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Essential vitamin

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps make the body's connective tissue, supports immune-cell activity and helps protect cells from damage caused by reactive molecules.

Read Vitamin C in the Atlas explorer, with its charts

Water-soluble vitamin · What does that mean?

Measured in mg · Daily Value 90 mg

What it does, and how

  • Build the tissue that holds things together

    Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a structural protein in skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels. Making collagen is part of maintaining and repairing these tissues.

    Collagen synthesis · Evidence

    Vitamin C is required for collagen biosynthesis.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: endogenous synthesis; collagen biosynthesis; physiological antioxidant; immune function paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

  • Help protect cells during normal chemistry

    Normal metabolism produces reactive molecules called free radicals. Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, helping limit the damage these molecules can cause to cells.

    Physiological antioxidant activity · Evidence

    Vitamin C has a physiological antioxidant role.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: endogenous synthesis; collagen biosynthesis; physiological antioxidant; immune function paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

  • Help immune cells carry out their work

    Vitamin C supports immune-cell activities, including engulfing microbes, and helps maintain the tissue barriers that separate the body from its surroundings.

    Immune function · Evidence

    Vitamin C contributes to normal immune function.

    Normal physiological role only; does not establish an effect of eating Kale.

    • Read sourceIntroduction: endogenous synthesis; collagen biosynthesis; physiological antioxidant; immune function paragraphs

    Sources for the explanation

Where it works in the body

A nutrient can take part in more than one body system. Follow a connection to see how its work fits together with other nutrients.

The body map groups established nutrient roles to help you explore; it does not predict a health outcome from eating a food. Evidence and mapping notes.

How does the body keep a supply? Learn about nutrient storage, depletion and replenishment.

Reference food in our crop catalog

Reference composition

Basis: raw edible food, per 100 g. % DV uses FDA Daily Values for adults and children 4+ where one exists; values above 100% are shown without capping. Reference amounts describe the USDA food, not a UCFarms harvest. “No DV” means there is no applicable Daily Value or conversion.

Sources & references (14)
  1. Spinach, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168462 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible spinach. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Spinach, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168462Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  2. Collards, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170406 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible collard greens. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Collards, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170406Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  3. Watercress, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170068 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible watercress. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Watercress, raw, USDA FoodData Central 170068Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  4. Basil, fresh, USDA FoodData Central 172232 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible basil. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Basil, fresh, USDA FoodData Central 172232Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  5. Strawberries, raw, USDA FoodData Central 167762 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible strawberries. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Strawberries, raw, USDA FoodData Central 167762Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  6. Mushrooms, oyster, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168580 · U.S. Department of AgricultureReference databaseSelected nutrient amounts per 100 g raw edible oyster mushroom. Reference food, not a UCFarms harvest measurement.Source details in the Atlas: Mushrooms, oyster, raw, USDA FoodData Central 168580Verified from the official SR Legacy JSON download. The exact food record and source calculation are available in the crop reference profiles below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_sr_legacy_food_json_2018-04.zip
  7. Kale, raw: FoodData Central 323505 · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseReference nutrient composition of raw kale, per 100 g edible portion.Source details in the Atlas: Kale, raw: FoodData Central 323505The audit used USDA’s Foundation Foods download. If this record link is unavailable, use the dataset or saved record below.https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/323505/nutrients
  8. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels · U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationGovernmentFDA Daily Values (adults and children 4+) used to compute % DV.Source details in the Atlas: Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labelshttps://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/daily-value-nutrition-and-supplement-facts-labels
  9. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentVitamin C's role in collagen synthesis, physiological antioxidant activity and immune function.Source details in the Atlas: Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/
  10. Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentVitamin A's role in vision, immune function and cellular differentiation; provitamin-A vs non-provitamin-A carotenoids.Source details in the Atlas: Vitamin A and Carotenoids: Fact Sheet for Health Professionalshttps://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminA-HealthProfessional/
  11. Foundation Foods JSON release 2026-04-30 · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseSource details in the Atlas: Foundation Foods JSON release 2026-04-30https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-datasets/FoodData_Central_foundation_food_json_2026-04-30.zip
  12. Foundation Foods Documentation · USDA Agricultural Research ServiceReference databaseSource details in the Atlas: Foundation Foods Documentationhttps://fdc.nal.usda.gov/Foundation_Foods_Documentation/
  13. Vitamin C: Medical Encyclopedia · National Library of Medicine, MedlinePlusGovernmentVitamin C, collagen and the growth and repair of skin, tendons, ligaments and blood vessels.Source details in the Atlas: Vitamin C: Medical Encyclopediahttps://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002404.htm
  14. Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious Diseases · National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary SupplementsGovernmentVitamin A and vitamin C roles in tissue barriers and immune-cell function; distinct from evidence that supplements prevent or treat infections.Source details in the Atlas: Dietary Supplements for Immune Function and Infectious DiseasesTeaching locators: Vitamins and minerals sections, Vitamin A and Vitamin C introductions.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ImmuneFunction-HealthProfessional/

The nutrition and biological information on this site is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice.