Many people take in vitamin C for beauty and health reasons. However, it can be difficult to get enough vitamin C from your diet. In order to efficiently take in vitamin C, it is important to include nutritious foods.

In this article, we will introduce 30 foods that are rich in vitamin C, ranked by rank. If you find any foods that seem like they could be incorporated into your diet, please give them a try.

Top 10 foods rich in vitamin C

Foods rich in vitamin C include vegetables and fruits. Surprisingly, there are also foods that contain a lot of vitamin C, including drinks. Let's take a look at foods rich in vitamin C.

Tomapi is the number one vegetable rich in vitamin C. Tomapi is a dark red pepper with a round shape similar to a tomato. However, there are only a few stores that sell tomapi, so it can be said to be a hard-to-find food.

If you want to consume vitamin C efficiently, it would be a good idea to incorporate red, yellow, and orange bell peppers and broccoli. Both are ingredients that can be easily used in a variety of dishes.

Menus that use red, yellow, and orange peppers include chinja loin, sweet and sour pork, and marinated dishes. In particular, red peppers are softer and sweeter than green peppers, so they are easier to eat.

In addition, menu items using broccoli include salads and gratin. Broccoli is often boiled and cooked, but if you want to get more vitamin C, we recommend baking it. Slice broccoli lengthwise and fry it in a frying pan until crispy and fragrant.You can enjoy a different flavor than usual.

In addition, there are vegetables that are easy to obtain that are not listed above, such as: *

・Cauliflower (81mg)
・Bean seedlings (79mg)
・Bitter melon (76mg)
・Saya peas (60mg)

All of these are commonly found in supermarkets, so they are easy to incorporate.
*Amount of ingredients per 100g

Acerola (a sour variety) ranks number one among fruits that contain a lot of vitamin C. There are two types of acerola: sour and sweet. Acerola, the sour variety, is rarely eaten raw due to its strong sour taste.

Acerola is also perishable, so it is difficult to obtain it raw. If you want to eat acerola, you will need to buy it in processed foods, such as drinks or compotes.

Some acerola juice products can provide 80mg of vitamin C in one cup. Acerola juice is sold by various manufacturers, so it is relatively easy to incorporate.

In addition, there are fruits that are easy to obtain that are not listed above, such as the following. *

・Strawberry (62mg)
・Navel (60mg)
・Kumquat (49mg)
・Grapefruit (36mg)

If you want to consume vitamin C efficiently, it is best to avoid heating it as much as possible. Many fruits can be eaten raw, making it an efficient way to ingest vitamin C. It is also recommended for people who are not good at cooking, as it can be eaten immediately after being washed with water.
*Amount of ingredients per 100g

Kale juice is number one in the ranking of drinks that contain a lot of vitamin C. Kale is a food with such high nutritional value that it is called the "king of vegetables." In addition to vitamin C, kale contains various other nutrients such as vitamin A, dietary fiber, and beta-carotene.

It is sometimes eaten raw in salads, etc., but is often used as an ingredient in green juice. However, it has a unique aroma and bitterness, so if you are drinking kale green juice for the first time, it is best to start with a small amount.

Some kale green juices are mixed with matcha or honey to make them easier to drink. Also, instead of drinking it as a green juice, you can mix it into a smoothie or ice cream. If you want to drink green juice regularly, you may find it easier to continue drinking green juice by changing the way you eat it.

【source】
“Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2020 Edition (8th Edition)” (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/syokuhinseibun/mext_01110.html

Is it better to take vitamin C for health and beauty? Recommended food

Reasons why active intake of vitamin C is recommended

Why is vitamin C said to be important in the first place? Here are some reasons why you should take vitamin C.


● Role of vitamin C

Vitamin C has the function of regulating the body's health. However, humans cannot synthesize vitamin C in their bodies. Therefore, it is necessary to get it from your daily diet.


● Estimated amount of vitamin C to take in a day

The recommended amount of vitamin C for adults is 100 mg per day. The recommended daily dose is 110mg for pregnant women and 145mg per day for breastfeeding women.

However, if you are looking for beauty effects, there are many voices that say you need 2000mg or more a day. In a survey of doctors who perform vitamin C drip therapy, 56% answered ``2,000 mg or more'' regarding the required daily intake of vitamin C.

[Survey results of 100 doctors] Is the daily intake of vitamin C recommended to be "2,000mg or more"?

【source】
“Dietary Intake Standards for Japanese (2020 Edition)” (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare)
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10904750/000586553.pdf

Tips for getting enough vitamin C in your daily life

How can I get as much vitamin C as possible in as little amount as possible? Here are some tips for getting enough vitamin C in your daily life.


● Eat vegetables and fruits raw as much as possible

Vitamin C is sensitive to heat and breaks down when heated. Therefore, if you want to consume vitamin C efficiently, it is recommended to eat it as raw as possible. If it is a food that can be eaten raw, such as fruits or vegetables, it is best to wash it quickly with water and then eat it raw.

Also, since vitamin C is water-soluble, it is said to easily dissolve in water. Avoid boiling it for a long time or cutting it into small pieces and exposing it to water. When boiling, we recommend that you cook it in a short time or that you can eat it with the boiled water. Specifically, there are soups such as clam chowder, pot-au-feu, and minestrone.

In addition, vitamin C contained in green peppers, paprika, potatoes, etc. is said to be difficult to break down even when heated. Cook it the way you feel comfortable eating it.


● Incorporate seasonal foods

Seasonal vegetables and fruits are highly nutritious and tend to be rich in vitamin C. For example, in the case of spinach, there is a big difference in vitamin C content, with 60 mg if harvested in the winter and 20 mg if harvested in the summer.

Below are the foods rich in vitamin C and their seasonal information.


Spring cabbage, snap peas, snow peas, strawberries, lemon

Summer tomatoes, green peppers, pumpkins, bitter melons, green peppers, summer mandarin oranges

Autumn potatoes, sweet potatoes, persimmons, kiwi fruits

Winter broccoli, cauliflower, navel, yuzu


Seasonal vegetables are cheap and taste delicious. There are many benefits to incorporating seasonal foods, so please give it a try.
*Per 100g of edible portion

【source】
“Japanese Food Standard Composition Table 2020 Edition (8th Edition)” (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)
https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/syokuhinseibun/mext_01110.html

“What vegetables are in season in winter?” (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries)
https://www.maff.go.jp/j/pr/aff/1912/spe2_01.html


● Do not take all at once

Vitamin C is a nutrient that cannot be stored in the body. Even if you take a large amount at one time, much of it will be excreted from your body, so it is ideal to take vitamin C frequently. Deciding on a time to take it, such as after meals or before bed, will make it harder to forget.

However, it can be difficult to eat vegetables and fruits at regular times. If you want to take vitamin C frequently, we recommend using supplements. Supplements can be taken on the go. You can easily purchase vitamin C supplements from online shopping sites and drugstores, so be sure to check them out.

Take lots of vitamin C and stay healthy every day

In this article, we introduced a ranking of foods rich in vitamin C. It is important to take an appropriate amount of vitamin C every day. Even if you ingest a large amount at once, it will be excreted in your urine.

If you find it difficult to replenish your diet frequently, one option is to use supplements. If you are concerned about the lack of vegetables or want to improve your beauty condition, please give it a try.

Article supervision

Director of Elm Clinic Azabu-in
Mr. Ayuori Yokoyama
Elm Clinic Azabuin

After graduating from Hiroshima University School of Medicine, he worked at JCHO Tokyo Shinjuku Medical Center, etc., and is currently the director of Elm Clinic Azabu-in.

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