What has the most vitamin C?

 Vitamin C is essential for our body. This water-soluble vitamin is quickly excreted from the body, so we need to supply it every day. The best sources of vitamin C are vegetables and fruits, but it is also found in dairy, meat, and fish. When preparing a daily menu, it is worth knowing what has the most vitamin C in order to take care of your own and your family's health. Our table will help you with this, which will show you what is the most vitamin C per 100 g of product weight.

Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, is of great importance to our body. The human body does not produce it, so we must provide it in food or dietary supplements. Vitamin C is a compound easily absorbed by the body and soluble in water. It is quickly excreted from the body and is not stored in it. Therefore, it is important to get it daily, especially in fruits and vegetables where it is most prevalent.

Everyone knows the beneficial effect of vitamin C on immunity. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system. It is believed that vitamin C helps with infections, especially colds and flu. However, it is not entirely certain. Certainly, vitamin C has an antioxidant effect and fights free radicals. Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen, therefore it has a great influence on the condition of the skin.

On the other hand, the deficiency of vitamin C in the body leads to such unfavorable phenomena as:

• weakened immunity,
• tendency to bruise,
• fluffed and bleeding gums,
• a tendency to tire quickly,
• muscle and joint pain,
• scurvy in extreme cases.

The lack of vitamin C is often due to the lack of access to fresh vegetables and fruit. Therefore, in historical times, scurvy, resulting from a lack of vitamin C, was suffered mainly by sailors who, during long voyages, did not have a source of vitamin C, such as vegetables and fruits. In some people, vitamin C deficiency may also be due to malabsorption problems.

We can buy vitamin C at any pharmacy. Theoretically, synthetic vitamin C and that found in fruits and vegetables are identical chemical compounds. However, synthetic ascorbic acid will never replace a natural vitamin, the source of which are vegetables and fruits, and herbs rich in vitamin C. This is because vitamin C interacts with other compounds found in these products, e.g. polyphenols, and therefore is more active.

In addition, natural vitamin C is better absorbed and maintains the therapeutic concentration in the body for longer. The natural vitamin C in vegetables and fruits cannot overdose. It allows the body to fully use its properties.

We note the presence of vitamin C not only in fruits and vegetables. It is also found in meat, dairy and fish. However, the presence of vitamin C in these foods is much lower than in vegetables and fruits. In order to provide the body with vitamin C in the right daily dose, it is worth knowing what has the most vitamin C.

When asked what is the most vitamin C in, most people will answer that citrus. This is not true, as lemons contain only 40-60 mg per 100 g of weight, grapefruits 30-70 mg, and oranges only 30-50 mg. The table below lists 10 foods that we should eat to provide our bodies with vitamin C.

Table of vitamin C occurrence in fruit and vegetables found in our country (in 100 g of fresh product weight):

• rosehips: 250-800 mg,
• parsley: 269 mg,
• black currants: 150-300 mg,
• bell pepper: 125-200 mg,
• Brussels sprouts: 65-145 mg,
• kale 120 mg,
• kohlrabi: 70-100 mg,
• broccoli: 65-150 mg,
• strawberries: 46-90 mg,
• cauliflower: 37-70 mg.

Unfortunately, this table contains seasonal fruits, such as strawberries or black currants, which we cannot eat all year round. So how do you ensure that you are supplied with vitamin C at all times? We can store strawberries and black currants in a frozen form or in the form of jams and preserves, preferably homemade preserves.

A great source of a daily dose of vitamin C can be parsley, which is added to soups and salads. One tablespoon of chopped parsley will fill the daily requirement for this vitamin. Kale, peppers, and broccoli are great ingredients in soups and salads.

Wild rose reigns supreme in the vitamin C table. Drought can be bought at a pharmacy and you can make herbal teas and infusions. You can pick a fresh wild rose in the fall. It is perfect for preserves such as preserves, compotes, or meat sauces. Herbs such as sea buckthorn and dogwood are also an excellent source of vitamin C. Fresh sea buckthorn berries are inedible, but you can use them for preserves such as jams, juices, and jellies. Similarly, dogwood is suitable for jams and tinctures. When collecting herbs yourself, it is worth remembering to obtain fruit from clean meadows and forests, and not in the city and close to expressways.

We already know what vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamin C. But knowing what the most vitamins are in is not enough to build an appropriate menu. To prepare a meal that will enrich our diet with vitamin C, you also need to know how to cook. It is very important to process the products so as not to lose this vitamin.

Vitamin C is soluble in water, therefore are large loss in the cooking process. To keep the vitamin C content as high as possible, it is best to steam vegetables and fruits. Vitamin C content is reduced also due to long-term storage of the products. Therefore, to ensure your meals are rich in vitamin C, avoid buying in stock and storing food in the refrigerator for a long time. Vitamin C dislikes not only thermal processing but also grinding food. It is worth remembering that purees, cocktails, and pulp will have a lower vitamin C content than unground products. The best way to process and store vegetables and fruits so that they do not lose vitamin C is pickling and freezing.