Vitamin C

What can high-vitamin C foods do for you?

Help protect cells from free radical damage Lower your cancer risk Regenerate your vitamin E supplies Improve iron absorption

What events can indicate a need for more high-vitamin C foods?

Poor wound healing Frequent colds or infections Lung-related problems

Excellent sources of vitamin C include: parsley, broccoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, lemon juice, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, and Brussels sprouts.
What are deficiency symptoms for vitamin C?

Full-blown symptoms of the vitamin C deficiency disease called scurvy - including bleeding gums and skin discoloration due to ruptured blood vessels - are rare in the U.S. Poor wound healing, however, is not rare, and can be a symptom of vitamin C deficiency. Weak immune function, including susceptibility to colds and other infections, can also be a telltale sign of vitamin C deficiency. Since the lining of our respiratory tract also depend heavily on vitamin C for protection, respiratory infection and other lung-related conditions can also be symptomatic of vitamin C deficiency.
How do cooking, storage, or processing affect vitamin C?

Vitamin C is highly sensitive to air, water, and temperature. About 25% of the vitamin C in vegetables can be lost simply by blanching (boiling or steaming the food for a few minutes). This same degree of loss occurs in the freezing and unthawing of vegetables and fruits. Cooking of vegetables and fruits for longer periods of time (10-20 minutes) can result in a loss of over one half the total vitamin C content. When fruits and vegetables are canned and then reheated, only 1/3 of the original vitamin C content may be left. Consumption of vitamin C-rich foods in their fresh, raw form is the best way to maximize vitamin C intake.
What factors might contribute to a deficiency of vitamin C?

Poor intake of vitamin C-rich vegetables and fruits is a common contributor to vitamin C deficiency. In the U.S., one third of all adults get less vitamin C from their diet than is recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, and 1 out of every 6 adults gets less than half the amount recommended. Smoking and exposure to second hand smoke also increase the risk of vitamin C deficiency.

The body's immune and detoxification systems make special use of vitamin C, and overload in either of these systems can increase risk of deficiency. The immune system relies on a wide variety of mechanisms to help protect the body from infection, including white blood cells, complement proteins, and interferons; and vitamin C is especially important in the function of these immune components. Vitamin C is also critical during the first phase of the body's detoxification process. This process occurs in many types of tissue, but it is especially active in the liver. When the body is exposed to toxins, vitamin C is often required for the body to begin processing the toxins for elimination. Excessive toxic exposure is therefore a risk factor for vitamin C deficiency.

What health conditions require special emphasis on vitamin C?

Most forms of cardiovascular disease, joint disease, cancer, eye disease, thyroid disease, liver disease, and lung disease require special emphasis on vitamin C intake. The process of aging itself requires special attention to vitamin C. In addition to these broader categories, several specific health conditions also require special emphasis on vitamin C. These specific health conditions include:

Acne Alcoholism Alzheimer's disease Asthma Autism Depression Diabetes Irritable bowel disease Parkinson's disease

What foods provide vitamin C?

Excellent food sources of vitamin C include broccoli, bell peppers, parsley, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, lemon juice, strawberries, mustard greens, kiwifruit, papaya, kale, cabbage, romaine lettuce, turnip greens, oranges, cantaloupe, summer squash, grapefruit, pineapple, chard, tomatoes, collard greens, raspberries, spinach, green beans, fennel, cranberries, asparagus, watermelon, and winter squash.

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of vitamin C Serving Size 1 cup raw 2 tbs 1 cup raw 1 cup raw 1 cup raw 0.25 cup 1 cup 1 cup cooked 1 each 1 each 1 cup cooked 1 cup raw 2 cups 1 cup cooked 1 each 1 cup 0.50 each 1 cup raw 1 cup 1 cup cooked 1 cup raw 1 cup cooked 1 cup 2 tbs 1 cup cooked 1 cup raw 1 cup raw 0.50 cup 1 cup raw 1 cup 1 cup baked 2 tsp 2 tsp 2 tsp 1 cup baked 1 oz-wt 1 each 1 each 1 cup raw 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup raw 1 cup 1 cup raw 1 cup 1 cup raw 1 cup baked Amount (mg) 117.48 10.11 81.17 74.80 51.57 28.06 84.67 35.42 72.00 187.87 53.30 25.62 22.56 39.46 69.69 58.72 44.03 19.21 78.87 31.50 22.86 34.58 32.23 2.42 17.64 12.20 10.44 6.65 7.50 12.31 19.68 3.39 1.71 2.75 22.34 5.62 3.50 6.27 10.68 3.13 2.91 11.84 14.36 19.56 7.20 6.66 16.46 DV (%) 195.8 16.9 135.3 124.7 86.0 46.8 141.1 59.0 120.0 313.1 88.8 42.7 37.6 65.8 116.2 97.9 73.4 32.0 131.4 52.5 38.1 57.6 53.7 4.0 29.4 20.3 17.4 11.1 12.5 20.5 32.8 5.7 2.9 4.6 37.2 9.4 5.8 10.4 17.8 5.2 4.8 19.7 23.9 32.6 12.0 11.1 27.4 Nutrient Density 123.6 110.7 78.7 59.3 57.8 55.2 55.1 50.6 48.0 47.5 43.9 43.9 42.4 41.1 34.0 32.4 32.2 31.9 28.7 27.0 21.2 21.0 15.1 13.6 12.8 11.8 11.6 8.7 8.4 8.1 7.8 7.5 7.3 7.2 6.5 6.3 6.2 6.2 5.9 5.8 5.6 5.6 5.1 5.1 4.3 3.4 3.1 World's Healthiest Foods Rating excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent good excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent excellent very good good good very good very good very good very good very good very good good very good very good very good very good very good good

Food Bell Peppers Parsley Broccoli Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Lemons and Limes, Juice Strawberries Mustard Greens Kiwifruit Papaya Kale Cabbage Romaine Lettuce Turnip Greens Oranges Cantaloupe Grapefruit Summer Squash Pineapple Swiss Chard Tomatoes Collard Greens Raspberries Peppermint Spinach Green Beans Fennel Cranberries Asparagus Watermelon Winter Squash Cloves Basil Cayenne Pepper Sweet Potato Garlic Apricot Plum Leeks Celery Cucumber Onions Blueberries Green Peas Carrots Beets Yam

Cals 28.5 2.7 30.9 37.8 26.8 15.2 46.1 21.0 45.0 118.6 36.4 17.5 16.0 28.8 61.6 54.4 41.0 18.1 82.5 35.0 32.4 49.4 64.0 5.3 41.4 31.0 27.0 23.0 26.8 45.6 75.8 13.6 7.0 11.4 102.6 26.8 16.8 30.4 54.3 16.2 15.6 64.0 84.4 115.7 50.0 58.5 157.8

Potatoes Banana Eggplant Apple Pear Avocado Grapes Corn World's Healthiest Foods Rating excellent very good good

1 each baked 1 each 1 cup raw 1 small 1 each 1 cup 1 cup 1 cup

160.9 105.0 19.7 94.6 103.2 233.6 61.6 143.0

16.61 10.27 1.80 8.37 7.48 14.60 3.68 8.20

27.7 17.1 3.0 13.9 12.5 24.3 6.1 13.7

3.1 2.9 2.7 2.7 2.2 1.9 1.8 1.7

good good good good good good good good

Rule DV>=75% OR Density>=7.6 AND DV>=10% DV>=50% OR Density>=3.4 AND DV>=5% DV>=25% OR Density>=1.5 AND DV>=2.5%