When it comes to Vitamin C, many people immediately think of fruits, and some even believe that as long as they eat fruits regularly, they won't have a Vitamin C deficiency. In fact, this view is one-sided. While some fruits are rich in Vitamin C, others contain very little. According to data, fruits like kiwi, fresh dates, strawberries, loquats, oranges, tangerines, and persimmons are rich in Vitamin C. Calculated by the Vitamin C content per 100 grams of fruit, kiwi contains 420 mg, fresh dates 380 mg, strawberries 80 mg, oranges 49 mg, loquats 36 mg, and tangerines and persimmons 30 mg each. Bananas and peaches contain 10 mg each, grapes, figs, and apples only 5 mg each, and pears contain only 4 mg.
It is determined that adults need 60 mg of Vitamin C per day. If you were to get it from fruits with low Vitamin C content, you would need about 25 figs, 14 pears, or 1.5 kg of grapes. Therefore, eating just one or two fruits with low Vitamin C content is not very helpful. However, if you choose fruits high in Vitamin C like kiwi, citrus, or persimmons, one or two a day is sufficient. For fresh dates or strawberries, just five or six can provide the daily requirement of Vitamin C. Therefore, to supplement enough Vitamin C, you should be selective when eating fruits.
Additionally, several factors can affect the Vitamin C content in fruits. For example, to prevent pests and sun damage, some fruits are wrapped in paper bags during growth, which results in a reduction of Vitamin C content. When fruits are harvested in abundance during the summer and stored in cold warehouses for sale in winter, their Vitamin C content also decreases. Modern households generally have refrigerators, and many people like to buy large quantities of fruit and store them. The longer the fruit is stored, the more Vitamin C is lost.
It is worth mentioning that although some people eat many fruits rich in Vitamin C, they have the bad habit of smoking. Because smoking can hinder the body's absorption of Vitamin C, and nicotine in tobacco can also destroy Vitamin C, they are also prone to Vitamin C deficiency. People who engage in strenuous exercise or heavy physical labor also lose large amounts of Vitamin C through sweating. Furthermore, some diseases and medications can also affect the absorption of Vitamin C. Therefore, fruits cannot be the sole source of Vitamin C for the body, and Vitamin C tablets should be taken when necessary.