How much Vitamin C do you need each day?

Daily needs depend on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, and other factors. Use the requirement table on this page for general guidance.

Are high Vitamin C foods safe for everyone?

Food sources are suitable for many people, but medical conditions, medicines, allergies, supplements, and pregnancy can change what is safe.

Foodmanac nutrient guide

100 Foods High In Vitamin C With Benefits, Daily Needs and Warnings

Vitamin C supports collagen formation, antioxidant protection, and normal immune function.

Use this page to understand Vitamin C benefits, daily requirements, safety notes, and the top Foodmanac food sources.

See top Vitamin C foods Daily needs table Warnings

Vitamin C benefits in the body

Helps the body make collagen for skin and connective tissue.
Supports wound healing as part of normal tissue repair.
Acts as an antioxidant in the body.
Improves absorption of non-heme iron from plant foods.
Supports normal immune function.

Who should pay attention?

People who smoke need more vitamin C each day.
Fruit and vegetables are the main food sources.
Cooking and storage can reduce vitamin C in some foods.
Pairing vitamin C foods with beans or lentils can help iron absorption.

How to use this list

Compare foods by measured database values.
Choose foods that fit your diet and culture.
Check serving size before judging a food.
Use medical advice for disease-specific diets.

Vitamin C daily body requirements

Daily needs change by age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, body size, health, medicines, and activity. The table gives general U.S. reference values for healthy people.

Vitamin C daily requirements by age, sex, and life stage
Group	Recommended intake
Children 1–3 years	15 mg/day
Children 4–8 years	25 mg/day
Ages 9–13 years	45 mg/day
Teen boys 14–18 years	75 mg/day
Teen girls 14–18 years	65 mg/day
Adult men	90 mg/day
Adult women	75 mg/day
Pregnancy	80–85 mg/day
Lactation	115–120 mg/day
People who smoke	+35 mg/day

These values are education guidance, not a personal prescription. Your clinician can adjust targets for medical conditions.

Vitamin C warnings and safe-use notes

High-dose supplements can cause diarrhea and stomach upset.
People with kidney stone risk should ask a clinician about high doses.
Vitamin C does not replace medical treatment for infections.
Food sources are usually enough for many healthy people.

Before you use the food ranking

A high value in the table does not automatically make a food best for everyone. Calories, allergies, sodium, added sugar, preparation, and portion size also matter.

Also, some foods are rich because they are dried, concentrated, fortified, or cooked. Compare similar serving sizes before making a meal decision.

Top 100 Foods High In Vitamin C

Foodmanac ranks these foods from the database nutrient values available for this nutrient. Amounts are shown exactly as stored in the food record.

Top foods ranked by Vitamin C amount
Rank	Food source	Vitamin C amount
1	Babyfood, GERBER, 2nd Foods, apple, carrot and squash, organic	2730.00000000 mg
2	Beverages, Orange-flavor drink, breakfast type, low calorie, powder	2400.00000000 mg
3	Beverages, fruit-flavored drink, powder, with high vitamin C with other added vitamins, low calorie	2400.00000000 mg
4	Peppers, sweet, red, freeze-dried	1900.00000000 mg
5	Acerola, (west indian cherry), raw	1680.00000000 mg
6	Acerola juice, raw	1600.00000000 mg
7	Beverages, tea, green, instant, decaffeinated, lemon, unsweetened, fortified with vitamin C	1340.00000000 mg
8	Chives, freeze-dried	660.00000000 mg
9	Spices, coriander leaf, dried	567.00000000 mg
10	Beverages, fruit-flavored drink, dry powdered mix, low calorie, with aspartame	560.00000000 mg
11	Fruit flavored drink, powdered, not reconstituted, diet	560.00000000 mg
12	Gelatin desserts, dry mix, reduced calorie, with aspartame, added phosphorus, potassium, sodium, vitamin C	490.00000000 mg
13	Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON Energy Bar, all flavors	490.00000000 mg
14	Rose Hips, wild (Northern Plains Indians)	426.00000000 mg
15	Snacks, candy rolls, yogurt-covered, fruit flavored with high vitamin C	261.00000000 mg
16	Babyfood, cereal, rice with pears and apple, dry, instant fortified	250.00000000 mg
17	Beverages, Orange-flavor drink, breakfast type, with pulp, frozen concentrate.	243.00000000 mg
18	Peppers, hot chili, green, raw	242.00000000 mg
19	Cereals ready-to-eat, RALSTON Enriched Wheat Bran flakes	240.00000000 mg
20	Beverages, orange-flavor drink, breakfast type, powder	231.00000000 mg
21	Fruit flavored drink, with high vitamin C, powdered, not reconstituted	231.00000000 mg
22	Guava, raw	228.00000000 mg
23	Guavas, common, raw	228.00000000 mg
24	Jujube, Chinese, fresh, dried	218.00000000 mg
25	SILK Hazelnut Creamer	200.00000000 mg
26	Vegetable mixture, dried	193.00000000 mg
27	Beverages, Orange drink, breakfast type, with juice and pulp, frozen concentrate	190.00000000 mg
28	Willow, young leaves, chopped (Alaska Native)	190.00000000 mg
29	Peppers, sweet, yellow, raw	184.00000000 mg
30	Litchis, dried	183.00000000 mg
31	Currants, european black, raw	181.00000000 mg
32	Snacks, candy bits, yogurt covered with vitamin C	180.00000000 mg
33	Babyfood, snack, GERBER GRADUATE FRUIT STRIPS, Real Fruit Bars	180.00000000 mg
34	Peppers, sweet, green, sauteed	177.00000000 mg
35	Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON Honey Nut Oat Bar	176.00000000 mg
36	Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON Double Chocolate Nut Bar	176.00000000 mg
37	Baobab powder	173.00000000 mg
38	Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, boiled, drained, with salt	171.00000000 mg
39	Peppers, sweet, red, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt	171.00000000 mg
40	Mango, Ataulfo, peeled, raw	168.00000000 mg
41	Peppers, sweet, red, sauteed	163.00000000 mg
42	Kiwifruit, ZESPRI SunGold, raw	161.00000000 mg
43	Thyme, fresh	160.00000000 mg
44	Cloudberries, raw (Alaska Native)	158.00000000 mg
45	Peppers, bell, orange, raw	158.00000000 mg
46	Beverages, Fruit punch drink, frozen concentrate	156.00000000 mg
47	Parsley, freeze-dried	149.00000000 mg
48	Guava sauce, cooked	146.00000000 mg
49	Orange juice, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, undiluted, with added calcium	145.00000000 mg
50	Orange juice, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, undiluted	145.00000000 mg
51	Orange juice, 100%, frozen, not reconstituted	145.00000000 mg
52	Peppers, hot chili, red, raw	144.00000000 mg
53	Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON Chewy Chocolate Peanut Bar	144.00000000 mg
54	Formulated bar, MARS SNACKFOOD US, SNICKERS MARATHON MULTIGRAIN CRUNCH BAR	144.00000000 mg
55	Brussels sprouts, raw	143.00000000 mg
56	Peppers, bell, red, raw	142.00000000 mg
57	Peppers, sweet, red, raw	142.00000000 mg
58	Drumstick pods, raw	141.00000000 mg
59	Peppers, bell, yellow, raw	139.00000000 mg
60	Beverage, instant breakfast powder, chocolate, sugar-free, not reconstituted	138.00000000 mg
61	Nutritional powder mix, sugar free (Carnation Instant Breakfast)	138.00000000 mg
62	Pokeberry shoots, (poke), raw	136.00000000 mg
63	Orange peel, raw	136.00000000 mg
64	Candies, fruit snacks, with high vitamin C	136.00000000 mg
65	Parsley, fresh	133.00000000 mg
66	Parsley, raw	133.00000000 mg
67	Peppers, hot, raw	131.00000000 mg
68	Mustard spinach, (tendergreen), raw	130.00000000 mg
69	Red pepper, cooked, as ingredient	130.00000000 mg
70	Lemon peel, raw	129.00000000 mg
71	Peppers, poblano, seeded, raw	128.00000000 mg
72	Peppers, sweet, red, raw	128.00000000 mg
73	Spices, parsley, dried	125.00000000 mg
74	Peppers, red, cooked	122.00000000 mg
75	Peppers, raw, NFS	121.00000000 mg
76	Pepper, for use on a sandwich	121.00000000 mg
77	Candy, fruit leather	120.00000000 mg
78	Snacks, fruit leather, pieces, with vitamin C	120.00000000 mg
79	Snacks, GENERAL MILLS, BETTY CROCKER Fruit Roll Ups, berry flavored, with vitamin C	120.00000000 mg
80	Nutrition bar (Zone Perfect Classic Crunch)	120.00000000 mg
81	Cereals ready-to-eat, OAT BRAN FLAKES, HEALTH VALLEY	120.00000000 mg
82	Candy, fruit snacks	120.00000000 mg
83	Snacks, fruit leather, rolls	120.00000000 mg
84	Formulated bar, ZONE PERFECT CLASSIC CRUNCH BAR, mixed flavors	120.00000000 mg
85	Grapefruit juice, white, frozen concentrate, unsweetened, undiluted	120.00000000 mg
86	Peppers, jalapeno, raw	119.00000000 mg
87	Leeks, (bulb and lower-leaf portion), freeze-dried	118.00000000 mg
88	Tomato powder	117.00000000 mg
89	Babyfood, fruit, papaya and applesauce with tapioca, strained	113.00000000 mg
90	Peppers, banana or Hungarian wax, seeded, raw	112.00000000 mg
91	Peppers, hot, cooked	112.00000000 mg
92	Fruit juice smoothie, BOLTHOUSE FARMS, BERRY BOOST	109.00000000 mg
93	Snacks, potato chips, made from dried potatoes, fat-free, made with olestra	109.00000000 mg
94	Nutritional powder mix, high protein (Slim Fast)	104.00000000 mg
95	Pimiento	104.00000000 mg
96	Beverages, UNILEVER, SLIMFAST Shake Mix, high protein, whey powder, 3-2-1 Plan,	104.00000000 mg
97	Nutrition bar or meal replacement bar, NFS	104.00000000 mg
98	Tomatoes, sun-dried, packed in oil, drained	102.00000000 mg
99	Vinespinach, (basella), raw	102.00000000 mg
100	Arugula, baby, raw	101.00000000 mg

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Vitamin C do in the body?

Vitamin C supports collagen formation, antioxidant protection, and normal immune function.

How much Vitamin C do I need each day?

Your need depends on age, sex, pregnancy, lactation, health, medicines, and other factors. Use the table above for general daily reference values.

Which foods contain the most Vitamin C?

The table ranks foods by Foodmanac database values. Always compare serving size and preparation before choosing a food.

Can too much Vitamin C be harmful?

Yes, excessive intake can be unsafe for some nutrients, supplements, and health conditions. Review the warnings above and seek medical advice when needed.

References

Foodmanac uses database values for rankings. Daily needs and warning notes are based on public nutrition references.