The Top 11 Vitamin C Foods

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Back in the 1970′s, Dr.Linus Pauling popularized a theory that high doses of Vitamin C would significantly decrease the incidence of the common cold. This theory spurred a widespread belief that consuming more vitamin C will reduce the risk of catching a cold and reduce its severity.

While that theory has taken a beating in the past few years, no one can deny that Vitamin C is a nutritional superstar.

• Vitamin C is required for the synthesis of collagen – an important structural component of blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, and bone.
• Vitamin C also plays an important role in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter - norepinephrine. Neurotransmitters are critical to brain function and are known to affect mood.
• In addition, vitamin C is required for the synthesis of carnitine, a small molecule that is essential for the transport of fat into cellular organelles called mitochondria, where the fat is converted to energy.
•  Research also suggests that vitamin C is involved in the metabolism of cholesterol to bile acids, which may have implications for blood cholesterol levels and the incidence of gallstones.
• Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant. Even in small amounts vitamin C can protect indispensable molecules in the body, such as proteins, lipids (fats), carbohydrates, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), from damage by free radicals and reactive oxygen species that can be generated during normal metabolism as well as through exposure to toxins and pollutants (e.g., cigarette smoke).
• Vitamin C may also be able to regenerate other antioxidants such as vitamin E. One recent study of cigarette smokers found that vitamin C regenerated vitamin E from its oxidized form.

So…what’s the best way for you to get this super vitamin into your diet?

Most of us get it from a glass of OJ with our breakfast.

And while that glass of liquid sunshine is a great way to get the “C” into your body, it’s also a great way to get a whole bunch of sugar without all the fibery goodness that goes along with most sources of Vitamin C.

And for that reason, I am giving you 2 different lists of Vitamin C sources

The JUICE list….

• Orange juice – 1 cup – 124 mg Vitamin C
• Pineapple and grapefruit juice drink – 1 cup – 115 mg Vitamin C
• Cranberry juice cocktail - 1 cup – 107 mg Vitamin C
• Grapefruit juice - 1 cup -  94 mg vitamin C
• Grape drink - 1 cup –  79 mg Vitamin C
• Vegetable juice cocktail - 1 cup –   67 mg Vitamin C
• Pineapple juice - 1 cup –   25 mg Vitamin C

And the FOOD list…

1. Peaches – 1 cup - sliced – 236 mg Vitamin C
2. Peppers, sweet, red – 1 cup – raw – 190 mg Vitamin C
3. Fruit, mixed, (peach and cherry-sweet and -sour and raspberry and grape and boysenberry) - 1 cup – 188 mg Vitamin C
4. Papayas, 1 fruit (300 g) – 185 mg Vitamin C
5. Strawberries, sliced – 1 cup – 106 mg Vitamin C
6. Broccoli, cooked, boiled, drained – 1 cup – 101 mg Vitamin C
7. Brussels sprouts, cooked, boiled, drained – 1 cup – 97 mg Vitamin C
8. Kohlrabi, cooked, boiled, drained – 1 cup – 89 mg Vitamin C
9. Peas, edible-podded, boiled, drained – 1 cup – 77 mg Vitamin C
10. Kiwifruit - 1 medium fruit (76 g) –  71 mg Vitamin C
11. Oranges – 1 fruit (131 g) – 70 mg Vitamin C

And in my humble opinion, I think the FOOD list is way, way, way better than the JUICE list.

Reference

• USDA – Top Vitamin C Foods
• Linus Pauling Institute – Vitamin C

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