What are the Natural sources of Vitamin C (L Ascorbic acid) ?

Natural Sources of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)  

There are several fruits and vegetables with high vitamin C content including Amla (Indian gooseberry) , lemon , Orange , strawberries, grapefruit, mango , kiwifruit, rose hip, sweet red & green pepper, cauliflower, broccoli , and green peas.

Amla contains one of the highest contents of Vitamin C in the fruit kingdom and is full of beneficial tannins .

Natural and synthetic L-ascorbic acid are chemically identical and there are no known differences in their biological activities or bioavailability (Ref.1).

In supplements, vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid/ L-ascorbate) is available in many forms but there is little scientific evidence that any one form is better absorbed or more effective than another.

Mineral salts of ascorbic acid, such as sodium ascorbate and calcium ascorbate, are buffered &  therefore less acidic than ascorbic acid. Some people find sodium ascorbate & calcium ascorbate less irritating to the gastrointestinal tract than ascorbic acid.

Sodium ascorbate generally provides 131 mg sodium per 1,000 mg ascorbic acid and pure calcium ascorbate provides 114 mg calcium per 1,000 mg ascorbic acid.

Bioflavonoids are a class of water-soluble plant pigments that are often found in vitamin C - rich fruits and vegetables, especially citrus fruits , such as Amla , Orange etc.

References :

1.Johnston CS, Luo B. Comparison of the absorption and excretion of three commercially available sources of vitamin C. J Am Diet Assoc. 1994; 94(7):779–781.