily for men and 75 mg for women. Your daily needs may vary, though, and depend on your age, your lifestyle habits, whether you have any medical conditions that increase your risk of a deficiency, and whether you’re pregnant.
• Research suggests that consuming vitamin C through diet and supplements may help reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and some cancers. It may also have benefits for skin health, mood, and iron absorption.