Vitamin C

Our food provides us with many important nutrients that we need for our health every day. Vitamin C is an essential part of a varied and balanced diet. It is particularly important for children to get enough vitamin C with their food. You can read here what vitamin C does in the body and which foods contain it.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

What is vitamin C?
Interaction
Food
Sources in winter
Daily requirements
Daily requirements for pregnant women
Possible overdose?
More about vitamins & nutrients

What is vitamin C?

Enkel füttert Opa mit Vitamin C-reichen Früchten Vitamins are organic compounds that support certain functions in the body. Since our body cannot produce many vitamins itself, but needs them to stay healthy and functional, they have to be taken in regularly through food.

One of the most important vitamins for the body is “ascorbic acid”, which is also known by the more common name vitamin C. Vitamin C supports the body in numerous functions. It is particularly well known as a supporter of an important protective mechanism - our immune system.

As the immune system of children is not yet fully developed, they should be given a balanced diet. Especially in the cold season, when the immune system is working at full capacity, sufficient vitamin C can make an active contribution to supporting the immune system of the little ones.

What are special features & effects of vitamin C?

As already mentioned, vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. However, vitamin C has many other functions, as it contributes to:

a normal mental function
a normal nervous system
a normal energy metabolism and reduced tiredness and fatigue
the protection of cells from oxidative stress

Vitamin C also helps form collagen, which is important for normal blood vessels and skin. Collagen is also part of a functioning connective tissue - for children a rather long-term investment in health, but perhaps an interesting fact for you.

Interaction with iron

A special property of this well-known vitamin is that it helps the body to absorb iron. From a nutritional point of view, this offers many opportunities to solve two problems at once: by combining iron-rich foods with foods containing vitamin C, increased iron absorption is guaranteed with simultaneous vitamin C intake. Meat and fish, for example, only contain small amounts of vitamin C, but have a high iron content. If you combine these foods with fresh vegetables or some fruit for dessert, the body absorbs the iron better.

Which foods contain large amounts of vitamin C?

[Translate to Englisch:] Zwei Acerola-Früchte hängen am Baum

Vitamin C is found in large quantities in many foods. Citrus fruits are especially known to have high vitamin C levels but not necessarily the highest among all fruit. There are certainly many foods with high levels of vitamin C that your children will enjoy.

Vitamin C rich fruit	mg per 100 g	Vitamin C rich vegetables	mg per 100 g
Acerola	1.700 mg	Green pepper	117 mg
Blackcurrant	177 mg	Kale	105 mg
Strawberries	57 mg	Broccoli	94 mg
Orange	45 mg	Cauliflower	64 mg
Kiwi	44 mg	Spinach	51 mg

Vitamin C rich fruit	mg per 100 g
Acerola	1.700 mg
Blackcurrant	177 mg
Strawberries	57 mg
Orange	45 mg
Kiwi	44 mg

Vitamin C rich vegetables	mg per 100 g
Green pepper	117 mg
Kale	105 mg
Broccoli	94 mg
Cauliflower	64 mg
Spinach	51 mg

These values only apply to the raw, fresh products. Because vitamin C is sensitive to light, heat and oxygen, it can be destroyed during food preparation. You can preserve the vitamin for you and your children by preparing the food gently or eating it raw.

Vitamin C sources in winter

Some of the fruits and vegetables listed above are not available fresh in winter or simply do not serve well in the cold season. To properly supply the immune system with the right amount of vitamin C, you can fall back on seasonal products.

Fruit/vegetable	mg per 100 g
Rose hip	1.250 mg
Sea buckthorn fruit	450 mg
Parsley	159 mg
Brussels sprouts	112 mg
White cabbage	52 mg

Average values according to Souci, Fachmann, Kraut: Food Composition and Nutrition Tables (7th ed.). Munich: C.H. Beck. 2008

Daily vitamin C requirement

[Translate to Englisch:] Kleinkind nascht Erdbeere beim ernten

How much do you really need? In order to ensure an optimal and needs-based vitamin C supply, the German Nutrition Society (DGE) provides guideline values for the recommended daily intake as a guide. The daily vitamin C requirement is determined by various aspects such as age, gender, height and weight. This means that vitamins for children have to be dosed differently than for adults.

Age	Vitamin C mg/day - Men	Vitamin C mg/day - Women
Children between 1 and 4 years	20 mg	20 mg
Children between 4 and 7 years	30 mg	30 mg
Children between 7 and 10 years	45 mg	45 mg
Children between 10 and 13 years	65 mg	65 mg
Children between 13 and 15 years	85 mg	85 mg
Youths between 15 and 19 years	105 mg	90 mg
Adults 19 years and above	110 mg	95 mg
Pregnant women (from the 4th month on)		105 mg
Breastfeeding women		125 mg

Find the complete DGE table here (in German).

Needs during pregnancy

Pregnant women generally need a higher supply of vitamin C because they also need to supply their baby through the umbilical cord. Likewise, breastfeeding women need more vitamin C to pass onto their baby through breast milk.

Needs during pregnancy

Pregnant women generally need a higher supply of vitamin C because they also need to supply their baby through the umbilical cord. Likewise, breastfeeding women need more vitamin C to pass onto their baby through breast milk.

How harmful is an overdose of vitamin C?

With a healthy and balanced diet, you should not worry about vitamin C overdose. This is partially because preparing raw food significantly reduces its ascorbic acid content. However, if your children eat a lot of fruit and vegetables in summer, they might accidentally overdose on vitamin C. Normally, this imbalance only leads to diarrhea and stomach rumbling.
Usually, the body simply excretes the excess vitamin C with urine. However, especially when reactions occur, you should not intentionally consume too much vitamin C. The recommended daily intake for food supplements should be followed.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends 2 portions of fruit and 3 portions of vegetables per day as a guideline for a daily meal plan.

More about vitamins & nutrients

Eine glückliche Familie sitzt gemeinsam am Tisch und frühstückt.

Vitamins & minerals

Want to know what all the valuable micronutrients do, what foods have them and how much you need? Find more information here.

Find out more

Eine Frau, ein Mann und ein kleines Kind stehen zusammen in einer modernen Küche, das Kind sitzt auf der Küchenzeile.

Iron

Iron is one of the most important trace elements in the body. It helps red blood-cell formation and is essential for transporting oxygen through the body. The right iron balance helps you and your family stay healthy.

Find out more

Ein Vater trägt seinen lachenden Sohn auf dem Rücken, im Hintergrund fliegt eine gezeichnete Biene.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is the vitamin the body produces from sunlight when going for a walk or outside on the balcony. It is involved in many processes in the body and is indispensable for young children – in fact, it is not really a vitamin.

Find out more