🔬 The science, kept simple
Nearly every animal makes its own vitamin C; humans lost the ability and must eat it daily, since the body barely stores it. It builds collagen (the protein scaffolding of skin, gums, blood vessels, and bone), recharges other antioxidants, and multiplies iron absorption from plant foods eaten at the same meal.
Why you need it: Wound healing, healthy gums, strong blood vessel walls, iron absorption, and antioxidant defense.
Daily target: About 90 mg a day for men, 75 for women... one bell pepper or two oranges.
📖 In Scripture
Scurvy killed more sailors than storms until fresh citrus solved it... a disease cured not by medicine but by returning to the fruit of the tree (Genesis 1:29).
🥇 Best food sources, ranked
- Guava ... about 125 mg per fruit
- Bell pepper ... about 120 mg per half cup, raw
- Kiwi ... about 65 mg per fruit
- Orange ... about 70 mg per medium orange
- Strawberries ... about 85 mg per cup
- Broccoli ... about 50 mg per half cup, cooked
- Papaya ... about 88 mg per cup
Figures are approximate, in the style of USDA FoodData Central; real foods vary with soil, variety, and cooking.
⚖️ Worth knowing
Heat and long storage destroy it, so fresh and lightly cooked wins. Megadoses mostly leave in the urine; amounts above about 2,000 mg a day can upset the stomach.
Matters most for
Educational information, not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before supplements, especially with kidney, thyroid, or heart conditions or in pregnancy.