Quick answer

Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of vitamin C. Half a cup of raw sweet red pepper has 95 mg, three quarters of a cup of orange juice 93 mg, a medium orange 70 mg and a medium kiwifruit 64 mg. Adults need 75 to 90 mg a day.¹

Key facts

Red pepper beats orange: half a cup raw has 95 mg, against 70 mg in a medium orange.¹
Grains have no vitamin C of their own, though some breakfast cereals have it added.¹
Heat destroys vitamin C and it dissolves in water, so long cooking cuts the amount in food.¹
Eating vitamin C foods with plant sources of iron raises how much of that iron you absorb.²

Vitamin C in common foods

Vitamin C per serving, from NIH's food table¹
Food	Serving	Vitamin C	Daily Value
Sweet red pepper, raw	Half a cup	95 mg	106%
Orange juice	Three quarters of a cup	93 mg	103%
Orange	1 medium	70 mg	78%
Grapefruit juice	Three quarters of a cup	70 mg	78%
Kiwifruit	1 medium	64 mg	71%
Sweet green pepper, raw	Half a cup	60 mg	67%
Broccoli, cooked	Half a cup	51 mg	57%
Strawberries, sliced	Half a cup	49 mg	54%
Brussels sprouts, cooked	Half a cup	48 mg	53%
Grapefruit	Half a medium fruit	39 mg	43%
Broccoli, raw	Half a cup	39 mg	43%
Tomato juice	Three quarters of a cup	33 mg	37%
Cantaloupe	Half a cup	29 mg	32%
Cabbage, cooked	Half a cup	28 mg	31%
Cauliflower, raw	Half a cup	26 mg	29%
Potato, baked	1 medium	17 mg	19%
Tomato, raw	1 medium	17 mg	19%
Spinach, cooked	Half a cup	9 mg	10%
Green peas, frozen, cooked	Half a cup	8 mg	9%

A food with 20% or more of the Daily Value is considered a high source. Everything in the table from red pepper down to raw cauliflower clears that bar, and the foods below it still add up over a day.¹

High in vitamin C, but not citrus

Citrus has a reputation it only partly earns. Half a cup of raw red pepper holds more vitamin C than a whole orange, and kiwifruit, green pepper, broccoli, strawberries and Brussels sprouts each give about half the Daily Value or more per serving.¹

Citrus fruits, tomatoes and tomato juice, and potatoes are major sources of vitamin C in the American diet.¹

Keeping the vitamin C in your food

Long storage and cooking reduce the vitamin C in food, because it dissolves in water and is destroyed by heat. Steaming or microwaving may lessen the losses, and many of the best sources are eaten raw.^1,3

In a study of 15 young men who started with low blood levels, one gold kiwifruit a day brought blood vitamin C into the range considered healthy, and two a day brought it close to saturation.⁴

Each step of that kiwifruit study lasted four to six weeks, with a blood sample every week, so it reflects steady eating rather than a single meal. Even half a kiwifruit a day raised blood levels from a low starting point.⁴

Foods high in vitamin C and iron

Increases iron absorption*^1,2,5,6

Moderate evidence

A well-established nutrient function, permitted in this wording by EU regulators for foods that are at least a source of vitamin C. NIH says vitamin C raises absorption of nonheme iron, the form in plant foods and fortified foods, and that mixed diets with meat, seafood and vitamin C let the body absorb about 14% to 18% of their iron, against 5% to 12% for vegetarian diets. In a typical Western diet these effects make little difference to most people's iron status.

Amount studied: Vitamin C eaten in the same meal as plant sources of iron

Eating foods that contain vitamin C at the same meal as plant sources of iron helps the body absorb more of that iron.^1,2

In practice that means putting them on the same plate: beans, lentils or spinach with peppers, tomatoes or citrus. NIH lists lean meat, seafood, poultry, fortified cereals and breads, beans, lentils, spinach, nuts and raisins among the foods that provide iron.²

Foods high in vitamin C and zinc

Few foods are rich in both. Zinc comes mainly from meat, seafood and fortified cereals, while fruits and vegetables contain very little of it, so the practical answer is a meal that pairs a zinc food with a vitamin C food.^1,7

Questions people ask

Which fruit has the most vitamin C?

Among the fruits in NIH's table, a medium orange (70 mg) and a medium kiwifruit (64 mg) lead, with strawberries close behind at 49 mg per half cup. Raw sweet red pepper beats them all at 95 mg per half cup.¹

Does orange juice count?

Yes. Three quarters of a cup has 93 mg, about the same as half a cup of raw red pepper. Grapefruit juice and tomato juice are good sources too, at 70 mg and 33 mg per serving.¹

Do I need a supplement if I eat fruit and vegetables?

Usually not. Most Americans reach the recommended amount from food and drink. Smoking, secondhand smoke and a very limited diet are the usual reasons people fall short.³

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*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.