Vitamin C
Bell pepper is the richest source of vitamin C in our database at 127.7 mg per 100 grams, trailed by kale at 93.4 mg, kiwi at 92.7 mg and Brussels sprouts at 85 mg. The European reference intake comes to 80 mg per day (EU NRV). One pepper therefore covers that reference on its own.
What may be said about vitamin C
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 includes: "vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system", "vitamin C increases iron absorption" and "vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue". There is also a claim about immune function during and after intense physical exercise, but it applies only with an intake in addition to the reference value. A claim carrying a condition must be quoted with that condition, or it stands outside its authorisation.
The richest sources, with their real values
Per 100 grams we measure: bell pepper 127.7 mg, kale 93.4 mg, kiwi 92.7 mg, Brussels sprouts 85 mg and strawberries 58.8 mg. Fresh orange juice follows at 53.2 mg. What stands out is that the orange, the classic textbook example, actually finishes below peppers and cabbage. For practice that is useful news: half a pepper at lunch is easier to build into a working day than a glass of freshly squeezed juice.
80 mg a day, and why it is quickly reached
The EU NRV is 80 mg per day. With the values above that is no athletic feat: a hundred grams of pepper clears it alone, and a kiwi with a handful of strawberries does the same. Vitamin C is water-soluble and not stored, so regularity counts for more than a large single dose. A piece of vegetable or fruit at two of your meals is enough structure in practice.
Where it goes wrong in daily practice
This vitamin is sensitive to air, light and heat. Vegetables boiled at length, or juice left open for days, lose part of what was there on paper. We meet that more often than a genuine shortage of vegetables: they get bought, but little of them survives onto the plate. If you doubt your own situation or have complaints, that is a question for your GP and not for a nutrition table.
Iron, training and supplements
The authorised claim that vitamin C increases iron absorption has a practical side we do use: pairing plant iron sources with a vitamin C-rich vegetable in the same meal is a free improvement to the same plate. Beyond that we sell no supplements and give no dosing advice. For someone training four times a week the gain is a fixed vegetable base, not an effervescent tablet with a number on the tube.
How we compile this list
We sort every row in the DCRAFT food database on the measured value per 100 grams and take the top of that list. Rows recorded per piece, per slice or per portion do not count, because a value per piece cannot be compared with a value per 100 grams. Products listed under a brand name are left out: their composition changes outside our control, and a ranking resting on it ages without us noticing. Where several products carry precisely the same value, it comes from one shared row in our source data and we name one product from that group. We set this rule out here because a ranking without a visible selection rule is an opinion rather than a measurement.
Frequently asked questions
Which foods contain the most vitamin C?
Bell pepper leads at 127.7 mg per 100 grams, then kale at 93.4 mg and kiwi at 92.7 mg.
How much vitamin C per day?
Per day the European reference intake counts 80 mg (EU NRV). A hundred grams of bell pepper already clears it on its own.
Does the orange contain the most vitamin C?
No. Fresh orange juice sits at 53.2 mg per 100 grams in our database, finishing below peppers, kale, kiwi, Brussels sprouts and strawberries.
Does vitamin C help iron absorption?
Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 permits the wording "vitamin C increases iron absorption". Practically: combine plant iron sources with vegetables or fruit in the same meal.
Sources
- DCRAFT food database — KILLER COACH ENGINE V2.3 workbook (accessed 26 August 2026)
- EU NRV — Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII (accessed 26 August 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 (accessed 26 August 2026)
Please note: This is general information about nutrition, not medical advice. If you have symptoms or suspect a deficiency, discuss it with your doctor. We do not sell supplements and have no commercial interest in any brand.
Last updated: .
Written by Dennis, founder of Dcraft Of Fitness.