All fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, according to Medline Plus, a National Institutes of Health website. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning the body does not store it. This is why it is important to consume a sufficient amount of vitamin C each day. How much is sufficient? The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends 90 mg per day for men 19 and older. Women aged 19 and older require slightly less, 75 mg per day.
Fresh Fruit
Fruit is an excellent source of vitamin C. You might think that oranges, with 95.8 mg of vitamin C per cup, have the most vitamin C, but one papaya has 187.9 mg of vitamin C. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a list of fruits and their vitamin C content. According to the list: 1 cup raw strawberries has 97.6 mg of vitamin C; 1 cup pineapple has 74.1 mg; one medium kiwifruit has 70.5 mg; and 1 cup mangoes has 45.7 mg.
Fruit Juice
The vitamin C in fruit juice comes naturally from the fruit and from added ingredients, such as ascorbic acid. The Department of Agriculture provides a list of juices, along with their vitamin C content: 1 cup fresh orange juice has 124 mg of vitamin C; 8 ounces bottled cranberry juice cocktail have 107 mg of vitamin C; 8 ounces pineapple and grapefruit juice drink have 115 mg of vitamin C; 1 cup fresh pink or white grapefruit juice has 93.9 mg of vitamin C; and 1 cup canned tomato juice with salt added has 44.5 mg of vitamin C.
Vegetable Sources
Consume vegetables, in addition to fruit, to get your vitamin C. The vegetables with the most vitamin C, as listed in information provided by the Agricultural Research Service Nutrient Database for Standard Reference include: 1 cup raw sweet red pepper, with 284 mg of vitamin C; 1 cup raw, sweet, green pepper, with 120 mg; 1 cup of cooked Brussels sprouts, with 96 mg; 1 cup cooked broccoli, with 74 mg; and 1 cup canned sweet potatoes, with 68 mg.
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