Introduction
Like primates, guinea pigs require dietary vitamin C or ascorbic acid (Fig 1). Therefore, guinea pig treats should ideally be high in vitamin C and dietary fiber (*), but also low in calcium. As the degree of freshness varies with market conditions, so can the vitamin C content. Tosun found that the highest vitamin C levels were detected in local open markets while the lowest vitamin C levels were seen in green grocery samples.
Figure 1. Guinea pigs share a bite of the vitamin-C rich vegetable, kale. Photo credit: Rochelle Hartman
Table
The following chart shows the maximum vitamin C content in 1 cup of selected raw foods. Rich sources of dietary fiber are marked (*).
| Produce | Weight (grams) | Vitamin C (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Guava | 165 | 376.7 |
| Currants, black | 112 | 202.7 |
| Peppers, sweet red | 149 | 190.3 |
| Brussels sprouts | 88 | 173.0 |
| Parsley a | 60 | 140.0 |
| Broccoli leaf | n/a | 120.0 |
| Peppers, sweet green | 149 | 119.8 |
| Strawberries | 166 | 97.6 |
| Orange | 180 | 95.8 |
| Grapefruit | n/a | 93.9 |
| Scotch kale | 67 | 87.1 |
| Papaya | 140 | 86.5 |
| Dill weed | 100 | 85.0 |
| Kohlrabi | 135 | 83.7 |
| Kale a | 67 | 80.4 |
| Lambs quarters | 100 | 80.0 |
| Broccoli | 88 | 78.5 |
| Pineapple | 155 | 74.1 |
| Grapefruit, pink and red | 230 | 71.8 |
| Passion-fruit (Granadilla), purple | 236 | 70.8 |
| Kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberries) | 76 | 70.5 |
| Broccoli florets* | 71 | 66.2 |
| Breadfruit | 220 | 63.8 |
| Snowpeas | 98 | 58.8 |
| Cantaloupe melon | 160 | 58.7 |
| Green peas | 145 | 58.0 |
| Green cauliflower | 64 | 56.4 |
| Pineapple | 155 | 56.1 |
| Tangerines (mandarin oranges) | 195 | 52.1 |
| Mulberries | 140 | 51.0 |
| Cauliflower | 100 | 46.4 |
| Cauliflower | 100 | 46.4 |
| Mango | 165 | 45.7 |
| Gooseberries | 150 | 41.5 |
| Cabbage, red | 70 | 39.9 |
| Mustard greens* | 56 | 39.2 |
| Starfruit (Carambola) | 108 | 37.2 |
| Rutabaga | 140 | 35.0 |
| Turnip greens* | 55 | 33.0 |
| Raspberries | 123 | 32.2 |
| Honeydew melon | 170 | 30.6 |
| Blackberries | 144 | 30.2 |
| Cabbage | 70 | 25.6 |
| Tomatoes, red | 180 | 22.9 |
| Parsnips | 133 | 22.6 |
| Loganberries | n/a | 22.5 |
| Cabbage, savoy | 70 | 21.7 |
| Zucchini | 124 | 21.1 |
| Okra | 100 | 21.1 |
| Prickly pear | 149 | 20.9 |
| Dandelion greens* | 55 | 19.3 |
| Squash, summer | 113 | 19.2 |
| Green snap beans | 110 | 17.9 |
| Cherimoya | n/a | 17.9 |
| Grapes, red or green | 160 | 17.3 |
| Radish | 116 | 17.2 |
| Plum | 165 | 15.7 |
| Blueberries | 145 | 14.1 |
| Mung beans, mature seeds, sprouted | 104 | 13.7 |
| Lettuce, romaine | 56 | 13.4 |
| Cranberries | 110 | 13.3 |
| Banana | 150 | 13.1 |
| Watermelon | 152 | 12.3 |
| Peaches | 170 | 11.2 |
| Beet greens | 38 | 11.4 |
| Swiss chard | 36 | 10.8 |
| Spinacha | 30 | 8.4 |
| Cucumber with peel | 301 | 8.4 |
| Broccoli raab (Rapini) | 40 | 8.1 |
| Amaranth leaves | 193 | 8.1 |
| Nectarine | 143 | 7.7 |
| Dill weed | 9 | 7.4 |
| Carrots | 110 | 6.5 |
| Taro | n/a | 4.7 |
| Apples, without skin | 110 | 4.4 |
| Boysenberries | n/a | 4.1 |
| Celery | 120 | 3.7 |
| Endive | 50 | 3.3 |
| Sweet potato | 133 | 3.2 |
| Cucumber, with peel | 104 | 2.9 |
| Alfalfa seeds, sprouted | 33 | 2.7 |
| Lettuce, iceberg | 55 | 1.5 |
| Cilantro | 16 | 1.1 |
a: Parsley and spinach are also rich in oxalates so offer these vegetables only sporadically to reduce the risk of calcium oxalate bladder stone formation.
References
References
Guinea Lynx: A medical care guide for guinea pigs. Available at http://www.guinealynx.info/index.html. Accessed on October 4, 2009.
Tosun BN, Yucecan S. Influence of home freezing and storage on vitamin C contents of some vegetables. Pakistan J Nutr. 2007; 6(5):472-477.
United States Department of Agriculture. USDA National Nutrient Database: Vitamin C, ascorbic acid (mg) content of selected foods per common measure. Available at https://www.nal.usda.gov/sites/default/files/page-files/Vitamin%20C.pdf. Accessed on November 19, 2025.
Further reading
Bouzari A, Holstege D, Barrett DM. Vitamin retention in eight fruits and vegetables: a comparison of refrigerated and frozen storage. J Agric Food Chem. 2015 Jan 28;63(3):957-62. doi: 10.1021/jf5058793. Epub 2015 Jan 13. PMID: 25526594.
Galani JHY, Patel JS, Patel NJ, Talati JG. Storage of Fruits and Vegetables in Refrigerator Increases their Phenolic Acids but Decreases the Total Phenolics, Anthocyanins and Vitamin C with Subsequent Loss of their Antioxidant Capacity. Antioxidants (Basel). 2017 Jul 24;6(3):59. doi: 10.3390/antiox6030059. PMID: 28737734; PMCID: PMC5618087.
Phillips KM, Tarrago-Trani MT, McGinty RC, Rasor AS, Haytowitz DB, Pehrsson PR. Seasonal variability of the vitamin C content of fresh fruits and vegetables in a local retail market. J Sci Food Agric. 2018 Aug;98(11):4191-4204. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.8941. Epub 2018 Apr 2. PMID: 29406576.
Pollock C. Vitamin C content of selected foods. March 13, 2010. LafeberVet Web site. Available at https://lafeber.com/vet/vitamin-c-content-of-selected-foods/