Ascorbic acid is a fancy name for vitamin C -- the kind most common in citrus fruits. It is a water-soluble vitamin, which means the body does not store it. As a result, you must take in enough ascorbic acid on a daily basis for your body to use properly. Your body will use the ascorbic acid from the foods you take in to build collagen, a substance found in your skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. Because low levels of vitamin C can be hazardous to your health, it is important to take in enough in your daily diet.
Nutritional Needs
Your ascorbic acid needs vary based on your age and gender. Girls ages 14 to 18 years should have 65 mg of ascorbic acid while boys of the same age should have 75 mg. Men older than age 18 should have 90 mg per day while women should have 75 mg per day. If you are breastfeeding, you should have 120 mg of vitamin C per day. Smoking can deplete the vitamin C in your body. If you smoke, add about 35 mg to your suggested daily intake.
Fruits
Fruits are some of the best ascorbic acid sources. Guava fruit has 165 mg in one medium serving. One medium papaya also is high in vitamin C, containing about 95 mg. Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits, mangoes and tangerines also are high in ascorbic acid. Many berries also contain vitamin C, including strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and cranberries.
Vegetables
Several vegetables contain ascorbic acid, sometimes as much as fruits do. One-half cup of red bell pepper contains 95 mg of vitamin C. The same serving size of boiled broccoli has 60 mg of vitamin C. Other ascorbic-acid containing vegetables include Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage. Turnip greens and spinach are raw, leafy greens that have vitamin C as well. How you cook these foods can be important -- eating the vegetables raw or cooked very lightly ensures you will get the most vitamin C, as vitamin C can be lost during the cooking process.
Fortified Foods
Some foods have vitamin C added to them to enhance your daily intake. Examples include apple and grape juice that have vitamin C added. Ascorbic acid also is added to frozen peaches because the extra acid helps to prevent discoloration. Cereals are often fortified with ascorbic acid -- typically about 25 percent of your daily recommended intake, according to The Ohio State University.
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