Ascorbic acid or vitamin C is an organic compound that is highly soluble in water, is biologically active and related to glucose. Vitamin C is one of the most effective antioxidants; it prevents the negative effects of free radicals on the cells of living beings. Thanks to ascorbic acid, collagen is biologically synthesized - the basis of connective tissue of tendons, skin, cartilage, and bones. It also has other functions:
- strengthening the immune system (the body more actively produces antibodies and leukocytes; vitamin C also helps to form interferon compounds that have an antiviral effect and accelerate wound healing);
- antioxidant, that is, prevention of cardiovascular diseases and slowing down the aging process;
- participation in the production of hormones by the adrenal glands;
- processing cholesterol and removing it from the body;
- maintaining the effective functioning of neurotransmitters, on which the general emotional state of a person and the health of his nervous system depend;
- decreased blood pressure;
- increasing blood flow speed by dilating capillaries;
- removal of heavy metal salts from the body.
According to some scientists, vitamin C is one of the important factors in the prevention of cancer. Research is underway on its effect on cancer cells of the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system.
Many vitamins, including the one that this article is devoted to, are not synthesized in the body, which means that a person needs to regularly receive them through drinks or food.
Vitamin C intake rate
There is no universal answer to the question of how much vitamin C a person needs. When calculating the daily allowance, many factors need to be taken into account:
- climate and season;
- state of ecology;
- bad habits (nicotine addiction, passive smoking, alcohol intake);
- gender and age of the person;
- chronic diseases.
Doctors have calculated that the average adult should consume from 60 to 100 mg of vitamin C daily. If the doctor has prescribed complex treatment for any disease, it is recommended to increase the dosage to 500 mg or more (but not more than 1500 mg per day).
Increasing the amount of vitamin C entering the body is necessary for those who take contraceptives or antibiotics. People who smoke usually suffer from a lack of ascorbic acid. The combustion products of tobacco interfere with its absorption, which means that those with nicotine addiction should increase the daily dose of vitamin C intake by 20-35 percent.
Fans of kebabs, fried pork, beef stewed with vegetables and other meat dishes, including smoked meats, sausages and sausages, should also consume an increased amount of vitamin C. The fact is that an excess of nitrogenous compounds has a negative effect on the human body. In addition, when making sausages, manufacturers use saltpeter as a preservative, a nitrate compound that, when mixed with gastric juice, can provoke the growth of cancer cells.
List of record-breaking foods for vitamin C content
There is little vitamin C in animal products. The main sources are:
- liver (pork, beef, chicken);
- kidneys;
- milk (mare, cow, goat);
- koumiss.
The real record holders for the amount of vitamin C they contain are vegetables and fruits.
It should be remembered that during heat treatment the bulk of the vitamin C necessary for life is lost.
Ascorbic acid is soluble in water. Only in boiled white cabbage is up to 50 percent of the vitamin retained, and only if the vegetable has been in boiling water for no more than an hour.
It is advisable to consume fruits and vegetables raw. Rich in vitamin C:
- lettuce, sorrel and spinach leaves;
- green and onions;
- sweet green peas;
- radish;
- horseradish root;
- hot cayenne and sweet bell peppers;
- tomatoes;
- eggplants.
One hundred grams of dried boletus contains 220 mg of vitamin C, porcini mushrooms - 150 mg, and other mushrooms contain a small amount of ascorbic acid.
Among fruits, the champions are apples, oranges, pomelo and other citrus fruits, persimmons, peaches, melons, apricots, and among berries - currants, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries.
It is believed that lemons contain the most vitamin C, but in fact this is not entirely true. Yes, this citrus is a record-breaking product, but to get the daily dose, an adult must consume two whole lemons daily, including the peel. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to eat this sour fruit like an apple.
Vitamin C is better absorbed in combination with citrine, which lemons are especially rich in.
Infusions of rowan fruits, sea buckthorn, rose hips, burdock root, peppermint, raspberry leaves, violet, plantain, pine needles, and fennel seeds will help cope with seasonal vitamin deficiency and chronic lack of vitamin C. Even with long-term storage, the concentration of “ascorbic acid” in dried rose hips remains very high. Pharmacy syrup from these berries can easily replace the highest quality multivitamin complex.
It is important not to overdo it!
In most cases, a lack of vitamin C will not turn a healthy person into a disabled person, but it will clearly worsen your health. But hypervitaminosis can cause even more harm. For most people, excess ascorbic acid will not harm you. Unless a diet with constant consumption of large amounts of fruit will cause diarrhea or diathesis.
In addition to ascorbic acid, citrus fruits contain B vitamins and phytoncides. If there is too much vitamin C in the body and you are treated with salicylic acid-based antibiotics, gastritis or stomach ulcers may develop. An excess of ascorbic acid can cause increased blood pressure, headaches, deprive sleep and even cause miscarriage in pregnant women.
The use of loading doses of ascorbic acid is contraindicated for diabetics and people who have rapid blood clotting and a tendency to form blood clots.
The benefits of vitamin C can hardly be overestimated. This antioxidant is needed to strengthen the immune system, remove toxins, tissue regeneration and many other processes. It is consumed in large quantities and is not deposited in tissues, so it must be supplied daily with food. Which foods have the most vitamin C?
What is vitamin C
Vitamin C is a water-soluble L-ascorbic acid that is found in many foods and is required by the body regularly. There are 4 known isomers of ascorbic acid:
- L-ascorbic acid;
- L-isoascorbic acid;
- D-isoascorbic acid;
- D-ascorbic acid.
Only L-ascorbic acid is biologically active.
Essentially it is a carbohydrate with the formula C 6 H 8 O 6, its external structure resembles glucose. According to physical properties, it is a white, acidic crystalline powder. It dissolves well in water and alcohol, melts at a temperature of +190 ... +192 °C.
The discovery of the vitamin belongs to the American chemist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi. This event occurred in 1928, and 4 years later it was proven that the absence of this substance in food causes scurvy.
Today, vitamin C is used as a food additive that prevents the oxidation of foods, is included in cosmetics, and even plays the role of a developer in photochemistry. But the main area of application of the substance was and remains pharmacology.
Role in the body
The body's needs for ascorbic acid are quite high, since it is involved in various processes and does not accumulate in tissues and organs.
Vitamin C takes on several functions at once.
- Antioxidant: participates in redox processes.
- Vascular elasticity factor: under the influence of vitamin C, collagen protein is formed; when it is deficient, blood vessels become brittle.
- Activator of immune defense: increases the phagocytic activity of leukocytes, and therefore the body’s resistance to infections.
- Hepatoprotector: increases the antitoxic potential of the liver, forms a glycogen reserve, promotes the evacuation of mercury and lead.
- Cholesterol metabolism regulator: converts cholesterol into bile acids.
- Regeneration stimulator: promotes tissue healing.
Ascorbic acid also normalizes the blood coagulation system and is necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous and endocrine systems, thyroid and pancreas. In the presence of vitamin C, iron, calcium, proteins are absorbed, and hormones are synthesized. Its presence in the diet serves as a prevention of cancer and atherosclerosis.
Daily norm
The daily requirement for vitamin C depends on age. Children under 6 months need 30 mg of ascorbic acid per day, up to 12 months - 35 mg, at the age of 1-3 years - 40 mg, 4-10 years - 45 mg, 11-14 years - 50 mg. Adults require an average of 70 mg of vitamin C per day. Pregnant women need 95 mg per day, and nursing women need 120 mg.
The daily requirement of vitamin C for an adult is 70 mg.
With increased physical and sports activity, the need for vitamin C increases. For planned exercises, the daily dose can be 150–200 mg. On days of competition and extreme stress - from 200 to 300 mg. With large doses of vitamin C, the daily amount is divided into several doses, this allows you to use it evenly.
The most vitamin C is found not in citrus fruits, as many believe, but in wild and garden berries, and the record holder among them is rose hips. The compound is also found in other products of plant origin - fruits, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms. To get an idea of where the vitamin is found and how much you need to eat to meet your daily requirement, use the following table.
| Product name | Vitamin C content per 100 g | Amount required to meet daily vitamin requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Rose hip | 650 mg | 11 g |
| Sea buckthorn | 200 mg | 35 g |
| Bell pepper | 200 mg | 35 g |
| Black currant | 200 mg | 35 g |
| Kiwi | 180 mg | 39 g |
| Dried porcini mushrooms | 150 mg | 47 g |
| Parsley, greens | 150 mg | 47 g |
| Brussels sprouts | 100 mg | 70 g |
| Dill, greens | 100 mg | 70 g |
| Broccoli | 89 mg | 79 g |
| Cauliflower | 70 mg | 100 g |
| Red rowan | 70 mg | 100 g |
| Watercress | 69 mg | 101 g |
| Papaya | 61 mg | 115 g |
| Pomelo | 61 mg | 115 g |
| Orange | 60 mg | 117 g |
| Strawberries | 60 mg | 117 g |
| Red cabbage | 60 mg | 117 g |
| Spinach, greens | 55 mg | 127 g |
| Kohlrabi cabbage | 50 mg | 140 g |
| Grapefruit | 45 mg | 156 g |
| White cabbage | 43 mg | 163 g |
| Sorrel, greens | 43 mg | 163 g |
| Lemon | 40 mg | 175 g |
| Mandarin | 38 mg | 184 g |
| Celery, greens | 38 mg | 184 g |
| Mango | 36 mg | 194 g |
| Beef liver | 33 mg | 212 g |
| Sauerkraut | 30 mg | 233 g |
| Gooseberry | 30 mg | 233 g |
| Raspberry | 25 mg | 280 g |
| Tomato | 25 mg | 280 g |
| Red currant | 25 mg | 280 g |
| Radish | 25 mg | 280 g |
| Pineapple | 20 mg | 350 g |
| Melon | 20 mg | 350 g |
| Potato | 20 mg | 350 g |
| Turnip | 20 mg | 350 g |
| Zucchini | 15 mg | 467 g |
| Apples | 10 mg | 700 g |
This is not a complete list of foods high in vitamin C. To maintain a regular supply of ascorbic acid from food, it is not necessary to eat exotic fruits. The compound is found in fruits that are quite accessible in our latitudes.
Processing methods
Not all vitamin C from food enters the body. Some of it is destroyed during cooking and storage. Therefore, it is important to know what food processing methods can be used to preserve vitamin wealth.
Vitamin C is destroyed by low heat, so plunge vegetables directly into boiling water or fry them for a short time. In addition, it allows you to destroy ascorbinoxylase and ascorbinase - enzymes that are called antivitamins.
If you need to cook food for a long time, keep the pan tightly closed - this will limit the access of oxygen. Acidify soup, stew or other vegetable dish during cooking: the vitamin is better preserved in an acidic environment. Do not cook vegetables and herbs in copper or iron cookware. The ions of these metals destroy ascorbic acid. The longer food is cooked, the less vitamins it ends up containing.
Eat ready-made meals fresh; the biologically active compounds in them are destroyed over time. So, for example, only 20% of vitamins remain in cabbage soup 3 hours after cooking, and 10% after 6 hours.
But the surest way to get enough vitamin C is to eat vegetables, fruits and berries raw. Do this as often as possible. Cut fruits only before eating them. This way you can get the most vitamin C from your diet.
4.75 4.8 (2 ratings)
Everyone wants to know which foods are best to eat in order to forget about the lack of vitamins. What foods do you love and add to your daily diet? I present the record-breaking products for the content of each vitamin.
- Vitamin A. One might assume that carrots come first here... But no! Carrots are only in honorable second place. Just 36 grams of carrots per day - and you are provided with the daily requirement of vitamin A.
But still, who is the record holder? This alfalfa! It contains almost 6 times more vitamin A than carrots!
- Vitamin B1. The record holder for the content of this vitamin is brewer's yeast. Behind them followed by wheat grains and pine nuts. Approximately 80-125 grams per day is the norm of the vitamin in your body. Vitamin B1 is also found in smaller amounts in chickpeas, sweet green peas, almonds and lentils.
- Vitamin B2. And here again they are in the lead brewer's yeast. Slightly less of it is found in almonds, whole wheat, mushrooms, seaweed, walnuts and avocados.
From fruits peaches are among the richest in this vitamin content.
- Vitamin B6. Leads this category by a large margin whole wheat. Just 154 grams per day contains the recommended daily value. But this norm can be filled with bananas, nuts, and avocados.
- Vitamin B12. Leader – seaweed. 100 grams contain 10 mg of vitamin B12!
According to some researchers, our body gets this vitamin in full from seaweed. It is found in smaller quantities in smoked trail, lamb, beef, veal liver, chicken, milk and eggs. But they contain a huge amount of cholesterol, so you need to be extremely careful in consuming them.
- Vitamin C. Some might think that a leader is lemon... Yes, lemon has a high content of vitamin C, but it lost 5 positions and takes an honorable 6th place. Who is in the lead? Record holder - rosehip! It is followed by kiwi, pepper, raspberry, orange and... Lemon. And then - fresh peas, cabbage, spinach, mango, tomato, pineapple, cherry, onion and others.
- Vitamin E. The most important source of this vitamin is corn oil. Just 5 grams provide the daily requirement. This is about a teaspoon of oil. They are very tasty to dress salads with.
Slightly smaller amounts of vitamin E are found in sunflower oil, almonds, whole grains, olive oil and avocados.
- Vitamin K It is found in turnips, cabbage, and green lettuce leaves. But the leader is spinach. 100 grams of spinach contains almost 560 mg. vitamin K! It can be used fresh for making salads. But frozen spinach does not lose its beneficial properties.
Add these foods to your diet, and then there is a high probability that vitamin deficiency will bypass you.
I am sure that many of these products are familiar and loved to you! But perhaps there are others to whom you did not give due adoration. Here I've never tried spinach, have you?
TOP 10 sources of vitamin C. Vitamin C reduces the likelihood of colds and is a powerful antioxidant. Find out which products contain the most of it?
Everyone knows that vitamin C increases the body's resistance to infections, increases efficiency and promotes metabolic processes. The daily requirement of vitamin C is 100 mg, but when the body is weakened or stressed, the need for vitamin increases. This is why it is extremely important to include foods that contain vitamin C in abundance in your diet.
Kiwi is the record holder for vitamin C content. No other fruit or vegetable contains more of this vitamin. It is advisable to eat kiwi with the peel - it contains a lot of coarse fibers. Coarse fibers are not digested, but swell, absorbing toxins and removing them from the body. And this is the key to good immunity.
Orange not only pleases the eye with its bright color, but is also one of the healthiest and most delicious fruits. Just one medium-sized orange (150 grams) can provide your daily requirement of vitamin C.
Sweet red pepper surpasses even lemon in vitamin C content. Also, red pepper has a unique property - it expands narrowed and narrows dilated blood vessels. In addition, red peppers contain capsaicin, a substance that has a very pungent taste. The amount of this substance determines whether the pepper will be sweet or bitter. Capsaicin can cause massive death of cancer cells.
Cabbage also contains a lot of vitamin C, more than tangerines and lemons, especially for late varieties of vegetables. An important advantage of cabbage is that vitamin C is retained in it for a long time. This happens due to the fact that in cabbage it is in the most stable form - ascorbigene.
Parsley occupies one of the first places in terms of the content of useful minerals and vitamins. And, as you already understand, it is significantly superior to many fruits and vegetables in terms of vitamin C content. 50 g of parsley contains the daily requirement of vitamin C, and in terms of beta-carotene content, parsley is not inferior to carrots.
“Onions are a remedy for seven ailments,” says popular wisdom. And probably everyone believes in the truth of this saying. After all, onions are not only a well-known vegetable and seasoning, but also a medicine with unique properties. By the way, onion shoots are very healthy and rich in vitamin C. Moreover, this source of vitamin C is publicly available and will not burden the family budget.
Spinach is called a “broom for the stomach”; it helps reduce blood pressure, is good for diabetes, has a unique composition of minerals and vitamins, and is rich in vitamin C! The content of this vitamin in spinach depends on the season. And in winter, spinach contains the most vitamin C
Celery root contains a lot of mineral salts, oxalic acid, glycosides, and a small amount of vitamin C. But the young leaves of the plant contain a lot of vitamin C. Vitamin C and a number of other active compounds gave the plant extraordinary medicinal properties. Celery helps improve blood circulation, has a positive effect on blood vessels, normalizes metabolism, and strengthens the nervous system.
Tomatoes also contain quite a lot of vitamin C. It should be noted that later varieties of tomatoes contain more of this vitamin. It is known that greenhouse tomatoes are inferior in taste to ground tomatoes, but not in glucose content. In addition, tomatoes are good antidepressants; they normalize metabolism and the functioning of the digestive system.
Raspberries contain 5-11% sugars, with highly digestible glucose and fructose predominating. Vitamin C in raspberries is about 30 mg%. Raspberries are good on their own, but even a tea made from their dried berries, leaves and twigs can greatly benefit your body. This way, raspberry vitamin C can be present in yours all year round.
In 1911, a Polish biochemist Kazimir Funk used the word “vitamin” for the first time.
While conducting research into the causes of certain diseases, he discovered that this is influenced by the lack of special substances, which he called vitamins. Since then, this word has entered into common usage.
What is their role in the body, which foods contain the most of them? We'll tell you about it.
Another name is retinol.
- Essential for maintaining visual acuity.
- Important for stimulating growth in children.
- Maintains healthy bones, joints, teeth.
- Slows down the aging process and preserves youth.
Where is the most vitamin A?
The most vitamin A is found in yellow, orange and green vegetables and fruits.
First of all, these are carrots. Also these are bell peppers, pumpkin, peaches, apricots, persimmons, rose hips, rowan, sea buckthorn.
There is a lot of it in lettuce, green onions, green apples, spinach, broccoli, parsley, and dill.
It is also found in animal foods, primarily dairy. These also include eggs, liver, caviar, and fatty fish.
You need to know this!
Vitamins are substances necessary for the proper functioning of organs and systems. When they are absent from the diet, vitamin deficiency occurs. It can cause diseases such as scurvy, rickets, night blindness, etc.
If you don't get enough of them, it's called hypovitaminosis. Increased fatigue, irritability, decreased attention, sleep disturbances, etc. occur.
An excess of these substances gives rise to hypervitaminosis. It causes intoxication of the body.
B vitamins
- Makes us cheerful and energetic.
- Improves mental state, improves mood, instills optimism.
- Maintains good memory and mental abilities for a long time.
- It has an analgesic effect (after operations, tooth extraction, etc.).
- Helps against motion sickness and seasickness.
Where is it most
Brewer's yeast contains the most thiamine. There is also a lot of it in nuts, seeds, green peas, beans, lentils and wheat sprouts.
Among animal foods, it is found in pork, liver, kidneys, and heart.
B2 (riboflavin)
- Preserves the beauty of hair and skin.
- Burns sugar, helps maintain optimal weight.
- Promotes rapid healing of wounds.
- Prevents the development of anemia.
Where is B2 most
Brewer's yeast also contains the most riboflavin. Among plant foods, it is found in buckwheat, cauliflower, green peas, spinach, peanuts, grain bread, seaweed, avocado, peaches and cocoa.
The leading animal foods in terms of their content are milk, cottage cheese, cheese, pork, lamb, beef, and eggs.
You need to know this!
Multivitamins are chemical preparations containing vitamins and minerals. Recommended for the prevention of hypovitaminosis. Available in various forms: tablets, capsules, granules, ampoules in the form of syrup, powder and effervescent tablets.
Multivitamins must be taken in strictly dosed quantities, as prescribed, so as not to cause hypervitaminosis and poisoning.
- It lifts your mood and is called an antidepressant.
- Stabilizes the functioning of the nervous system.
- Stimulates brain activity, especially under high loads.
- Prevents the appearance of atherosclerosis.
- Reduces muscle spasms and cramps, relieves numbness of the limbs.
Where is vitamin B6 most abundant?
Brewer's yeast is also the leader here. In plant foods, it is present in whole grain bread, wheat sprouts, cereals, legumes, nuts, cabbage, green vegetables, bananas, and avocados.
In animal foods, it is found in meat, fatty fish, seafood, dairy foods, eggs, and offal.
B12 (cyanocobalamin)
- Maintains normal blood composition and counteracts anemia.
- Needed for growth.
- Regulates the activity of the nervous system, counteracts stress and depression.
- Lowers cholesterol levels.
- Stimulates muscle growth.
- Quickly heals skin damage.
Where is B12 most
It is practically never found in plant foods. Only seaweed can boast of its insignificant amount. But it is found in animal foods: pork, lamb, kidneys, liver, chicken, turkey, eggs, fatty fish, seafood and dairy dishes.
Another name is ascorbic acid.
- Slows down aging, prolongs youth.
- Provides elasticity and youthfulness of the skin.
- Strengthens blood vessels.
- Increases immunity and prevents colds.
- Removes toxic substances.
Where is the most vitamin C?
Rosehip ranks first in terms of vitamin C content. Then come kiwi, mango, bell pepper, black currant, pineapple, citrus fruits. There is also a lot of it in cabbage, spinach, strawberries, rowan, sea buckthorn, rhubarb, sorrel, horseradish.
From animal foods, it is found in kidneys, liver, and goat milk.
This is interesting!
Even the ancients knew that certain types of food help avoid certain diseases. For example, the Egyptians used liver to prevent night blindness.
Since the 13th century, scurvy has been mentioned. This is a dangerous disease that leads to death. It is believed that by the end of the 18th century, about a million sailors died from it, this is more than in all naval battles. The English navigator James Cook began introducing sauerkraut and lemon syrup into the diet of sailors. Thus, he saved them from scurvy. In Russia, Peter the Great ordered lemons and oranges to be included in the diet of sailors of the Russian fleet.
Formed in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet light.
- Increases bone strength and quickly heals fractures.
- Provides rapid blood clotting.
- Supports normal activity of the thyroid gland.
- Regulates blood sugar levels.
- Promotes rapid healing of inflammatory processes.
Where is the most vitamin D?
It can be found in foods of animal origin. These are fatty fish, cod liver, organ meats, eggs, cheese, milk, yogurt. It is also fish oil.
Another name is tocopherol.
- Prevents aging, preserves sexual function.
- Maintains good muscles.
- Reduces fatigue.
- Prevents the occurrence of cramps.
Where is the most vitamin E?
The leader in its content is corn oil. Next come nuts, whole grain bread, wheat sprouts, olive oil, legumes, cereals, spinach, parsley, celery, onions, bananas, pears, avocados.
There is less of it in animal food. It can be found in butter, eggs, liver, meat, lard, chicken, fish, milk, cottage cheese, and cheese.
This is interesting!
In the USA, vitamin complexes have the status of food additives (unlike Russia, where they are considered medicines). Millions of Americans take multivitamins regularly. People buy them not on the recommendation of a doctor, but on their own, because they believe in their effectiveness.
American nutritionists conducted studies in which they found that although the media claims that multivitamins are useful, in fact it is impossible to give a definite answer to this question. Almost half the US population takes these drugs, so their production is a serious billion-dollar business. Naturally, manufacturers do not skimp on advertising. However, clinical evidence does not clearly support the health benefits of multivitamins.
- Maintains a high level of blood clotting and prevents bleeding.
- Quickly restores bones after fractures.
- Prevents the development of osteoporosis.
- Neutralizes the harmful effects of toxic substances.
- It has an analgesic effect.
Where is the most vitamin K?
Green leafy vegetables are richest in it, primarily spinach. It also includes cabbage, lettuce, green tomatoes, beans, olive oil, nuts, avocado, seaweed, and green tea.
There is less of it in animal food. It can mainly be found in liver, eggs, and dairy products.
