Vitamin C

Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)

This is one in a series of fact sheets containing information to help you select foods that provide adequate daily amounts of vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber as you follow the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The Guidelines are -

Eat a Variety of Foods
Maintain Desirable Weight
Avoid Too Much Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol
Eat Foods with Adequate Starch and Fiber
Avoid Too Much Sugar
Avoid Too Much Sodium
If You Drink Alcoholic Beverages, Do So in Moderation

A good food source of vitamin C contains a substantial amount of vitamin C in relation to its calorie content and contributes at least 10 percent of the U.S. Recommended Daily Allowance (U.S. RDA) for vitamin C in a selected serving size. The U.S. RDA for vitamin C is 60 milligrams per day. (The U.S. RDA given is for adults, except pregnant or lactating women, and children over 4 years of age.)

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In 1985 and 1986, 67 percent of the vitamin C in the diets of women came from fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits and tomatoes contributed almost half of the vitamin C provided by the fruits and vegetables group. Almost all of the vitamin C supplied by the fats, sweets, and beverages group came from vegetables. Foods that contain small amounts of vitamin C but are not considered good sources can contribute significant amounts of vitamin C to an individual's diet if these foods are eaten often or in large amounts.

Click here for nutrition table for 7,248 foods.

Click here for Ranked Table of Foods for Vitamin C

WHY DO WE NEED VITAMIN C?

Vitamin C, a water-soluble vitamin, is important in forming collagen, a protein that gives structure to bones, cartilage, muscle, and blood vessels. It also helps to maintain capillaries, bones, and teeth and aids in the absorption of iron.

DO WE GET ENOUGH VITAMIN C?

According to recent USDA surveys, average intake of vitamin C by women 19 to 50 years of age was over the RDA for vitamin C. Women tended to consume less than men of the same age. Most nutrition scientists believe that there are no known advantages in consuming excessive amounts of vitamin C.

HOW CAN WE GET ENOUGH VITAMIN C?

Eating a variety of foods that contain vitamin C is the best way to get an adequate amount. Healthy individuals who eat a balanced diet rarely need supplements. The list of foods will help you select those that are good sources of vitamin C as you follow the Dietary Guidelines. The list of food sources was derived from the same nutritive value of foods tables used to analyze information for recent food consumption surveys of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Human Nutrition Information Service.

HOW TO PREPARE FOODS TO RETAIN VITAMIN C.

Vitamin C can be readily lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage. To retain vitamin C:

Serve fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible.

Steam, boil, or simmer foods in a minimal amount of water, or microwave them for the shortest time possible.

Cook potatoes in their skins.

Refrigerate prepared juices, and store them for no more than 2 to 3 days.

Store cut raw fruits and vegetables in an airtight container and refrigerate - do not soak or store in water. Vitamin C will be dissolved in the water.

WHAT ABOUT FORTIFIED FOODS?

Some juices not normally a source of vitamin C, such as grape and apple, have vitamin C added. A 3/4-cup (juice glass) serving of these fortified juices may provide 40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for vitamin C. Check the label for the exact amount. Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is added to frozen peaches to prevent discoloration.

Most ready-to-eat cereals are fortified with vitamin C. Fortified ready-to-eat cereals usually contain at least 25 percent of the U.S. RDA for vitamin C. Since cereals vary, check the label on the package for the percentage of the U.S. RDA for a specific cereal.

WHAT IS A SERVING?

The serving sizes used on the list of good sources are only estimates of the amounts of food you might eat. The amount of nutrient in a serving depends on the weight of the serving. For example, 1/2 cup of a cooked vegetable contains more vitamin C than 1/2 cup of the same vegetable served raw, because a serving of the cooked vegetable weighs more. Therefore, the cooked vegetable may appear on the list while the raw form does not. The raw vegetable provides the nutrient - but just not enough in a 1/2-cup serving to be considered a good source.

WHAT ARE GOOD SOURCES OF VITAMIN C?

FOOD SELECTED PERCENTAGE OF SERVING SIZE U.S. RDA (1)

BREADS, CEREALS, AND OTHER GRAIN PRODUCTS

Ready-to-eat cereals, fortified(2) 1 ounce ++

FRUITS

Apples: Baked, unsweetened 1 medium + Raw 1 medium + Apple juice(3) 3/4 cup +++ Banana, raw 1 medium + Blackberries, raw 1/2 cup ++ Blueberries, raw 1/2 cup + Cantaloupe: Frozen balls, unsweetened 1/2 cup +++ Raw About 1/2 cup diced +++ Cranberry juice cocktail(3) 1 cup +++ Grapefruit, raw 1/2 medium +++ Grapefruit juice; fresh, canned, or reconstituted frozen; unsweetened 3/4 cup +++ Grapefruit and orange sections canned, unsweetened 1/2 cup +++ Grapefruit and orange juice, unsweetened 3/4 cup +++ Grape juice, unsweetened(3) 3/4 cup +++ Honeydew melon, raw About 3/4 cup diced +++ Kiwifruit, raw 1 medium +++ Mandarin orange sections, canned or frozen, juice-pack 1/2 cup +++ Mango, raw 1/2 medium +++ Nectarine, raw 1 medium + Orange, raw 1 medium +++ Orange juice, fresh, canned or reconstituted frozen; unsweetened 3/4 cup +++ Papaya, raw 1/4 medium +++ Peaches: Frozen, unsweetened(3) 1/2 cup +++ Raw 1 medium + Pear, raw 1 medium + Pineapple: Canned, chunks, juice-pack 1/2 cup + Raw 1/2 cup + Pineapple juice, canned, unsweetened 3/4 cup ++ Pineapple-grapefruit juice; canned or reconstituted frozen; unsweetened 3/4 cup +++ Pineapple-orange juice, canned or reconstituted frozen, unsweetened 3/4 cup +++ Plum, raw 1 medium + Pomegranate, raw 1 medium + Raspberries: Frozen, unsweetened 1/2 cup ++ Raw 1/2 cup ++ Strawberries; raw, frozen, or canned; unsweetened 1/2 cup +++ Tangelo, raw 1 medium +++ Tangerine, raw 1 medium +++ Watermelon, raw About 1 3/4 cups diced +++

VEGETABLES

Artichoke, globe (french), cooked 1 medium + Asparagus, cooked 1/2 cup +++ Beans, green or yellow, cooked 1/2 cup + Beans, lima, cooked 1/2 cup + Bean sprouts, raw or cooked 1/2 cup + Broccoli, raw or cooked 1/2 cup +++ Brussels sprouts, cooked 1/2 cup +++ Cabbage: Chinese, cooked 1/2 cup ++ Green, raw or cooked 1/2 cup ++ Red, raw or cooked 1/2 cup +++ Cauliflower, raw or cooked 1/2 cup +++ Chard, cooked 1/2 cup + Collards, cooked 1/2 cup + Endive, chicory, escarole, or romaine; raw 1 cup + Dandelion greens, raw 1/2 cup + Kale, cooked 1/2 cup +++ Kohlrabi, cooked 1/2 cup +++ Mustard greens, cooked 1/2 cup ++ Okra, cooked 1/2 cup + Onion, spring: Cooked 1 large + Raw 1 medium + Parsnips, cooked 1/2 cup + Peas, green, cooked 1/2 cup + Pepper, sweet, green or red, raw or cooked 1/2 cup +++ Plantain, green or ripe, boiled 1 medium +++ Poke greens, cooked 1/2 cup +++ Potato, with skin Baked 1 medium ++ Boiled 1 medium ++ Pumpkin, cooked 1/2 cup + Radishes, raw 6 large + Rutabagas, cooked 1/2 cup ++ Snow peas, raw or cooked 1/2 cup +++ Spinach: Cooked 1/2 cup + Raw 1 cup + Squash: Summer, yellow, raw 1/2 cup + Winter, cooked, mashed 1/2 cup + Sweetpotato: Baked or boiled 1 medium +++ Canned 1/2 cup +++ Tomatoes: Cooked 1/2 cup ++ Raw 1 medium ++ Tomato juice or tomato- vegetable juice cocktail, canned 3/4 cup +++ Turnip greens with turnips, cooked 1/2 cup + Turnips, cooked 1/2 cup + Watercress, raw 1/2 cup +

MEAT, POULTRY, FISH, AND ALTERNATES

Meat and Poultry Liver, braised: Beef or pork 3 ounces ++ Chicken 1/2 cup diced +

Fish and Seafood Clams; steamed, boiled, or canned; drained 3 ounces + Mussels, steamed, boiled, or poached 3 ounces + (1) A selected serving size contains - + 10-24 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age. ++ 25-39 percent of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age. +++ 40 percent or more of the U.S. RDA for adults and children over 4 years of age.
(2) See section on fortified foods.
(3) Contains added vitamin C.

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