Most animals can produce their own vitamin C. Man, primates (apes, chimps, etc.), and guinea pigs, however, have lost the ability. They instead have to get it through their diet.

It was a Scottish physician named James Lind, back in 1753, who first said that fresh vegetables and ripe fruit could be used to prevent scurvy (a severe vitamin C deficiency, which is rarely seen today). The British Navy took his advice about 404 years later, taking lime juice on long sea voyages to ward off the disease. For this, they were nicknamed, “Limeys.”

42.2% of vitamin C comes from vegetables, 41.5% from fruits, 3.2% from dairy products, 2.3% from meat, poultry and fish, and .9% from other foods – legumes, nuts and soy (.1%) and miscellaneous foods (.8%). In the average American diet, 93% of their vitamin C comes from fruits and vegetables and citrus fruits and tomatoes contribute to almost half of the vitamin C provided by the frui

Taking supplements may also encourage someone to take too much vitamin C. People believe that because Vitamin C is water-soluble, that it is safe to take in high doses. Some develop diarrhea after as little as a few grams, while others are fine with ten times that amount. Vitamin C taken in large amounts, can take away the body’s copper – an essential nutrient – and can increase the absorption of iron. It can thicken the walls of the carotid arteries, (vessels in the neck that supply blood to the brain), cause a toxic release of inorganic iron (which can be fatal for some), damage to outer layer of teeth if tablets are chewed, abnormal heart rhythms, and a variety of other medical problems.

Foods that contain small amounts of vitamin C and are not considered good sources of calcium can contribute a good amount of vitamin C to a diet if eaten often or in large amounts. Some good sources of vitamin C include broccoli, red peppers, parsley, potatoes, strawberries, and oranges, etc.

Vitamin C can be damaged during food preparation, like when chopping, cooking, boiling, exposure to air, and being submerged in water. The amount of vitamin C is high enough in most foods though, that the amount after this is more than enough. To keep the vitamin C fr

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