Vitamin C-rich foods: what they contain and why vitamin C matters
Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) acts as an essential water-soluble reducing agent and enzymatic cofactor in the biosynthesis of collagen, carnitine, and catecholamine neurotransmitters [WHO]. It scavenges reactive oxygen species across aqueous cellular compartments to mitigate oxidative damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids [ICMR-NIN]. In the proximal gut, ascorbic acid reduces non-heme ferric iron to the more soluble ferrous form, facilitating its translocation across the intestinal enterocyte brush border [WHO].
Last reviewed: 2026-09-05
How much vitamin c is in common foods
Values are mg of total ascorbic acid (vitamin C) per 100 g edible portion.
| Food | Vitamin C per 100 g | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Amla (Indian gooseberry) (raw) | 478 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Drumstick leaves (Moringa) (raw) | 220 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Guava (raw) | 212 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Yellow bell pepper (raw) | 183.5 mg | USDA |
| Blackcurrants (raw) | 181 mg | USDA |
| Agathi leaves (Sesbania grandiflora) (raw) | 169 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Coriander leaves (raw) | 135 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Red bell pepper (raw) | 127.7 mg | USDA |
| Drumstick pod (raw) | 120 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Kale (raw) | 93.4 mg | USDA |
| Kiwi fruit (green, raw) | 92.7 mg | USDA |
| Broccoli (raw) | 89.2 mg | USDA |
| Brussels sprouts (raw) | 85 mg | USDA |
| Green bell pepper (raw) | 80.4 mg | USDA |
| Mustard greens (raw) | 70 mg | USDA |
| Papaya (raw) | 60.9 mg | USDA |
| Strawberries (raw) | 58.8 mg | USDA |
| Red cabbage (raw) | 57 mg | USDA |
| Orange (navel, raw) | 53.2 mg | USDA |
| Lemon (whole with peel, raw) | 53 mg | USDA |
| Cauliflower (raw) | 48.2 mg | USDA |
| Pineapple (raw) | 47.8 mg | USDA |
| Sweet lime (Mosambi) (raw) | 45 mg | ICMR-NIN |
| Grapefruit (pink, raw) | 31.2 mg | USDA |
| Spinach (raw) | 28.1 mg | USDA |
| Raspberries (raw) | 26.2 mg | USDA |
| Tomato (ripe, red, raw) | 13.7 mg | USDA |
Vitamin C and your blood test
Vitamin C is occasionally measured directly, and it also affects how you absorb iron from food. If you have a lab report, ReadMyReport explains what your numbers mean for you.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does thermal cooking decrease the vitamin C content of plant foods?
- Ascorbic acid is water-soluble and heat-labile, undergoing thermal degradation and oxidative conversion to dehydroascorbic acid, followed by irreversible ring cleavage to 2,3-diketogulonic acid; immersion in boiling water also extracts a measurable fraction of the vitamin into the cooking medium [USDA].
- How does storage time and temperature influence vitamin C degradation in harvested crops?
- Plant tissue maintains endogenous enzymes such as ascorbate oxidase and polyphenol oxidase, which oxidize ascorbic acid progressively over time; higher storage temperatures and air exposure accelerate this enzymatic degradation compared to low-temperature, high-humidity storage [ICMR-NIN].
- What is the physiological role of vitamin C in cellular collagen production?
- Vitamin C functions as a specific electron donor to maintain iron in the ferrous (Fe2+) state within the active sites of prolyl-4-hydroxylase and lysyl hydroxylase enzymes, enabling post-translational hydroxylation of proline and lysine residues required to form the stable triple-helix conformation of procollagen [WHO].
- How much vitamin C does raw amla contain compared to citrus fruits like oranges and sweet limes?
- Raw amla contains 478 mg of vitamin C per 100 g [ICMR-NIN], whereas sweet oranges contain 53.2 mg per 100 g [USDA] and sweet limes contain 45 mg per 100 g [ICMR-NIN].
- How does ripening affect the vitamin C profile of capsicums (bell peppers)?
- As capsicums transition through ripening from green to red or yellow, chloroplasts convert to chromoplasts alongside ongoing ascorbic acid accumulation, shifting concentrations from 80.4 mg per 100 g in green capsicum to 127.7 mg per 100 g in red capsicum and 183.5 mg per 100 g in yellow capsicum [USDA].
- Why are humans dependent on dietary sources for vitamin C?
- The human genome carries inactivating mutations in the gene encoding L-gulonolactone oxidase (GULO), the terminal microsomal enzyme in the glucuronate pathway that synthesizes L-ascorbic acid from hexose precursors, preventing endogenous synthesis [WHO].
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — USDA FoodData Central, Agricultural Research Service. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/
- ICMR-NIN — Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, National Institute of Nutrition. https://www.nin.res.in/
- ICMR-NIN RDA — Nutrient Requirements for Indians, 2020 (RDA/EAR). https://www.nin.res.in/