Foods rich in Vitamin C
One of the most famous vitamins, especially in winter, is Vitamin C.
Theoretically it helps reduce the risk of colds, although studies show that, in practice, this is not the case.
In healthy people, Vitamin C does not reduce the risk of constipation, but it slightly reduces its duration.(1)
In athletes, the results are more interesting, with the possibility of reducing the risk up to 50%.(1)
But Vitamin C plays other roles besides preventing colds.
It plays a fundamental role in the synthesis of certain neurotransmitters, is a powerful antioxidant, influences Cortisol and much more.
The recommended daily dose (RDA) varies between 90mg for men over 18 years of age and 75mg for women.
Furthermore, people who smoke should include an additional 35mg of this vitamin daily.
However, it is important to note, the DDR is only the recommended amount to prevent deficiencies in the general population, with benefits such as reducing the risk of constipation in athletes requiring higher doses.
The values shown are for the food per 100g raw.
The values presented here are only approximations and you should consult the product labels, as different origins and different brands lead to different nutritional values.
To simplify the article we calculated the RDA (Recommended Daily Dose) for 82.5mg, which is the average between men and women.
Guava
Guava is a fruit extremely rich in Vitamin C and if you are looking to increase your consumption, it is an excellent bet.
For every 100g of Guava you can count on approximately 228mg of Vitamin C, which corresponds to 279% of the RDA. A high value.
In addition to Vitamin C, Guava also has significant amounts of Vitamin A, B9 and the minerals Potassium and Copper.
In terms of macronutrients, there is not much to say.
The only one with significant values are carbohydrates with approximately 14g, part of which is fiber.
In total, there are approximately 68 Kcal for every 100g of Guava, which makes it easy to fit this food into any type of diet.
Pepper
Different types of peppers are another of the richest sources of Vitamin C that you can use.
They come in various colors and types, and each one differs in its amount of this vitamin.
In the case of yellow peppers, you have approximately 183mg of Vitamin C, which represents 222% of the RDA if you decide to eat 100g.
Red peppers are also not far behind and contain around 127mg of this micronutrient, which corresponds to 154% of the recommended daily dose.
It also contains approximately 63% of the DDR of Vitamin A.
If you prefer green, then the quantity is the smallest of the three with approximately 80mg, the equivalent of 97% from the DDR.
Something they all share is their low caloric value, as they are mostly made up of water.
Regardless of the color you prefer, they contain around 5g of carbohydrates per 100g each, and between 20 and 30 Kcal.
In other words, whatever your favorite is, you won’t lack Vitamin C.
Cabbage
Kale is an extremely nutritious food in terms of micronutrients, and one of them could not fail to be Vitamin C.
For every 100g of Kale you will find approximately 120mg of Vitamin C, which corresponds to 145% of the DDR.
Furthermore, the levels of Vitamin K present in kale are enormous and correspond to 817mcg, the equivalent of 1021% in the RDA. Excellent news for those who use supplements Vitamin D.
But that's not all.
As if that weren't enough, it also contains approximately 308% of the DDR of Vitamin A, 39% of the DDR of Manganese and 135mg of Calcium (14% DDR).
All this with just 50 Kcal per 100g, mostly coming from carbohydrates.
You could say that Kale is a super food.
Kiwi
Kiwi is another fruit with a very interesting concentration of Vitamin C.
It contains approximately 93mg of this vitamin, which corresponds to 113% of the DDR.
In other words, one Kiwi a day and you no longer need to worry about insufficient levels of Vitamin C.
In addition to Vitamin C, it also has significant amounts of Vitamin K (50% DDR) and 312mg of Potassium, corresponding to 9% DDR.
At a caloric level, it is basically composed of carbohydrates, with around 15g and approximately 61 Kcal.
If you want to increase your Vitamin C intake, including Kiwi in your diet is a good strategy.
Broccoli
Broccoli is another of the foods on this list, and one of those that is present in the diet of many gym athletes.
It is an extremely nutritious vegetable and also has a good amount of this vitamin.
For every 100g of Broccoli you will find around 89mg of Vitamin C, the equivalent of 108% of the RDA.
But that's not all.
With just 34 Kcal, broccoli also has good amounts of other vitamins such as K, B9 and A.
In addition to vitamins, it also has good values of some minerals such as Manganese and Potassium.
In short, including Broccoli regularly in your diet is an excellent idea.
Papaya
Papaya is another food rich in Vitamin C.
For every 100g you will find approximately 61mg of this Vitamin, which represents 74% of the DDR.
In addition, you can also count on the presence of Vitamin A (22% DDR), Vitamin B9 and Potassium.
In terms of macronutrients, it is basically composed of carbohydrates and water.
With around 11g of carbohydrates, it has a caloric value of approximately 43 Kcal.
If you are already a fan of this fruit, you now have a few more reasons to eat it.
Strawberries
It's true, the famous Strawberries are also on this list.
Not only is it a delicious fruit for many, it is also rich in Vitamin C.
They contain around 59mg of Vitamin C, which represents 72% of the DDR.
In addition to this vitamin, this fruit does not have much else in terms of nutrition, with only Manganese being the exception to the rule.
There are 32 Kcal for every 100g of which 91% is water and 8% carbohydrates.
Low caloric value, pleasant flavor and good amount of Vitamin C.
Not bad.
Orange
Finally, we couldn't finish this list without including the famous Orange.
Although Orange is the food most associated with Vitamin C, as you can see, it is not exactly the one with the highest concentration.
Each 100g contains approximately 53mg of Vitamin C, which represents 64% of the DDR.
It's not a low price, but it's far from standing out, its biggest advantage being the ease with which you can buy and eat this food.
Otherwise, as in the case of strawberries, there is not much to say about this fruit.
There are 47 Kcal of which 12g are carbohydrates and the rest is basically water.
It's not a bad food, you just have better options in terms of Vitamin C.
Conclusion
If you are looking to reach the RDA for Vitamin C, you may have already realized from this list that it is not difficult.
Your current diet probably already does this.
However, if you want to ingest doses higher than the RDA, and derive certain benefits from it, then you either need to pay attention to the foods you eat, or use a Vitamin C supplement.
There are several Vitamin C supplements with a good price/quality ratio, such as Vitamin C from Myprotein, which you can find here.
Finally, these are just some of the many foods rich in this vitamin, not all of them.
Below are some articles that may also be useful to you.
(1) http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020168
