Yellow Bell Peppers Top the List: What Vegetable Has the Highest Vitamin C?

November 1, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the USDA, yellow bell peppers contain a staggering 342 mg of vitamin C per large pepper, making them the vegetable with the highest vitamin C content by a significant margin. This vital nutrient is crucial for immune function, skin health, and wound healing. While oranges are famous for their vitamin C, many vegetables actually offer a more concentrated dose per serving.

Quick Summary

Yellow bell peppers have the highest vitamin C content among vegetables, exceeding that of citrus fruits. The article provides a comprehensive look at the top vitamin C-rich vegetables, explains the benefits of this nutrient, and details how cooking methods impact potency. It also includes a comparative table and tips for incorporating these vegetables into your diet for better health.

Key Points

Top Source: Yellow bell peppers contain the highest concentration of vitamin C among vegetables, with a single large one providing over 300 mg.
Superiority Over Citrus: Many vegetables, including bell peppers and broccoli, contain more vitamin C per serving than traditional sources like oranges.
Cooking Matters: Vitamin C is heat and water-sensitive; eating vegetables raw or lightly steaming them preserves the most nutritional value.
Immunity and Collagen: This antioxidant is crucial for supporting a healthy immune system, aiding in wound healing, and producing collagen for skin and bone health.
Variety is Key: While yellow bell peppers are potent, other vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, and mustard greens are also excellent sources to include in your diet.
Enhanced Absorption: Vitamin C increases the body's ability to absorb non-heme iron from plant-based foods.

The Highest Vitamin C Champion: Yellow Bell Peppers

When searching for the vegetable with the most vitamin C, the answer is a vibrant yellow bell pepper. A single large yellow pepper can provide over 300 mg of vitamin C, far surpassing the daily recommended intake and more than triple the amount found in a standard navel orange. As bell peppers ripen, their vitamin C content increases, which is why yellow and red varieties typically contain more than green peppers. Their mild, sweet flavor makes them versatile additions to salads, stir-fries, and snacks, allowing for easy integration into a healthy diet.

The Importance of Vitamin C

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays a critical role in numerous bodily functions. It acts as a powerful antioxidant, protecting the body's cells from damage caused by free radicals. This protective effect is beneficial for cardiovascular health and may help reduce inflammation. Furthermore, vitamin C is crucial for collagen production, which is a protein necessary for healthy skin, cartilage, tendons, and blood vessels. It also enhances the absorption of iron from plant-based foods, which is particularly important for vegetarians and vegans. A consistent intake of vitamin C supports a robust immune system, helping the body fight off infections and illnesses.

Other Excellent Sources of Vitamin C from the Vegetable Patch

While yellow bell peppers lead the pack, several other vegetables are fantastic sources of vitamin C. Incorporating a variety of these into your meals ensures you receive a broad spectrum of nutrients. These include:

Broccoli: A half-cup serving of cooked broccoli offers a significant dose of vitamin C, along with fiber, vitamin K, and folate. Lightly steaming or roasting can help preserve its nutrient content.
Brussels Sprouts: These nutrient-dense cruciferous vegetables are rich in vitamin C and other compounds like kaempferol, an antioxidant that supports heart health. A half-cup provides nearly half the daily recommended value.
Kale: This popular leafy green is a great source of vitamin C, along with substantial amounts of vitamin K, antioxidants like lutein and zeaxanthin, and other beneficial nutrients. It can be enjoyed raw in salads or cooked in various dishes.
Cauliflower: Versatile and nutritious, cauliflower provides a good amount of vitamin C, choline for brain health, and anti-inflammatory benefits.
Mustard Greens: These spicy greens are high in vitamin C and contain glucosinolates, which have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial properties.

How Cooking Affects Vitamin C Content

Vitamin C is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive nutrient, meaning it is easily destroyed by prolonged exposure to heat or water. The preparation method can significantly impact how much vitamin C a vegetable retains. Raw vegetables offer the highest levels of vitamin C, as the nutrient is not lost during cooking. Steaming vegetables for a short time is one of the best cooking methods for nutrient retention, as it limits exposure to both heat and water. Conversely, boiling vegetables can lead to a considerable loss of vitamin C, as the nutrient leaches into the water and is poured away. When preparing vitamin C-rich vegetables, opt for quicker cooking methods like steaming, stir-frying, or eating them raw to maximize their nutritional benefits.

Comparison of Vitamin C in Vegetables vs. Fruits

To highlight the potency of vegetable sources, here is a comparison of vitamin C content (per 100g) between top vegetables and popular fruits.


Food Item	Vitamin C Content (mg) per 100g	Notes
Yellow Bell Pepper (Raw)	342	Highest vegetable source; surpasses many fruits.
Guava	243	One of the highest fruit sources.
Broccoli (Raw)	~89	Comparable to citrus fruit content.
Orange (Medium)	70	The classic vitamin C source, though not the highest.
Kiwi (Medium)	64	Excellent fruit source.
Red Cabbage (Raw)	51	Good source, especially raw.
Strawberries (Sliced)	49	Dependable fruit source.

Conclusion

While oranges and other citrus fruits have a well-deserved reputation for providing vitamin C, the vegetable kingdom offers even more potent sources. The yellow bell pepper holds the crown for the highest vitamin C content among common vegetables, packing an impressive amount of this vital nutrient into a single serving. Incorporating a variety of vitamin C-rich vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and kale into your diet, and preparing them with cooking methods that preserve their nutrient levels, is a simple and effective way to boost your immune system, support collagen production, and improve overall health. By prioritizing these nutritional powerhouses, you can easily meet and exceed your daily vitamin C needs.

Outbound Link: For detailed nutrient information on many foods, consult the USDA FoodData Central database.

Frequently Asked Questions

The yellow bell pepper has the most vitamin C, with a large pepper containing over 300 milligrams, significantly more than green or red varieties.

Yes, several green vegetables, such as broccoli and kale, can contain comparable or even higher amounts of vitamin C per serving than many citrus fruits like oranges.

The best methods are eating vegetables raw, or using quick, minimal-water cooking techniques like steaming or stir-frying to prevent nutrient loss.

Yes, vitamin C is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamin. Cooking methods like boiling cause a significant loss of the nutrient as it leaches into the water.

Other excellent sources include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower, and mustard greens.

Yes, by incorporating a variety of high-vitamin C vegetables into your daily diet, you can easily meet and exceed the recommended daily intake.

Yes, as bell peppers ripen from green to yellow and then red, their vitamin C content increases. Yellow and red bell peppers typically contain more vitamin C than green ones.