Supermarkets carry an array of fruit and vegetable juices, and local farmer's markets expand the options further. With all these choices, you can get your daily vitamin C from many sources. When you're looking for the best source, comparing different fruit and vegetable juices' vitamin C content will help you make the right decision.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a nutrient you must get from the foods you eat, as your body does not make it. Also known as ascorbic acid, your body needs vitamin C for the synthesis of collagen, a structural component of bones, tendons, blood vessels and ligaments. It is also used in the synthesis of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, in the conversion of fat to energy, and in the metabolism of cholesterol. Vitamin C is an important antioxidant that protects cells of the body from damage by pollution and toxins.
High-Vitamin C Juices
Fruits and vegetables vary in vitamin C content, but in each group, some are classified as good sources. Fruits and vegetables that contain 12 mg or more of vitamin C per serving are considered high in vitamin C. For fruits, that includes apricots, blackberries, cantaloupe, citrus fruits, honeydew melon, papayas, raspberries, strawberries and watermelon. High-vitamin C vegetables are quite numerous and include bell peppers, brassicas such as cabbage and broccoli, potatoes, radishes and tomatoes. Vitamin C content can vary, even among the good sources. For example, 3/4 cup of orange juice has 61 to 93 mg; the same amount of grapefruit juice has 50 to 70 mg; tomato juice 33 mg; and carrot juice 15 mg.
The Highest Vitamin C Juices
For maximum vitamin C intake, choices are fewer. You are likely to think first of citrus fruits when looking for a good boost of vitamin C. Surprisingly, that's not the best choice. The all-time best juice source of vitamin C, according to an article in the February 1956 "Journal of Pediatrics" is acerola juice. Acerola juice has 50 to 100 times as much vitamin C as the same amount of orange juice.
Eat or Drink Fruits and Vegetables
Because fruits and vegetables have a variety of other nutrients besides vitamin C, it's important not to get too hung up on a single vitamin. Whether you choose to juice --- and remember, you will not be taking in fiber unless you eat the whole fruit or vegetable --- or to get your produce servings in their original form, be sure to eat the number of USDA recommended servings of fruit and vegetables for your age and sex each day.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Vitamin C; Jane Higdon; January 2006
- North Dakota State University; Fresh Squeezed Facts: A Parent's Guide to Juice; Jocey Mathern, et al.; February 2000
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005; July 2008
- USDA: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Carrot Juice, Canned
- "The Journal of Pediatrics"; Acerola Juice -- The Richest Known Source of Vitamin C: A Clinical Study in Infants; Norman W. Clein; February 1956
- Drugs.com: Acerola; 2009
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