Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant that plays a vital role for human health. Found naturally in many fruits, it reduces cellular damage from free radicals, contributes to collagen formation and boosts the immune system. Adult women should seek to consume between 75 and 2,000 mg per day, while adult men should get between 90 and 2,000 mg daily.
Strawberries
When it comes to commonly available varieties of fresh fruit, strawberries lead the pack in vitamin C content. Eating a single cup of raw strawberries delivers a full day's worth of vitamin C -- more than 97 mg. In addition to being delicious, strawberries are also a good source of potassium and folic acid. Choose strawberries with a bright green cap of leaves and a deep red color. Don't wash them until you're ready to serve them, and try to use fresh berries within three days of purchase.
Papaya
Papaya is another excellent source of vitamin C. Eating a cup of fresh papaya fruit will provide more than 85 mg of the nutrient, more than enough for an adult woman's daily needs. Eating a whole papaya provides a whopping 185 mg. Papaya, which comes from a tropical plant, is usually used raw. In areas where it is readily available, though, it is also dried and the unripened fruits are cooked as a vegetable. Papaya contains an enzyme that can tenderize meat.
Mango
A fresh mango contains 75 mg of vitamin C, which is the minimum recommended daily intake for an adult woman who is not pregnant or nursing. One cup of mango fruit contains a respectable 60 mg. Always wash mangos before handling and peeling them. The mango plant is related to poison ivy, and some people are highly sensitive to the sap and the skin of unripe fruit.
Pineapple
A cup of fresh pineapple also comes very close to filling the recommended daily intake of vitamin C for adult women, with 74 mg. Prepare whole, fresh pineapple by cutting off the crown of leaves and the eyes at the base, removing the tough rind and coring the fruit. In addition to eating pineapple raw, try it in an Asian-style meat dish or curry. Use fresh pineapple promptly, since it does not freeze well.
References
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23
- Iowa Department of Agriculture; Strawberries; Tammy Stotts
- Aggie Horticulture; Home Fruit Production -- Papaya; Julian W. Sauls
- Purdue University; Mango; Julia F. Morton; 1987
- Purdue University; Pineapple; Julia F. Morton; 1987
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