Vitamin C - Food sources

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A wide variety of sources of vitamin C foods are available from plant and animal origins.
Vitamin C from plant origin

A number of fruits like papayas, lemons, oranges, pineapples etc.. contain considerable amounts of ascorbic acid and are great natural resources.
Vegetables and leafy vegetables like red and green peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, parsley and peas are some of the good sources.
Some of the fruits and vegetables and the available amount of ascorbic acid in 100 gms is listed below.
Richest of vitamin C foods:
PlantsAmount (mg / 100g)
Kakadu plums3000
Camu Camu2800
Rose hip2000
Acerola1500
Seabuckthorn700
Jujube500
Indian gooseberry450
Baobab400

Kakadu plum
Richest source of vitamin C - Kakadu plum

Vitamin C from fruits:
fruitsAmount (mg / 100g)
Blackcurrant200
Guava100
Kiwifruit90
Redcurrant80
Lychee70
Papaya60-70
Strawberry60-65
Orange50-55
Lemon40
Melon40
Grapefruit30
Raspberry30
Tangerine30
Mandarin orange30
Passion fruit30
Lime30
Mango28
Blackberry21
Melon20
Blueberry10
Pineapple10
Grape10
Apricot10
Plum10
Watermelon10
Banana9
Avocado8

Vitamin C from vegetables:
vegetablesAmount (mg / 100g)
Red pepper190
Parsley130
Broccoli90
Brussels sprouts80
Cauliflower40
Garlic31
Spinach30
Cabbage30
Potato20
Tomato10
Carrot9

Among the animal sources of ascorbic acid foods, livers of live stock, oysters, cod roe and milk are important.
Great care is required in processing and storing of the vitamin C foods to reduce storage losses.
We should reduce the exposure of the vegetables to sunlight and air.
Freeze-drying of the fruits and vegetables reduces the losses.
Microwave cooking preserves much of the ascorbic acid present in vegetables.
We should cook in minimal water and cut the vegetable into bigger pieces to avoid losses.

Recommended daily dietary allowance of ascorbic acid:
age grouprequirement in milligrams
0-6 months40
7-12 months50
1-5 years20
5-10 years25
10-18 years50-75
18+ years90
pregnant/ lactating125
therapeutic rangeupto 2000

Related topics:
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
Scurvy causes
Signs and symptoms
Treatment, cure and prevention.

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Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) food sources.

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