How to Prevent Scurvy?
Simply take in 30mg of Vitamin C per
day. That's it.
In fact, in modern times scurvy is rarely seen, due in
large part to the abundance of vitamin C in a wide variety of foods and
beverages. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits such as oranges, limes,
and grapefruit, and vegetables including tomatoes, green pepper,
potatoes and many others.
Vitamin C is easily damaged during the food preparation
stage, such as during chopping, exposure to air, cooking, boiling, and
being submerged in water. The amount of Vitamin C is high enough in most
foods that the quantity that remains after processing is usually more
than enough for a daily supply.
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA)
of vitamin C varies depending upon the source, but typically anywhere
from 20 to 40 milligrams per day will guarantee you a Scurvy Free
lifestyle. In fact, some studies have shown that as little as 5-7 mg a day will
effectively prevent scurvy, and the average American takes in
approximately 72 mg a day, more
than enough. Also, the liver stores enough vitamin C
to last approximately 3 months, just in case.
Official Government Stats
Recommended Daily
Allowances of Vitamin C |
U.S.A.
RDA (mg) |
Canada
RDA (mg) |
Infants and children
(Birth to 3 years of age) |
30-40 |
20 |
| 4 to 6 years of age |
45 |
25 |
| 7 to 10 years of age |
45 |
25 |
| Adolescent and adult males |
50-60 |
25-40 |
| Adolescent and adult females |
50-60 |
25-30 |
| Pregnant females |
70 |
30-40 |
| Breast-feeding females |
90-95 |
55 |
| Smokers |
100 |
45-60 |
Sources of Vitamin C
Now that you know how much Vitamin C you need to take in every day, here
are the amounts that are found from Plant and Animal sources. The
charts below will tell you the milligrams of Vitamin C you would
typically find in 100 grams of that item.
|
Plant sources |
mg of Vitamin C
per 100g of Fruit |
| Acerola |
1600 |
| Amla |
720 |
| Apple |
6 |
| Apricot, Canned |
5 |
| Apricot, Fresh |
10 |
| Asian Pear |
20 |
| Avocado |
8 |
| Babaco |
27 |
| Banana |
9 |
| Baobab |
400 |
| Barbados Cherry |
112 |
| Beetroot |
5 |
| Bilberry |
1 |
| Blackberry |
6 |
| Blackcurrant |
200 |
| Blueberry |
10 |
| Breadfruit |
28 |
| Broccoli |
90 |
| Brussels sprouts |
80 |
| Cabbage raw green |
30 |
| Camu Camu |
2800 |
| Carambola |
19 |
| Carrot |
9 |
| Casimiroa |
15 |
| Cauliflower |
40 |
| Cherimoya |
10 |
| Cherry |
7 |
| Cloudberry |
60 |
| Crabapple |
8 |
| Cranberry |
13 |
| Cucumber |
3 |
| Custard Apple |
n/a |
| Eggplant |
2 |
| Feijoa, cv. "Mammoth" |
16 |
| Feijoa, cv. "Triumph" |
14 |
| Fig |
2 |
| Grape |
10 |
| Grapefruit |
30 |
| Guava, Cattley |
5 |
| Guava, Tropical |
165 |
| Horned melon |
0.5 |
| Jujube |
500 |
| Kakadu plum |
3100 |
| Kei Apple |
17 |
| Kiwano |
0.5 |
| Kiwifruit, green |
74 |
| Kiwifruit, yellow |
130 |
| Lemon |
40 |
| Lettuce |
4 |
| Lime |
20 |
| Loganberry |
80 |
| Longan |
3 |
| Loquat |
0.5 |
| Lychee |
70 |
| Mandarin orange |
30 |
| Mango |
20 |
| Marula |
60 |
| Medlar |
0.3 |
| Melon, cantaloupe |
40 |
| Melon, honeydew |
20 |
| Mutingia |
4 |
| Orange |
60 |
| Papaya |
55 |
| Parsley |
130 |
| Passion fruit |
30 |
| Pawpaw / Asimina |
15 |
| Peach |
7 |
| Peach, Canned |
3 |
| Pear |
4 |
| Persimmon, American |
25 |
| Persimmon, Oriental |
60 |
| Pineapple |
10 |
| Plum |
10 |
| Plum, Java |
0.5 |
| Plum, Natal |
5 |
| Potato |
20 |
| Raspberry |
30 |
| Red pepper |
190 |
| Redcurrant |
80 |
| Rose hip |
2000 |
| Seabuckthorn |
695 |
| Spinach |
30 |
| Strawberry |
60 |
| Surinam Cherry |
2 |
| Tamarillo, Red |
40 |
| Tamarillo, Yellow |
30 |
| Tangerine |
30 |
| Tomato |
10 |
| Watermelon |
10 |
| Wolfberry (Goji) |
73 |
|
Animal sources |
mg of Vitamin C
per 100g of Meat |
| Beef liver (raw) |
31 |
| Beef steak (fried) |
0 |
| Calf liver (raw) |
36 |
| Calf veal cutlet (fried) |
0 |
| Chicken leg (roast) |
0 |
| Chicken liver (fried) |
13 |
| Cod roe (fried) |
26 |
| Cow milk (fresh) |
2 |
| Goat milk (fresh) |
2 |
| Hen's egg (raw) |
0 |
| Human milk (fresh) |
4 |
| Lamb brain (boiled) |
17 |
| Lamb heart (roast) |
11 |
| Lamb liver (fried) |
12 |
| Lamb tongue (stewed) |
6 |
| Oysters (raw) |
30 |
| Pork bacon (fried) |
0 |
| Pork liver (raw) |
23 |
