Top 75 Sources of Vitamin C

The benefits of vitamin C - how it can support your immune system, how much you need (and why some people might need more), and where to find it.

by Buffy Ellen Gill · updated 10/09/23 · 1 comment

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By now, you’ve probably had at least 20 emails flood your inbox, on various ways people are responding to the Covid-19 virus.

As you know, here at Be Good my focus has always been plant-based health, and how I can help you experience the benefits by incorporating it into your life. Over the coming weeks, I’m therefore going to be sharing a series of posts, here on the blog, and over on social. Positive tips and advice that I know will help not only your immunity, but also keep stress levels at bay.

Top 75 Sources of Vitamin C by buffy Ellen from Be Good Organics

First up, an article on vitamin C – how it can support your immune system, how much you need (and why some people need more), and where to find it.

Vitamin C – why do you need it?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is one of the most potent antioxidants in our diet. As a result, it can help us do the following amazing things:

Protect our body from oxidative stress and damage;
Fight infections;
Heal tissue, maintain blood vessels, and grow bones, ligaments, and skin; and
Enhance iron absorption.

In terms of our immunity, the key ways big C is able to help us is two-fold. Firstly, by protecting our body from attacks in the first place (thanks to its free-radical scavenging action); and secondly, by helping us to fight off infections quicker.

How much vitamin C do you need?

According to the standard governmental RDIs (recommended daily intake levels), here’s how much vitamin C we’re told we need:

Infants & toddlers – 35mg/day
Children & teens – 35-40mg/day
Adults – 45mg/day
Pregnancy – 55-60mg/day
Breastfeeding – 80-85mg/day

However, RDIs are often based on how much the average person needs merely to prevent deficiency (which in vitamin C’s case, causes scurvy – the sailor disease of old).

If we instead look at how much our body is designed to absorb, studies show we optimally take in around 200mg of vitamin C per day. At this level, our vitamin C blood concentration peaks at 70-80umol/L. Intakes higher than this show no increase in plasma levels. In other words, 200mg appears to be the optimal intake, to maximise blood levels (and thus health). Incidentally, 200mg/day has also been shown to coincide with the lowest stroke risk. Sounds good to me right?

Who needs more vitamin C?

Depressed immune systems – people who have auto-immune conditions, or who have a historically depressed immune system, can benefit from higher levels of vitamin C. This might include if you’ve currently got a cold/flu, if you have a chronic auto-immune disease (graves’, lupus, Crohns etc). Or if you’re just someone who tends to get sick often (and takes a long time to recover).
Stress – emotional stress can also cause depleted levels of vitamin C. If you’re feeling a little more anxious than normal right now, chances are you’d be well set to increase your vitamin C intake.
Processed food diets – processed foods lack the required co-enzymes needed to absorb vitamin C. Therefore consuming a highly-processed diet will mean, even if you’re intaking vitamin C foods, they may not be being absorbed into the bloodstream (leading to our optimal 70-80umol/L as above).
Cancer patients – cancer causes additional oxidative damage to the body, as does chemotherapy. As a result, extra vitamin C (primarily through diet, but in some cases also intravenously), has been shown to be beneficial in supporting recovery.
Pregnancy & lactation – as with many nutrients during pregnancy and breastfeeding, babies soak up a lot of what you’re eating through your diet. During this time you need even more vitamin C. I also recommend taking a good quality full-spectrum whole food vitamin and mineral, to prevent deficiencies (and you feeling the brunt of them).
Smokers – smoking causes significant extra amounts of oxidative damage to the lungs, so smokers use up their vitamin C much quicker. If you’re a smoker, you’ll need at least an extra 35mg/day (or… just stop the smoking).

Where can you find vitamin C

The best sources of vitamin C are… fruits and vegetables! In fact, this powerhouse antioxidant is virtually non-existent in meat, egg, and dairy products. Below I’ve scoured the nutrient databases to create a go-to list for you of the top 75 sources of vitamin C. From capsicums to chillies, broccoli to blackcurrants, you’ll see a multitude of easy, affordable sources that can help you hit your target. You’ll also see that even by eating 5 servings of fruit and veg per day, you’ll be well over our 200mg/day goal.

TOP 75 SOURCES OF VITAMIN C

Ranking	Food	Calcium (mg/100g)
1	Kakadu Plum / Gubinge	7000 mg
2	Camu Camu	2700 mg
3	Acerola Cherries	1678 mg
4	Chives (dried)	660 mg
5	Coriander (dried)	567 mg
6	Green Chillis	243 mg
7	Guavas	228 mg
8	Yellow Capsicums	184 mg
9	Black Currants	181 mg
10	Green Capsicum	177 mg
11	Red Capsicum	171 mg
12	Thyme (fresh)	160 mg
13	Red Chillis	144 mg
14	Parsley	133 mg
15	Mustard Spinach (komastuna)	130 mg
16	Parsley (dried)	125 mg
17	Taro	96 mg
18	Kale	93 mg
19	Kiwifruit	93 mg
20	Broccoli	89 mg
21	Green Cauliflower	88 mg
22	Brussels Sprouts	85 mg
23	Dill (fresh)	85 mg
24	Lychees	72 mg
25	Mustard Greens	70 mg
26	Garden Cress	69 mg
27	Rosemary (dried)	61 mg
28	Papaya	61 mg
29	Snow Peas	60 mg
30	Oranges	59 mg
31	Strawberries	59 mg
32	Chives	58 mg
33	Red Cabbage	57 mg
34	Lemons	53 mg
35	Orange Juice	50 mg
36	Clementines	49 mg
37	Goji Berries (dried)	48 mg
38	Cauliflower	48 mg
39	Pineapple	49 mg
40	Bok Choy	45 mg
41	Watercress	43 mg
42	Strawberries	41 mg
43	Chestnuts	41 mg
44	Peas	40 mg
45	Sun-Dried Tomatoes	39 mg
46	Pink Grapefruit Juice	38 mg
47	Cabbage	37 mg
48	Mangos	36 mg
49	Collard Greens	35 mg
50	Grapefruit	34 mg
51	Feijoa	33 mg
52	Garlic	31 mg
53	Spinach	28 mg
54	Cilantro	27 mg
55	Raspberries	26 mg
56	Bok Choy	26 mg
57	Horseradish	25 mg
58	Green Tomatoes	23 mg
59	Onion Powder	23 mg
60	Okra	23 mg
61	Apples	22 mg
62	Rosemary	22 mg
63	Butternut Squash	21 mg
64	Turnips	21 mg
65	Blackberries	21 mg
66	Cassava	21 mg
67	Durian	20 mg
68	Sweet Potatoes	20 mg
69	Onion Powder	23 mg
70	Okra	23 mg
71	Apples	22 mg
72	Spring Onions	19 mg
73	Plantains	18 mg
74	Basil	18 mg
75	Zucchini	18 mg

Note: Some foods listed are great sources of vitamin C (e.g acerola cherries and dried chives), but are either (a) a little more difficult to source, or (b) not something you’re going to eat in 100g quantities. I’ve still included these so you know how valuable they are to add to your diet (especially the herbs). But of course make sure you also focus on the more substantial everyday fruits and veggies too.

If you’re interested in some of my other most popular nutrient-focussed blogs, you can find the links here for e.g. iron, protein, and calcium).

Thanks for reading, and I look forward to touching base again next week with some more tips of how you can support your health during this time. If you have a loved one worried about their immunity right now, please do send this handy list to them. And, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me in the comments below, or over on Facebook or Instagram.

PS – If you liked this post, share it with your friends on Facebook! For more nutritional tips and plant-based recipes, sign up for my emails here or check out my brand new online COOKING SCHOOL here.