The COVID-19 pandemic is causing shortages of important medical devices, foods and products. You may be hoping to boost your immunity with additional vitamin C. It’s important to know that fruits and vegetables are still the best food sources of vitamin C. Buy fresh (or even frozen) foods rich in vitamin C. Here’s what you need to look out for.
Facts
Vitamin C, also called ascorbic acid, plays many important roles in the body. This vitamin is key to the immune system, helping prevent infections and fight disease.
It is a water-soluble vitamin that’s found in many foods, mostly in fruits and vegetables. Well-known for being a potent antioxidant, it also has positive effects on skin health and immune function. Vital for collagen synthesis, connective tissue, bones, teeth and your small blood vessels.
The human body cannot produce or store it. Therefore, it’s essential to consume it regularly in sufficient amounts.
The current daily value (DV) for vitamin C is 90 mg.
Here are the top foods that are high in vitamin C.
The list is sourced from MyFoodData.com who sourced the information from the U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central.
Top Vitamin C Foods by Nutrient Density (Vitamin C per Gram)
| Food | Serving | Vitamin C |
| #1 Acerola Cherry (Source) |
100 grams | 1864% DV (1678mg) |
| #2 Dried Herbs (Coriander) (Source) |
100 grams | 630% DV (567mg) |
| #3 Rose Hips (Source) |
100 grams | 473% DV (426mg) |
| #4 Guavas (Source) |
100 grams | 254% DV (228mg) |
| #5 Sweet Yellow Peppers (Source) |
100 grams | 204% DV (184mg) |
| #6 Black Currants (Source) |
100 grams | 201% DV (181mg) |
| #7 Thyme (Source) |
100 grams | 178% DV (160mg) |
| #8 Red Chilies (Source) |
100 grams | 160% DV (144mg) |
| #9 Scotch Kale (Source) |
100 grams | 144% DV (130mg) |
| #10 Kiwifruit (Source) |
100 grams | 103% DV (93mg) |
Other Vitamin C Rich Foods
| Food | Serving | Vitamin C |
| #1 Litchis (Lychees) (Source) |
per cup | 151% DV (136mg) |
| #2 Green Chillies (Source) |
1 pepper | 121% DV (109mg) |
| #3 Kohlrabi (Source) |
1 cup | 93% DV (84mg) |
| #4 Parsley (Source) |
per cup | 89% DV (80mg) |
| #5 Starfruit (Carambola) (Source) |
per cup | 41% DV (37mg) |
| #6 Garden Cress (Source) |
1 cup | 38% DV (35mg) |
| #7 Jalapeno Peppers (Source) |
1 pepper | 18% DV (17mg) |
| #8 Saffron (Source) |
1 tblsp | 2% DV (2mg) |
MyFoodData.com now releases the USDA data in a flat spreadsheet file format for public use. Find out more here.
Does cooking affect it?
According to Medical News Today, cooking may reduce the amount of the vitamin in fruits and vegetables. To optimize, the ODS recommends steaming or microwaving these foods.
The Bottom Line
Vitamin C is vital for your immune system, connective tissue and heart and blood vessel health, among many other important roles.
Not getting enough can have negative effects on your health.
While citrus fruits may be the most famous source of this particular vitamin, a wide variety of fruits and vegetables are rich in this vitamin and may even exceed the amounts found in citrus fruits.
By eating some foods suggested above each day, your immunity should be boosted.
Read this complete guide to boosting your immune system.
References:
What are vitamins and how do they work? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/195878
Vitamin C in Disease Prevention and Cure: An Overview Shailja Chambial, Shailendra Dwivedi, Kamla Kant Shukla, Placheril J. John, and Praveen Sharma
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3783921/
Top Vitamin C Foods By Nutrient Density (Vitamin C Per Gram)
MyFoodData.com and U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central
20 Best foods for vitamin C – Medical News Today: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325067#does-cooking-affect-vitamin-c
National Institute of Health: Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
20 Foods That Are High in Vitamin C – Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/vitamin-c-foods