Ascorbic acid, better known as vitamin C, is a multifunctional nutrient. It protects your body from chemical damage, promotes healthy immune system function and supports production of collagen and brain-signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters. While humans do not possess the cellular machinery to manufacture ascorbic acid, plants do. Fruits and vegetables are the leading sources of this micronutrient.
When thinking of good sources of vitamin C, citrus fruits typically come to mind, and rightfully so. These fruits are rich sources of ascorbic acid, often providing more than a full day's recommended dietary allowance in a single serving. The RDA for vitamin C is 75 milligrams daily for women and 90 milligrams for men. It may surprise you to learn that tangelos contain the highest concentration of ascorbic acid of all the citrus fruits, providing 130 milligrams in a cup of fresh sections. Raw oranges come in second place with 96 milligrams per cup. Fresh grapefruit sections contain 79 milligrams of ascorbic acid per cup, and tangerine sections contain 52 milligrams. Citrus fruits store well and are easy to incorporate into your diet. Pack them in your lunch for work, eat them as snacks or add them to salads and main dishes for a sweet twist.
If you don't like citrus fruits or are looking for some variety in your diet, tropical fruit also provides high concentrations of ascorbic acid. A 1-cup serving of fresh kiwi fruit contains 164 milligrams of ascorbic acid, and raw papaya contains 86 milligrams. Raw mango and pineapple contain approximately 55 to 60 milligrams of vitamin C per cup. A fresh tropical fruit salad makes a refreshing, healthy dessert or snack. These fruits also work well in stir-fries and salsas.
Peppers impart crispiness and a spicy zip to recipes while boosting the ascorbic acid content of the dishes. A cup of raw, sweet red peppers contains an impressive 283 milligrams of ascorbic acid; sweet green peppers contain 120 milligrams per cup. Jalapeno, poblano and banana peppers contain approximately 25 to 60 milligrams of ascorbic acid per pepper.
Cruciferous vegetables are nutrient-packed dynamos, with ascorbic acid among the many vitamins and minerals these foods provide. A cup of boiled broccoli or Brussels sprouts provides you with roughly 100 milligrams of ascorbic acid, more than a full day's allowance. Steamed cauliflower and kale provide approximately 55 milligrams per cup and cabbage contains 30 milligrams. These vegetables offer slightly less ascorbic acid per cup when eaten raw, because fresh vegetables are bulkier than their cooked counterparts.
Green leafy vegetables are another good option to bolster your ascorbic acid intake. A cup of boiled collard, turnip, beet or mustard greens provides 35 to 45 milligrams of ascorbic acid. Cooked spinach contains 18 to 31 milligrams per cup. Green leafy vegetables are also tasty eaten raw; just be sure to wash them well to rinse away any soil contamination that may be present.
Articles For Your Diet
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America: Completing a Pathway to Plant Vitamin C Synthesis
- USDA What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool, 5.0: Tangelo, Raw
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Vitamin C, Total Ascorbic Acid (mg) Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure
- USDA What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool, 5.0: Grapefruit, Raw
- USDA What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool, 5.0: Tangerine, Raw
- USDA What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool, 5.0: Kiwi Fruit
- USDA What's in the Foods You Eat Search Tool, 5.0: Mango, Raw
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