Vitamin C is an essential nutrient, meaning that we humans can’t make it on our own, so we must get it from food every day1. Fruit is one of the best sources of vitamin C in food. Curious which fruit is highest in vitamin C?
Guava is the fruit highest in vitamin C2. It has 228 mg of vitamin C per 100 gram serving. The fruit second-highest in vitamin C is kiwi, at 74.7 mg, and the fruit third-highest in vitamin C is lychee, at 71.5 mg.
Here is a top 10 list of the fruit highest in vitamin C2. Below that is a chart showing the vitamin C content of the 33 most popular varieties of fruit, first in order of vitamin content from highest to lowest, and then in alphabetical order.
Top 10 Fruit Highest in Vitamin C
- Guava, 228 mg
- Kiwi, 74.7 mg
- Lychee, 71.5 mg
- Persimmon, 66 mg
- Payaya, 60.9 mg
- Orange, 59.1 mg
- Strawberries, 58.8 mg
- Clementine, 48.8 mg
- Pineapple, 47.8 mg
- Kumquat, 43.9 mg
The amount of vitamin C in guava is truly impressive, at almost four times as much as oranges, which are famously rich in vitamin C. And guava fruit have three times the vitamin C as the fruit second-higheset in vitamin C, kiwi. Interestingly, guava is also highest in protein among all fruits—see the complete ranked list here.
33 Types of Fruit Ranked from Highest to Lowest Vitamin C
| Fruit (raw) (100 grams*) | Vitamin C (mg) | % DV† | |
| 1 | Guava | 228 | 253% |
| 2 | Kiwi | 74.7 | 83% |
| 3 | Lychee | 71.5 | 79% |
| 4 | Persimmon | 66 | 73% |
| 5 | Papaya | 60.9 | 68% |
| 6 | Orange | 59.1 | 66% |
| 7 | Strawberries | 58.8 | 65% |
| 8 | Clementine | 48.8 | 54% |
| 9 | Pineapple | 47.8 | 53% |
| 10 | Kumquat | 43.9 | 49% |
| 11 | Cantaloupe | 36.7 | 41% |
| 12 | Mango | 36.4 | 40% |
| 13 | Grapefruit (white) | 33.3 | 37% |
| 14 | Passion Fruit | 30 | 33% |
| 15 | Mandarin (Tangerine) (tie with Tangerine) | 26.7 | 30% |
| 16 | Tangerine (Mandarin) (tie with Mandarin) | 26.7 | 30% |
| 17 | Raspberries | 26.2 | 29% |
| 18 | Blackberries | 21 | 23% |
| 19 | Honeydew Melon | 18 | 20% |
| 20 | Pomegranate | 10.2 | 11% |
| 21 | Plums | 9.5 | 11% |
| 22 | Apricot | 10 | 11% |
| 23 | Blueberries | 9.7 | 11% |
| 24 | Avocado | 8.8 | 10% |
| 25 | Bananas | 8.7 | 10% |
| 26 | Watermelon | 8.1 | 9% |
| 27 | Cherries (sweet) | 7 | 8% |
| 28 | Peaches | 6.6 | 7% |
| 29 | Nectarine | 5.4 | 6% |
| 30 | Apple | 4.6 | 5% |
| 31 | Pear | 4.3 | 5% |
| 32 | Grapes (red seedless) | 3.3 | 4% |
| 33 | Grapes (green seedless) | 3.0 | 3% |
† Based on the FDA recommended Daily Value for people ages 4 and up of 90mg per day3.
Source: USDA FoodData Central
Here is the same information in alphabetical order by fruit:
The Vitamin C in 33 Types of Fruit, in Alphabetical Order
| Fruit (raw) (100 grams*) | Vitamin C (mg) | % DV† |
| Apple | 4.6 | 5% |
| Apricot | 10 | 11% |
| Avocado | 8.8 | 10% |
| Bananas | 8.7 | 10% |
| Blackberries | 21 | 23% |
| Blueberries | 9.7 | 11% |
| Cantaloupe | 36.7 | 41% |
| Cherries (sweet) | 7 | 8% |
| Clementine | 48.8 | 54% |
| Grapefruit (white) | 33.3 | 37% |
| Grapes (green seedless) | 3.0 | 3% |
| Grapes (red seedless) | 3.3 | 4% |
| Guava | 228 | 253% |
| Honeydew Melon | 18 | 20% |
| Kiwi | 74.7 | 83% |
| Kumquat | 43.9 | 49% |
| Lychee | 71.5 | 79% |
| Mandarin (tangerine) | 26.7 | 30% |
| Mango | 36.4 | 40% |
| Nectarine | 5.4 | 6% |
| Orange | 59.1 | 66% |
| Papaya | 60.9 | 68% |
| Passion Fruit | 30 | 33% |
| Peaches | 6.6 | 7% |
| Pear | 4.3 | 5% |
| Persimmon | 66 | 73% |
| Pineapple | 47.8 | 53% |
| Plums | 9.5 | 11% |
| Pomegranate | 10.2 | 11% |
| Raspberries | 26.2 | 29% |
| Strawberries | 58.8 | 65% |
| Tangerine | 26.7 | 30% |
| Watermelon | 8.1 | 9% |
† Based on the FDA recommended Daily Value for people ages 4 and up of 90mg per day3.
Source: USDA FoodData Central
How Much is 100 Grams of Fruit?
100 grams is approximately one medium banana, or half a large apple, or about 1 cup of chopped fruit, depending on its density.
Why Do We Need Vitamin C?
Among its many functions, vitamin C helps your body form and maintain bones, skin, and blood vessels; maintain the immune system: and absorb iron1. It is also an antioxidant, protecting our bodies from free radical cellular damage, which helps stave off aging and disease1. Vitamin C is water-soluble, meaning your body doesn’t store it, and any extra you get every day is eliminated in your urine1.
What is the Definition of a “Good Source” of Vitamin C?
The FDA rule4 is that in order for a food to be a “good source” of a nutrient, it must contain 10-19% (or more) of the Daily Value for that particular nutrient. Therefore, the top 25 of the 33 fruits tested are all considered to be a good source of vitamin C—so the majority of fruits.
Summing It Up
Nearly all types of fresh fruit are a good source of vitamin C, which you need every day to stay healthy. You can’t do better than eating guava, which is an exceptional amount of vitamin C compared to all other fruit tested. However, it might not be easy to find guava in your local grocery store, or any of the top five fruits on the list, which are on the exotic side. If that’s the case, then choose oranges, which are also high in vitamin C, and more commonly available. Surprisingly, strawberries have almost the same amount of vitamin C as oranges per 100-gram serving, so they are a great choice too.
One type of apple rises above the rest, nutritionally. Read about it here.
Is your brand of breakfast cereal high in fiber? Find out here.
Which fruit are lowest in sugar and carbs? Get the ranked lists here.
Resources
1 Chambial, S., Dwivedi, S., Shukla, K. K., John, P. J., & Sharma, P. (2013). Vitamin C in disease prevention and cure: an overview. Indian journal of clinical biochemistry : IJCB, 28(4), 314–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12291-013-0375-3.
4 FDA