Foods High in Vitamin C: Top Sources and Daily Needs

Q: How much vitamin C do I need?

According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the population reference intake (PRI) of vitamin C, which is likely to meet the needs for most healthy adults, is around 95 mg per day for women, and around 110 mg per day for men. Consuming a variety of vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, and kiwi can help meet your daily requirements.

Vitamin C Foods high in vitamin C and how much you need · Water soluble vitamins

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble vitamin that is essential for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It plays a key role in the immune system, as well as in collagen formation, wound healing, and the maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.

Women, a day

95 mg

Men, a day

110 mg

Give 20%+ of a day per serving

162 foods · 134 plant

Daily intake for healthy adults. For a lightly active 30-year-old: a 65 kg woman and an 80 kg man.

Among plant foods, sea buckthorn juice, guava and rose hip have the most vitamin C per serving.

Foods highest in vitamin C

Ranked from 719 foods in our catalog, one entry per food. % of daily is for a healthy adult.

1

Sea buckthorn juice 346 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 364% of daily
2

Guava 320 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 336% of daily
3

Rose hip 301 mg

serving (50 g) · Berries 316% of daily
4

Black currant 179 mg

serving (140 g) · Berries 189% of daily
5

Sweet pepper, yellow 174 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 183% of daily
6

Black currant juice 154 mg

serving (240 g) · Juice drink 162% of daily
7

Longans 118 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 124% of daily
8

Litchis 100 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 105% of daily
9

Brussels sprout 91.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 97% of daily
10

Raspberry juice concentrate 91.4 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 96% of daily
11

Grapefruit juice, pink 91.2 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 96% of daily
12

Angelica 87.6 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 92% of daily
13

Cloudberry 86.2 mg

serving (140 g) · Berries 91% of daily
14

Sugar snap pea 59.4 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 63% of daily
15

Asparagus, canned 42.9 mg

serving (130 g) · Canned vegetables 45% of daily
16

Beef, spleen, cooked, braised 42.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes 45% of daily
17

Veal, thymus, raw 41.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes 44% of daily
18

Spinach boiled 39 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 41% of daily
19

Tomato juice 33.8 mg

cup (240 g) · Vegetable juices 36% of daily
20

Sea buckthorn, dried, sea buckthorn powder 30.5 mg

serving (40 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 32% of daily
21

Broad bean, fava bean 29.7 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 31% of daily
22

Liver, boiled 27.3 mg

serving (85 g) · Offal dishes 29% of daily
23

Coconut water, unsweetened 23.8 mg

cup (240 g) · Vegetable juices 25% of daily
24

Tomato puree 19.8 mg

serving (60 g) · Condiments 21% of daily
25

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, moist heat 18.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Crustaceans and molluscs 20% of daily
26

Tomato, crushed, canned 18.3 mg

serving (130 g) · Canned vegetables 19% of daily
27

Green bean, string bean 18 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 19% of daily
28

Soy product, soured, 2% fat, calcium 17.5 mg

serving (170 g) · Yoghurt 18% of daily
29

Pesto sauce, herb sauce 15.1 mg

serving (63 g) · Condiments 16% of daily
30

Goji berry, dried 14.8 mg

serving (40 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 16% of daily
31

Potato 14.3 mg

serving (110 g) · Cooked potatoes 15% of daily
32

Snail 12.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Crustaceans and molluscs 13% of daily
33

Rosebay willow herb or fireweed, shoot 10.3 mg

serving (10 g) · Spices 11% of daily
34

Sour cabbage / sauerkraut 9.8 mg

serving (30 g) · Canned vegetables 10% of daily
35

Potato wedges, oven-baked 9.6 mg

serving (110 g) · Fried potatoes, French fries 10% of daily
36

Chestnut 9 mg

serving (30 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 9% of daily
37

Baked banana 8.6 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruit and berry dishes other than pies 9% of daily
38

Baked apple 8.2 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruit and berry dishes other than pies 9% of daily
39

Tea, green tea 7.4 mg

cup (245 g) · Tea 8% of daily
40

Duck, wild, breast, meat only, raw 6.8 mg

serving (110 g) · Chicken and other birds 7% of daily
41

Sweet corn, cob, boiled 6.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 7% of daily
42

Pheasant, raw, meat only 6.6 mg

serving (110 g) · Chicken and other birds 7% of daily
43

Potatoflake 6.2 mg

serving (20 g) · Miscellaneous ingredients 7% of daily
44

Muskrat, cooked, roasted 6 mg

serving (85 g) · Steaks and chops 6% of daily
45

Amaranth grain, cooked 5.9 mg

serving (140 g) · Rice 6% of daily
46

Syrup, agave 5.1 mg

serving (30 g) · Sugar and syrups 5% of daily
47

Mashed potato powder 5 mg

serving (20 g) · Miscellaneous ingredients 5% of daily
48

Moose, raw 4.4 mg

serving (110 g) · Steaks and chops 5% of daily
49

Mushroom, boletus, russula 4.3 mg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom 4% of daily
50

Taro, cooked 4.3 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 4% of daily

1

Sea buckthorn juice 346 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 364% of daily
2

Guava 320 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 336% of daily
3

Rose hip 301 mg

serving (50 g) · Berries 316% of daily
4

Black currant 179 mg

serving (140 g) · Berries 189% of daily
5

Sweet pepper, yellow 174 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 183% of daily
6

Black currant juice 154 mg

serving (240 g) · Juice drink 162% of daily
7

Longans 118 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 124% of daily
8

Litchis 100 mg

serving (140 g) · Fruits 105% of daily
9

Brussels sprout 91.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 97% of daily
10

Raspberry juice concentrate 91.4 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 96% of daily
11

Grapefruit juice, pink 91.2 mg

serving (240 g) · Juices 96% of daily
12

Angelica 87.6 mg

serving (85 g) · Vegetables 92% of daily
13

Cloudberry 86.2 mg

serving (140 g) · Berries 91% of daily
14

Sugar snap pea 59.4 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 63% of daily
15

Asparagus, canned 42.9 mg

serving (130 g) · Canned vegetables 45% of daily
16

Spinach boiled 39 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 41% of daily
17

Tomato juice 33.8 mg

cup (240 g) · Vegetable juices 36% of daily
18

Sea buckthorn, dried, sea buckthorn powder 30.5 mg

serving (40 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 32% of daily
19

Broad bean, fava bean 29.7 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 31% of daily
20

Coconut water, unsweetened 23.8 mg

cup (240 g) · Vegetable juices 25% of daily
21

Tomato puree 19.8 mg

serving (60 g) · Condiments 21% of daily
22

Tomato, crushed, canned 18.3 mg

serving (130 g) · Canned vegetables 19% of daily
23

Green bean, string bean 18 mg

serving (90 g) · Pulses 19% of daily
24

Soy product, soured, 2% fat, calcium 17.5 mg

serving (170 g) · Yoghurt 18% of daily
25

Goji berry, dried 14.8 mg

serving (40 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 16% of daily
26

Potato 14.3 mg

serving (110 g) · Cooked potatoes 15% of daily
27

Rosebay willow herb or fireweed, shoot 10.3 mg

serving (10 g) · Spices 11% of daily
28

Sour cabbage / sauerkraut 9.8 mg

serving (30 g) · Canned vegetables 10% of daily
29

Potato wedges, oven-baked 9.6 mg

serving (110 g) · Fried potatoes, French fries 10% of daily
30

Chestnut 9 mg

serving (30 g) · Nuts, seeds and dried fruits 9% of daily
31

Tea, green tea 7.4 mg

cup (245 g) · Tea 8% of daily
32

Sweet corn, cob, boiled 6.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 7% of daily
33

Potatoflake 6.2 mg

serving (20 g) · Miscellaneous ingredients 7% of daily
34

Amaranth grain, cooked 5.9 mg

serving (140 g) · Rice 6% of daily
35

Syrup, agave 5.1 mg

serving (30 g) · Sugar and syrups 5% of daily
36

Mushroom, boletus, russula 4.3 mg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom 4% of daily
37

Taro, cooked 4.3 mg

serving (85 g) · Cooked vegetables 4% of daily
38

Spice paste, curry paste, mild, tikka masala 3.9 mg

serving (30 g) · Condiments 4% of daily
39

French fries, frozen 3.4 mg

serving (85 g) · Fried potatoes, French fries 4% of daily
40

Chestnut flour 2.4 mg

serving (15 g) · Flour 3% of daily
41

Coconut milk 2.4 mg

serving (240 g) · Vegetable juices 3% of daily
42

Northern milkcap 1.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom 2% of daily
43

Woolly milkcap 1.8 mg

serving (85 g) · Mushroom 2% of daily
44

Tomato ketchup 1.7 mg

serving (30 g) · Condiments 2% of daily
45

Matcha 1.2 mg

serving (2 g) · Tea 1% of daily
46

Amaranth flakes 1 mg

serving (40 g) · Flour 1% of daily
47

Seeds, cottonseed meal, partially defatted (glandless) 0.38 mg

serving (15 g) · Flour 0% of daily
48

Capers, canned 0.17 mg

serving (4 g) · Spices 0% of daily
49

Tofu, soft (with calcium sulfate) 0.17 mg

serving (85 g) · Pulse products 0% of daily
50

Espresso coffee, decaffeinated, brewed 0.06 mg

espresso (30 g) · Coffee 0% of daily

Learn about vitamin C

What does vitamin C do for the body?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient that acts as an antioxidant in the body. It supports the immune system, helps in the absorption of iron, promotes collagen production, and aids in the repair and maintenance of tissues. Additionally, vitamin C plays a role in protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals and contributes to overall skin health and wound healing.

How much vitamin C do I need?

According to European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the population reference intake (PRI) of vitamin C, which is likely to meet the needs for most healthy adults, is around 95 mg per day for women, and around 110 mg per day for men. Consuming a variety of vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits, bell peppers, and kiwi can help meet your daily requirements.

What are the health benefits of vitamin C?

Adequate intake of vitamin C is essential for the growth, development, and repair of all body tissues. It plays a role in numerous bodily functions, including the formation of collagen, absorption of iron, and maintenance of healthy skin. Additionally, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that helps to protect cells from damage caused by free radicals, and supports the immune system in fighting off infections.

What are the health risks associated with vitamin C?

While vitamin C is generally considered safe, consuming very large amounts from supplements can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. For individuals with certain medical conditions, high doses of vitamin C can lead to kidney stones or interfere with certain medical treatments.

Can vitamin C be harmful?

Consuming excessive amounts of vitamin C can lead to stomach pain, diarrhea, and nausea. High doses of vitamin C from supplements may also increase the risk of kidney stones in some individuals. It is important to follow the recommended daily allowance and not exceed the tolerable upper intake level to avoid adverse effects.

What if your vitamin C is low?

Low levels of vitamin C can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, weak immune system, slow wound healing, and dry, rough skin. To increase vitamin C levels, consider incorporating more citrus fruits, bell peppers, kiwi, strawberries, and broccoli into your diet or consider taking a vitamin C supplement after consulting with a healthcare professional.

How do vegans get their vitamin C intake?

Vegans can get their vitamin C intake from a variety of plant-based sources such as citrus fruits, berries, kiwi, mango, papaya, pineapple, and vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and Brussels sprouts. Additionally, many plant-based foods and beverages are fortified with vitamin C to help vegans meet their daily requirements.

How much vitamin C do you need?

Enter your details for your own daily value.

Sex Age

Weight

kg or lbs

Height

cm or ft in

Activity

Your daily vitamin C

95 mg

An estimate for healthy adults. Pregnancy, breastfeeding and medical conditions change what you need.

Related nutrients

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