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The Importance of Vitamin C

Why Do We Need Vitamin C?

Vitamin C has several functions in the body including:

Promotes the absorption of iron from plant foods
Acts as an antioxidant
Keeps your gums healthy
Helps to form and repair blood, bones and other tissues

A severe deficiency of vitamin C is extremely uncommon in North America, but a few hundred years ago, it was the main cause of scurvy. Too little vitamin C may result in bleeding gums, poor healing of wounds, loose teeth, joint pain and infections.

Our bodies don't store large amounts of vitamin C. Any extra amount is lost through the urine. Therefore, it's important to eat a diet rich in vitamin C every day.

Vitamin C Food Sources

The best food sources of vitamin C are vegetables and fruit. The amount of vitamin C in a food is affected by the way it is cooked. Vitamin C is lost in cooking water and during long storage times. You can maximize your vitamin C intake by eating fresh fruits and vegetables as soon as possible or preserve vitamin C by cooking food in very little water (i.e. microwaving or steaming).

Most people can get enough vitamin C by eating a healthy diet. The recommended nutritional intake for adults aged 19 and older is 90 mg/day for men, and 75 mg/day for women.

See the table below for the vitamin C content of some common foods.

Food Group	Food	Serving size	Vitamin C (mg)

Vegetables and Fruit
	Yellow pepper, raw	125 mL (½ cup)	144
	Guava	1 fruit	126
	Red pepper, raw	125 mL (½ cup)	101
	Papaya	½ fruit	93
	Kiwifruit	1 large	84
	Orange	1 medium	70
	Broccoli, cooked	125 mL (½ cup)	54
	Orange juice	125 mL (½ cup)	53
	Brussels sprouts, cooked	125 mL (4 sprouts)	52
	Strawberries	125 mL (½ cup)	52
	Grapefruit	½ fruit	46
	Cabbage, red, raw	250 mL (1 cup)	42
	Pineapple	125 ml (½ cup)	42
	Snow peas, cooked	125 ml (½ cup)	41
	Mango	½ fruit	38
	Clementine	1 fruit	36
	Cantaloupe	125 mL (½ cup)	31
	Cauliflower, cooked	125 mL (½ cup)	29
	Kale, cooked	125 mL (½ cup)	28
	Bok choy, cooked	125 mL (½ cup)	23
	Sweet potato, with skin, cooked	1 medium	22
	Potato, with skin, cooked	1 medium	22
	Raspberries	125 mL (½ cup)	17
	Tomato, raw	1 medium	17
	Honeydew	125 mL (½ cup)	16
	Cranberry juice	125 mL (½ cup)	12

Grain Products	This food group contains very little of this nutrient

Milk and Alternatives	This food group contains very little of this nutrient

Meat and Alternatives
	Chestnuts (Japanese, Chinese)	60 mL (¼ cup)	24
	Liver (pork, chicken, turkey) , cooked	75 g (2.5 oz)	19
	Clams, cooked	75 g (2.5 oz)	17

The information in this resource is for general information purposes only and is not intended to replace informed medical advice. Consume foods according to any dietary guidelines you have been provided from a health care professional. Metro Ontario Pharmacies Limited assumes no legal liability for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of the information.