8 of the best sources of vitamin C

23/11/20221 min read

Your guide to vitamin C including the best sources of vitamin C, including vitamin C foods and why you need it too support your immunity.

In the past, poverty and a lack of understanding of basic nutrition meant that many people developed severe vitamin deficiencies which caused significant health problems, even death. One such health problem was scurvy – a severe vitamin C deficiency caused by getting no vitamin C at all for at least 3 months.¹ Luckily, knowledge of our need for vitamins has come a long way – as has our access to fresh food. Understanding of the importance of vitamin C began when 18^th century physicians discovered that giving lime juice, a fruit with vitamin C, to sailors during long sea voyages stopped them from getting scurvy. Vitamin C itself wasn’t identified until the 1930’s, with the discovery of ascorbic acid (another name for vitamin C).² Vitamin C received lots of publicity in the 1970’s following research into its effects. It was widely thought that consuming large amounts of vitamin C could stop you getting the common cold.³ Thanks to this research which specifically mentioned oranges, the vitamin C in oranges was considered the gold standard and became a firm favourite among people hoping to support their immunity and general health. Today, the benefits and limitations of vitamin C are very well understood, with its proven functions actually quite impressive.

What does vitamin C do?

Vitamin C is involved in a variety of processes within the body.

Collagen production – vitamin C is one of the substances needed by the body to make collagen – the fibrous protein which makes up skin, bones, teeth and blood vessels
Antioxidant - it is a potent antioxidant which protects against free radicals and environmental damage⁴
Immunity – vitamin C is well known to contribute to the normal function of the immune system⁵
Nervous system – vitamin C contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system. This are the brain and the spinal cord – collectively known as the central nervous system – which controls most functions in the body⁶
Aiding absorption – vitamin C significantly enhances iron absorption. Drinking tea and coffee or eating products containing lots of calcium (such as milk) inhibits the absorption of iron – but combining them with a food with vitamin C may reverse the inhibiting effect of these substances⁷

Good sources of vitamin C

Adults need a minimum of 40mg of vitamin C a day.⁸ Luckily, there are many types of food high in vitamin C.

Red pepper – you may be surprised oranges aren’t first on the list, but red peppers are the best source of vitamin C with 95mg per serving
Oranges – oranges are still one of the very best foods with vitamin C with one orange packing 70mg per serving. Orange juice is more concentrated so has more – 93mg per serving
Grapefruit juice – whether you love or hate the bittersweet taste, there’s no denying grapefruit juice contains lots of vitamin C at 70mg per serving. Grapefruits themselves have slightly less, with 39mg per serving
Kiwi fruit – 1 medium kiwi contains 64mg vitamin C, which provides plenty for your daily needs.
Broccoli – just a small serving of broccoli contains 51mg vitamin C
Strawberries – a portion of strawberries comes in at 49mg vitamin C
Potatoes – one of the more unlikely vitamin C rich foods, there’s around 17mg in a medium baked potato
Tomato – a medium sized tomato also contains 17mg vitamin C⁹