SUPPLEMENT SCIENCEInsights
Search

Search Insights

Try choline, nano-curcumin or probiotics.

    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    Peppers versus oranges for vitamin C: vegetables can be concentrated sources

    Citrus fruit is not the only useful vitamin C source. ODS lists more vitamin C in a half-cup serving of raw sweet red pepper than in one medium orange, while those servings differ in size and food type.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    State exactly what is being compared

    The representative amounts are 95 mg for half a cup of raw sweet red pepper, 60 mg for half a cup of raw sweet green pepper and 70 mg for a medium orange. These are serving-based comparisons, not equal-weight rankings. [1]

    Sweet peppers should not be conflated with a quantified capsaicin exposure. A food’s vitamin C content does not establish the effects of a concentrated pepper extract or a claim about spicy ingredients. [1]

    A ranking is less useful without realistic portions

    A person may eat different portions of peppers, broccoli or fruit. ODS lists several vegetables as meaningful vitamin C sources, including cooked broccoli and Brussels sprouts. A varied pattern can contribute without identifying one universal winner. [1]

    Preparation and storage affect vitamin C, so preserve whether a value describes raw or cooked food. Do not infer nutrient loss from two table rows that differ in portion density or water content. [1]

    Use the amount actually served

    Imagine a meal contains a quarter cup of raw red pepper. Using the representative half-cup value, that contributes about 47.5 mg. Quoting the full 95 mg would double the estimated contribution.

    Worked calculation — Peppers versus oranges for vitamin C
    DetailInterpretation
    Half cup raw red pepperAbout 95 mg
    Medium orangeAbout 70 mg
    Quarter cup raw red pepperAbout 47.5 mg
    Peppers versus oranges for vitamin C: vegetables can be concentrated sources — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. Vitamin C - Health Professional Fact Sheet
      Source consulted: 2026-09-17. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.