Vitamins are essential nutrients your body needs in small quantities to work properly. Water-soluble vitamins do not get stored in your body and when you consume more than your body needs, it gets excreted in your urine. You need to include a daily dose of water-soluble vitamins to meet your needs. Vitamin C is a type of water-soluble vitamin.
Functions
Vitamin C plays a number of roles in your body. Vitamin C is necessary for the formation of collagen, a structural protein found in your skin, ligaments, cartilage, muscles and blood vessels. Adequate intakes of vitamin C also supports immune health and wound healing. In addition, vitamin C is an important antioxidant, protecting cells from oxidative damage free radicals. Preventing cell oxidation may offer protection against heart disease and cancer, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C also helps you absorb nonheme iron, the iron found in plant-foods like legumes.
Daily Needs
How much vitamin C you need each day depends on your age and sex. Adult women over the age of 19 need 75 mg of vitamin C a day, and adult men over the age of 19 need 90 mg a day. Pregnant adult women need 85 mg a day, and lactating women need 120 mg a day. If you smoke, you need to add an additional 35 mg to your daily needs.
Deficiency Symptoms
Most Americans more than adequately meet their daily vitamin C needs, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Inadequate intakes of vitamin C can lead to a condition known as scurvy. Initial symptoms of scurvy include fatigue, malaise and inflammation of the gums. As the deficiency continues, your connective tissue weakens leading to poor wound healing, joint pain, ecchymosis and corkscrew hairs. It can also cause depression, increased bleeding and lose teeth. For a deficiency to occur, you need to consume less than 10 mg of vitamin C a day for several weeks.
Fruit Sources
There are a number of fruits rich in vitamin C, including citrus fruits, strawberries, apricots, pineapple, kiwifruit, papaya, guava, watermelon, raspberries and cantaloupe. A 3/4 cup serving of orange juice contains the highest amount of vitamin C with 93 mg. Kiwifruit takes second, with 71 mg per one medium-sized fruit. A 1/2-cup serving of strawberries contains 49 mg of vitamin C, and 1/2-cup serving of cantaloupe contains 29 mg.
Vegetable Sources
Many vegetables also contain high amounts of vitamin C including red and green peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, green cabbage, cauliflower, okra, white potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Red peppers contain the highest quantity of vitamin C with 95 mg in a 1/2-cup serving, while the same serving of green peppers contains 60 mg. A 1/2-cup serving of broccoli contains 50 mg of vitamin C, and 1/2-cup serving of cooked cabbage contains 28 mg.
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