The 10 fruits highest in vitamin C, ranked by mg per 100g

Daily vitamin C requirements

Vitamin C reference intakes vary by age, sex, and circumstance. The baseline is 75 mg/day for women and 90 mg/day for men. Pregnancy raises the target slightly, breastfeeding raises it more, and smokers need an extra 35 mg/day on top of their baseline because smoking depletes vitamin C reserves through oxidative stress.

Vitamin C content per serving: what real portions actually deliver

Per 100g is the standard scientific reference, but it doesn't reflect how we actually eat — no one sits down to 100g of sea buckthorn berries, while a single medium orange weighs about 150g. The per-portion view below shows what each fruit delivers in a realistic serving instead, as a percentage of the daily vitamin C target.

The 10 highest-vitamin-C fruits (per 100g)

All values below are per 100g, sourced from USDA FoodData Central.

1. 1Sea buckthorn400.0 mg
   A wild orange-red berry, mostly consumed as juice or oil in Northern and Eastern Europe. Not a supermarket regular, but the undisputed king of vitamin C. Daily intakeJust ~19g — a tablespoon of juice or a small handful of berries — covers the 75 mg RDA! Rarely eaten whole because the berries are intensely sour, so they're usually consumed as juice, oil, or jam. Bonus: vitamin C in sea buckthorn is unusually heat-stable, so cooked products retain most of their content.
2. 2Guava228.3 mg
   By far the highest practical source. One medium guava (~165g) delivers nearly 5× the daily target. Daily intake~33g (a third of a small guava) covers the 75 mg RDA — one whole medium fruit (~165g) gives almost 5× daily needs in a single serving! Also a meaningful source of fibre (5g per fruit) and potassium, with pink varieties adding lycopene.
3. 3Black currant181.0 mg
   More vitamin C per gram than any orange or strawberry. Common in jams, juices, and cordials in Europe. Daily intake~41g (about 50 berries — a small handful) meets the 75 mg RDA, and a 100g portion delivers over 240% of daily needs! Widely available frozen and as juice or cordial — useful outside the short summer season. Also packed with anthocyanins.
4. 4Kiwi92.7 mg
   One medium kiwi (~75g) covers a full day's vitamin C. Also rich in vitamin K and fibre. Daily intake~81g — roughly one medium kiwi — meets the 75 mg RDA. Two kiwis cover 250% of daily needs, plus vitamin K, folate, and fibre. Gold (yellow-flesh) varieties pack ~1.5× more vitamin C than green — worth picking when available.
5. 5Lychee71.5 mg
   Sweet, fragrant, and underrated. About 10 lychees give a full daily dose. Daily intake~105g (about 10 lychees, peeled and pitted) covers the 75 mg RDA. A 60g snack portion (~6 fruits) still delivers ~60%. Widely available canned year-round — choose unsweetened versions to skip added syrup.
6. 6Pummelo61.0 mg
   The world's largest citrus fruit. Milder and less acidic than grapefruit. Daily intake~123g (a generous wedge) covers the 75 mg RDA. Firmer and less bitter than grapefruit, making larger portions easy to eat. Unlike grapefruit, pummelo has no significant interaction with common medications — a safer citrus choice for people on prescription drugs.
7. 7Papaya60.9 mg
   Half a medium papaya covers daily needs. Also rich in folate and the digestive enzyme papain. Daily intake~123g (half a small papaya) covers the 75 mg RDA — half a medium fruit gives ~150 mg, twice the daily target! Also contains papain (a protein-digesting enzyme) plus beta-carotene and folate. Bonus: the seeds are traditionally used as a natural parasite cleanse — chew a teaspoon raw or blend into smoothies.
8. 8Strawberry58.8 mg
   A cup of strawberries (~150g) easily exceeds the daily target — and they're more accessible than most fruits above. Daily intake~128g (about 8 medium berries, or 1 generous cup) covers the 75 mg RDA. Pairs particularly well with iron-rich plant foods — squeeze a handful over a spinach salad to boost non-heme iron absorption!
9. 9Orange53.2 mg
   Famous for vitamin C, but actually mid-tier per 100g. One medium orange (~150g) still covers the daily RDA. Daily intake~141g — one medium orange — covers the full 75 mg RDA in a single serving. The white pith contains flavonoids (hesperidin) that may improve absorption — don't over-peel! Also one of the most cost-effective vitamin C sources globally.
10. 10Lemon53.0 mg
    Comparable to oranges per 100g, but you eat less of them. Best consumed as juice in dressings, drinks, or squeezed on fish. Daily intake~142g (three medium lemons) for the full RDA — impractical to eat directly. In real life, lemons contribute as juice in dressings, drinks, and over fish or veg. One tablespoon (~15ml) adds about 8 mg (~10% of daily needs) — small doses add up across meals.

Vitamin C content comparison — per 100g

Why vitamin C matters: more than just immunity

Vitamin C does three big jobs in the body: it builds collagen (the protein that holds skin, blood vessels and connective tissue together), it acts as a powerful antioxidant, and it dramatically improves the absorption of non-heme iron from plant foods. That last point is why pairing iron-rich foods with citrus or peppers is such a common nutritional tip.

Sea buckthorn vs guava: which is really #1?

On paper, sea buckthorn wins — around 400 mg of vitamin C per 100g, almost double guava. But the comparison is not apples-to-apples: sea buckthorn berries are intensely sour and rarely eaten whole. Most people consume them as juice, oil, or in jam, where actual servings are tiny (a teaspoon of juice = a few grams of berry).

Guava is the practical winner. You can eat one whole, it tastes great, and a medium fruit delivers nearly 5× the daily RDA. If sea buckthorn is the theoretical champion, guava is the one you'll actually meet your needs from!

Are oranges really a great source of vitamin C?

Yes — but they're not the best. One medium orange (~150g) covers the full 75 mg daily RDA, which is genuinely useful. But oranges have iconic status that overstates their position. Per 100g, kiwi has nearly 2× the vitamin C of an orange, guava has 4×, and sea buckthorn has 7×.

Where oranges win is accessibility: they're cheap, available year-round, and travel well. For people with limited access to tropical fruit, oranges are a perfectly fine vitamin C anchor.

How cooking and storage affect vitamin C

Vitamin C is water-soluble and heat-sensitive. This is why eating fruits raw preserves the most of it. A few practical rules:

1. Boiling destroys 50% or more — vitamin C leaches into the cooking water and degrades with heat.
2. Steaming preserves 80–90% — much gentler than boiling and minimal water contact.
3. Microwaving is surprisingly good — short cook time and little water loss preserves 75–85%.
4. Cutting and storing in air loses vitamin C — exposed surfaces oxidize. Eat sliced fruit promptly.
5. Refrigeration slows the loss — keep berries and citrus cold and they'll hold most vitamin C for a week.

Vitamin C and immunity: what the evidence says

The "vitamin C cures colds" idea has been studied for decades, and the evidence is more nuanced than the marketing.

1. Regular vitamin C intake doesn't prevent colds in the general population (Cochrane review, 2013).
2. It does shorten cold duration by about 8% in adults and 14% in children — a modest but real effect.
3. The effect is larger in people under physical stress (marathon runners, soldiers in cold environments).
4. Megadoses don't help more — your body caps absorption around 200 mg per dose and excretes the rest.

Practical takeaway: meeting the daily RDA from food is genuinely useful. Taking 2,000 mg supplements during a cold won't make you better faster than 200 mg.

Vitamin C deficiency: signs of scurvy

Severe vitamin C deficiency is rare in developed countries — but mild deficiency (low blood levels without full scurvy) is more common than people think, especially among smokers, heavy drinkers, and people on very limited diets. Early warning signs:

1. Fatigue and low energy that doesn't improve with rest
2. Bleeding gums or gums that bleed when brushing
3. Easy bruising from minor knocks
4. Slow wound healing — cuts take longer than usual
5. Rough, dry skin with bumpy texture (especially on the back of arms)
6. Joint pain or swelling

If several of these appear together and your diet is low in fresh fruit and vegetables, ask your doctor for a blood test (serum ascorbic acid).

Frequently asked questions

Which fruit has the most vitamin C per 100g?
Sea buckthorn berries top the list at around 400 mg per 100g — over five times an orange. Among more accessible fruits, guava (228 mg) and black currant (181 mg) are the highest.

Are oranges the best source of vitamin C?
No. Oranges contain about 53 mg per 100g — they're in the top 10 but more than ten common fruits beat them. Kiwi, papaya, and strawberries all contain more.

Does cooking destroy vitamin C?
Yes — vitamin C is water-soluble and heat-sensitive. Boiling can destroy 50% or more. Eating fruits raw or briefly steamed preserves the most.

Can you get too much vitamin C from food?
From food alone, no — excess is excreted in urine. The Tolerable Upper Intake Level is 2,000 mg/day from supplements; food sources rarely come close.

Sources & references

• U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central (SR Legacy). All nutrient values per 100g.
• National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C: Health Professional Fact Sheet.
• Hemilä H, Chalker E. Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2013.
• European Food Safety Authority. EFSA Dietary Reference Values for Vitamin C.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

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