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Do humans get enough vitamins from fruits and vegetables?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
What vitamins do we get from vegetables and fruits?
Vegetables and fruits contain only a couple of vitamins in the largest amount. These are B vitamins, vitamin C in two of its forms (folic and ascorbic acid) and carotene. How many of these vitamins are there in vegetables and do they cover our daily requirement?
A glass of apple juice (freshly squeezed) contains 4 – 4.5 mg of vitamin C. Our daily requirement for vitamin C is 60 mg.
So, in order to cover our daily requirement of vitamins with just apple juice, we need to drink 15 glasses of this juice per day.
If we talk about B vitamins and vitamins E, A, D, which are very necessary for the human body, we cannot get this norm from vegetables and fruits at all. This is because their sources are completely different.
These are not vegetables or fruits, but other products: meat, milk, cheeses, liver, oils (butter and vegetable), rye or wheat bread with bran, whole grain cereals. To satisfy our need for vitamins of all groups, we need to eat these products much more than the calorie norm prescribes.
The minimum daily calorie intake is on average 2500 Kcal. To cover our vitamin needs through food, vegetables and fruits, we will need to exceed it by a maximum of 2 times. Then we will gain weight, and vitamins will not be a joy at all.
Unique vitamins from vegetables and fruits
However, not everything is as trivial as it seems at first glance. Vegetables and fruits contain such combinations of useful substances that form completely unique vitamins. Moreover, they are not found in any other products.
This is not only the entire spectrum of vitamin C, but also vitamin K and vitamins of group P. They are also called bioflavonoids. These substances - bioflavonoids - help fight aging and increase the activity of metabolic processes in the body.
Vitamin C from citrus fruits
It is believed that lemon is good for colds because it contains a lot of vitamin C, which fights colds. However, there are other versions that prove the opposite. But! If we talk about lemon and other citrus fruits as a source of vitamin C, interesting facts come to light. Citrus fruits are more than 10th among products rich in folic and ascorbic acid.
There is much more vitamin C in bell peppers, cabbage (broccoli and cauliflower), different types of tomatoes, parsley, spinach and green leafy salads. Even potatoes have more vitamin C than lemons. Are you surprised? That's right!
If we take into account the fact that vitamin C in citrus fruits is destroyed during storage, and the more days pass, the less vitamin remains, then from a lemon, orange or tangerine we get a very small dose of it - simply insignificant.
Therefore, it is necessary to include a vitamin complex with vitamin C in your diet. Unless, of course, you are taking sleeping pills or sedatives - they mutually cancel each other's effect on the body. For example, if you take doses of vitamin C along with a sleeping pill, you can forget about sleep.
How to take vitamin C from vegetables correctly?
You will not get any effect from taking vitamin C from potatoes if you eat them boiled. The same will happen with other vegetables. The fact is that when boiled (and other heat treatments) vitamin C is destroyed by almost 90%.
It is better to bake potatoes, and eat other vegetables and fruits raw, and not after long-term storage.
Note to smokers. Your vitamin C deficiency is twice as high as that of non-smokers. Therefore, to replenish it, a smoker needs to eat twice as many vegetables and fruits with this vitamin.
When you smoke just 1 cigarette, your body loses about 25 mg of vitamin C in the form of ascorbic acid. And that's a quarter of the daily requirement! 4 cigarettes - and your body no longer has the daily requirement of vitamin C.
Fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamin K is one of the most important fat-soluble vitamins for bone growth and blood flow. Without it, there will be no normal calcium metabolism and vitamin D will be poorly absorbed. Where can I get vitamin K?
Its best sources are green leafy salads, spinach, sorrel and others. And also tomatoes. Green peas, broccoli. In winter, when these salads are not available, you can buy freshly frozen green peas. This method of processing is very good for preserving vitamins. At least, it is much more effective than boiling.
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Antioxidants in vitamins
These substances help fight aging and adverse environmental impacts. Antioxidants include rutin, hesperidin, as well as catechin and rutin. Why do people need antioxidants from food?
They help to normalize blood pressure, reduce the likelihood of bleeding, strengthen capillaries. Antioxidants obtained from products protect well from allergens and reduce the risk of allergic reactions.
The sources of these vitamins are berries. In particular, black currants, grapes and especially blueberries. For example, rowan berries, which fit in the palm of your hand, contain the entire daily norm of bioflavonoids.
To get enough vitamins, try to saturate your body with them according to the season.
Enjoy life and take care of your health with vitamins.
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