This vitamin is well known to all. Its name, ascorbic acid, means no scurvy acid, stemming from the discovery that citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and limes prevented death from scurvy during the long ocean voyages in which stores of fruits and vegetables were depleted well before the journey’s end. Vitamin C is water-soluble, and is thereby susceptible to leaching out of food during the cooking process. Less time in cooking and using less water will assist in preserving the vitamin content of the food. One must also be mindful to keep containers closed tightly when storing vitamin C products, such as orange juice, in the refrigerator. If lids are left open or not used at all, the vitamin C will oxidize away. There is an endless controversy regarding the benefits to be gained from megadose supplementation of this vitamin. Supplementation is a personal choice, but should never be a substitute for a healthy diet. In general, toxicity due to an overdose does not develop, because once the cells are saturated with the vitamin, the excess is excreted as waste. Megadosing on water-soluble vitamins could result in pretty expensive urine. Cigarette smoking interferes with the use of vitamin C in the body. Extra vitamin C can normalize blood levels but cannot protect against the damage caused by smoking.
Vitamin C and its food sources:
- All citrus fruits: oranges, grapefruit, lemons, and limes
- Bell peppers, both red and green; hot green chilis are also high if you can eat them uncooked.
- Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
- Cantaloupe (1/2 melon), papaya, kiwi, strawberries, mangoes, tomatoes, blackberries, raspberries, watermelon, pineapple
- Collards, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, asparagus, and potatoes
- A serving is generally considered to be 1/2 to 1 cup; 1 cup cooked of the leafy green vegetables. The food listed at the beginning of each grouping contains the most vitamin C per serving.
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