Kakadu Plum Vitamin C and the Highest Vitamin C Foods, Ranked

By Darren McArthur, Real McArthur, an Australian family business making natural products for over 25 years · Published 25 September 2026 · Last updated 29 September 2026 · Sourced from published studies and our own lab certificate

Kakadu plum is the highest vitamin C food on record. Our Kakadu plum powder is independently lab-tested at 121mg of natural vitamin C in every gram, which gram for gram is 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange. That is on our certificate of analysis: 12,100mg of natural vitamin C per 100 grams of dried powder, waiting for anyone who wants to check it.[3]

Kakadu plum (Terminalia ferdinandiana) is a small, tart bush fruit native to northern Australia, and the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any fruit on earth. Not acerola. Not camu camu. Kakadu plum. When the Australian Government’s laboratory tested native fruits, herbs and spices, it measured 7,253mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of dried Kakadu plum, the highest of anything it tested.[1] One 500mg capsule of our powder gives you 60mg of natural vitamin C, more than an adult’s 45mg daily need.

Vitamin C Foods, Ranked: The Highest Vitamin C Fruit and Vegetables

The highest vitamin C foods are Kakadu plum (2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams fresh), camu camu and acerola cherry, followed by rose hips, chillies, guava, capsicum and blackcurrants. Everyday fruit like kiwifruit, strawberries, paw paw and oranges carry far less, but still enough to cover a day’s needs in a serve or two. Kakadu plum is shown in three forms; every other figure is per 100 grams of fresh, raw food.

Kakadu plum ranked first for vitamin C when the Australian Government tested native Australian fruits, herbs and spices in 2009,[1] and the published scientific literature describes it as the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any food.[5] The ranges overlap at the extremes, because different trees, growing regions and seasons all change the result. That is why we say “highest recorded” rather than “always more than”, and why we test our own powder.

Why Different Sources Give Different Numbers

Fresh fruit, dried fruit and our tested powder each give a different figure for Kakadu plum vitamin C, and all three are accurate. They measure different things.

• Fresh Kakadu plum: 2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams,[2] and up to 5,300mg in the richest samples,[11] against about 50mg in a fresh orange.
• Dried Kakadu plum: drying removes the water, so the vitamin C concentrates. The Australian Government laboratory measured 7,253mg per 100 grams of dried fruit.[1]
• Our powder: independently tested at 12,100mg per 100 grams, or 121mg per gram.[3] By weight, that is 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange.

Kakadu plum powder is the fair comparison for a supplement, because dried powder is what goes in the capsule.

What Does Vitamin C Do?

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient your body cannot make on its own, so every milligram has to come from what you eat. Food Standards Australia New Zealand recognises that:[4]

• Immune system: vitamin C contributes to normal immune system function.
• Iron absorption: vitamin C contributes to the absorption of iron from food.
• Energy: vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
• Blood vessels: vitamin C is necessary for normal blood vessel structure and function.
• Collagen: vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin. (How collagen is made, step by step →)
• Cell protection: vitamin C contributes to cell protection from free radical damage.

How Much Vitamin C Do You Need?

Australian adults need 45mg of vitamin C a day, the recommended dietary intake set by the National Health and Medical Research Council. The figure rises to 60mg during pregnancy and 85mg while breastfeeding.[16] People who smoke use up more vitamin C, and the US National Institutes of Health advises them to add 35mg a day.[17]

One 500mg capsule of our Kakadu plum powder gives you 60mg of natural vitamin C,[3] which covers an adult’s daily need with some to spare.

Natural Vitamin C and Synthetic Vitamin C

The difference is what comes with it. Synthetic vitamin C is ascorbic acid, a single molecule made in a lab. Natural vitamin C from a whole food like Kakadu plum arrives with the rest of the fruit: vitamin E at 6.1mg per 100 grams, the highest of the fruits tested in the Government study,[1] antioxidant power measured at 10.5 times a blueberry on the FRAP test,[1] 11 named tannins, and the minerals of the seed. Read the full story on our vitamin E foods guide, our antioxidant rich foods page and our Kakadu plum tannins page.

Natural vitamin C: Real McArthur Kakadu plum capsules

How to Keep the Vitamin C in Your Food

Eat vitamin C foods raw or lightly cooked. Vitamin C dissolves in water and breaks down with heat, air and light, so boiling and long storage lose the most.[17]

• Eat vitamin C fruit and vegetables raw, or lightly cooked.
• Steam, microwave or stir-fry vegetables briefly rather than boiling them, which leaches vitamin C into the water.
• Eat fresh produce soon after buying, and cut it close to eating.

Drying works the other way: taking the water out concentrates the vitamin C, which is why dried Kakadu plum powder holds so much per gram.

Tens of Thousands of Years Before the Lab Results

The science is recent. The knowledge is ancient.

Aboriginal Australians have eaten this fruit for tens of thousands of years. They carried it on long walks and hunting trips for energy and refreshment.[6] It was used as a food preservative, and modern University of Queensland research has now confirmed it can stop common food bacteria in the lab.[13] Early European records describe the fruit as “considered more valuable as a medicine rather than as a food.”[7]

In 1982, researchers published findings in The Lancet describing Kakadu plum as “an outstanding food source of vitamin C.”[8] That paper started the scientific interest that has since produced dozens of studies.

The tree grows wild across northern Australia, from the Kimberley in Western Australia through the Northern Territory to Arnhem Land and Cape York. Aboriginal people know it by many names depending on country: gubinge, anmarlak, manmorlak, murunga.[6][14] Read Gubinge: the story of Kakadu plum.

Farmed, Tested, Made in Australia

Our Kakadu plum is farmed by an Australian grower, not wild-harvested. Farming gives a consistent, quality-controlled supply that doesn’t depend on seasonal wild harvests.

• Independently tested at 12.1% natural vitamin C: 121mg per gram[3]
• Tested for heavy metals: lead and arsenic both under the safety limit[3]
• Clean on every microbial test[3]
• Confirmed as genuine Terminalia ferdinandiana[3]
• No fillers, no additives: whole fruit including the seed

Every batch is tested. The certificate of analysis is available on request.

Our Family. Twenty-Five Years.

McArthur Natural Products started with Tom McArthur, a man who spent over twenty-five years working with natural Australian ingredients, caring for Australian skin. Darren McArthur has carried that on.

Kakadu plum is the natural next chapter: an Australian native fruit, grown in Australia, backed by Australian Government lab results, with a family behind it who can tell you exactly what is in the bottle.

Why Our Capsules Contain the Whole Fruit, Seed and All

Most Kakadu plum products use only the dried fruit flesh. Ours uses whole fruit powder: fruit and seed kernel together. Grinding the seed to the same fine, smooth powder as the fruit, with no grit, costs more and takes more work. We do it because the numbers are worth it.

The fruit gives you the vitamin C: 240 times that of a fresh orange, gram for gram. The seed kernel adds a separate nutrient profile. Researchers measured it at 32% protein, describing it as a potential new protein source, with 35% fat (four-fifths of it unsaturated) and 21% fibre.[18]

Fruit: Australian Government (RIRDC) 2009 study.[1] Seed: Akter et al., Foods, 2018.[18]

The published data proves it: the seed holds more than the fruit in 7 of these 8 minerals, up to 17 times more phosphorus, 10 times more zinc and 8 times more copper, while the fruit holds more potassium.

Zinc, copper, manganese and iron are cofactors your body uses in the same antioxidant and cell protection processes as vitamin E. That is why we keep the seed: the whole fruit, seed and all, gives you more than either part alone.

Every nutrient in Kakadu plum, one at a time: Kakadu plum nutrition, nutrient by nutrient →

Questions People Ask About Kakadu Plum Vitamin C

Is Kakadu plum high in vitamin C?

Yes. Kakadu plum is the highest recorded natural source of vitamin C of any fruit. Our lab-tested powder has 121mg per gram, 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange, gram for gram, so one 500mg capsule gives you 60mg, more than an adult’s 45mg daily need.

What food is highest in vitamin C?

Kakadu plum. The Australian Government measured 7,253mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of dried Kakadu plum, the highest of every native fruit, herb and spice it tested. Fresh, it carries 2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams, ahead of camu camu and acerola cherry on most published figures.

What fruit is highest in vitamin C?

Kakadu plum, the Australian native fruit, is the highest vitamin C fruit on record, at 2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams fresh and up to 5,300mg in the richest samples. Camu camu (up to 2,780mg) and acerola cherry (1,678mg) come next. A fresh orange has about 50mg.

Which 3 fruits are highest in vitamin C?

Kakadu plum, camu camu and acerola cherry are the three fruits highest in vitamin C. Kakadu plum is the only one of the three native to Australia.

What is the richest source of vitamin C?

Kakadu plum is the richest natural source of vitamin C. Dried and powdered, it becomes more concentrated still: our powder is independently tested at 12,100mg per 100 grams, which is 12.1% vitamin C by weight.

Which vegetables are highest in vitamin C?

Chillies, capsicum, parsley, kale, broccoli and Brussels sprouts are the vegetables highest in vitamin C. Green chilli has about 242mg per 100 grams, yellow capsicum 184mg and red capsicum 128mg, all well above an orange.

Does cooking destroy vitamin C?

Yes, cooking destroys some vitamin C, and boiling loses the most because vitamin C leaches into the water. Steaming, microwaving or a quick stir-fry keeps more, and raw keeps it all.

Which is the king of vitamin C?

Kakadu plum has the most vitamin C of any fruit on the published figures, at 2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams fresh. There’s no official title, but that makes it the fruit most often ranked first. Gram for gram, our lab-tested Kakadu plum powder has 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange.

Which two superfoods are very high in vitamin C?

Kakadu plum and camu camu are the two fruits highest in vitamin C on the published figures. Kakadu plum is Australian; camu camu comes from the Amazon. Acerola cherry is close behind.

What is the best natural form of vitamin C?

Whole food is the best natural form of vitamin C, and the most concentrated whole food is Kakadu plum. Its vitamin C comes with vitamin E, antioxidants and tannins, and in our capsules, the minerals of the seed as well.

How can I get vitamin C naturally?

Eat vitamin C fruit and vegetables every day: one orange, a kiwifruit or a cup of strawberries covers an adult’s 45mg. For a concentrated natural source, Kakadu plum carries more vitamin C than any other fruit.

How to increase vitamin C quickly?

Eat raw vitamin C foods such as capsicum, kiwifruit, guava or citrus, and don’t boil your vegetables. A Kakadu plum capsule adds 60mg of natural vitamin C in one go.

What fruit has 100% vitamin C?

No fruit is pure vitamin C; the most concentrated is Kakadu plum. If you mean 100% of your daily need, one kiwifruit (about 93mg per 100 grams) or one orange covers an adult’s 45mg. Our dried Kakadu plum powder is 12.1% vitamin C by weight.

What drink is high in vitamin C?

Fresh orange juice is the everyday choice, with about 50mg of vitamin C per 100ml, so one glass covers an adult’s daily need. Stir a little Kakadu plum powder into water or a smoothie and it carries far more, gram for gram.

What depletes vitamin C?

Smoking, heat and water deplete vitamin C. Smokers use up more of it, and in food, boiling, long storage, air and light all break it down, so raw or lightly cooked produce keeps the most.

What are the signs of lacking vitamin C?

Early signs of low vitamin C include tiredness, weakness, irritability, and sore or bleeding gums. Bruising easily and slow wound healing can follow, and a severe, long-term lack causes scurvy.[17] See your doctor if you’re concerned.

What are the first signs of too much vitamin C?

Diarrhoea, nausea and stomach cramps are the first signs of too much vitamin C. The US National Institutes of Health sets the adult upper limit at 2,000mg a day. One Kakadu plum capsule has 60mg.

What are the side effects of Kakadu plum?

Kakadu plum contains oxalate, the same compound found in spinach, beetroot and many other common foods. A standard 500mg serving contains around 7 to 14mg of oxalate, similar to a handful of raspberries.[19] If you have had kidney stones or have a kidney condition, check with your health professional before adding it to your routine.

Why do different sources give different numbers for Kakadu plum vitamin C?

They measure different forms of the fruit. Fresh Kakadu plum has 2,300 to 3,150mg per 100 grams, dried fruit tested at 7,253mg in the Australian Government study, and our powder is independently tested at 12,100mg. Gram for gram, our powder has 240 times the vitamin C of a fresh orange.

Why does your Kakadu plum powder include the seed?

Because you get both, the fruit and the seed kernel, in every capsule. The fruit gives you the vitamin C; the seed holds more than the fruit in 7 of 8 minerals and is 32% protein. The whole fruit, seed and all, gives you more than either part alone.

Our products are food, not therapeutic goods, and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or condition.

References

1. Konczak I et al. Health Benefits of Australian Native Foods. RIRDC, Australian Government, Pub. 09/133, Sep 2009.
2. Zhou Y et al. Bioactive Properties of Kakadu Plum-Blended Products. Molecules, 2023.
3. McArthur Natural Products laboratory certificate (an accredited Australian laboratory COA, 12.1% / 121mg/g). Available on request.
4. Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Standard 1.2.7: Nutrition, Health and Related Claims.
5. Konczak I, Maillot F, Dalar A. Phytochemical divergence in 45 accessions of Terminalia ferdinandiana. Food Chemistry, 2014.
6. Ancient Future: The “Kakadu Plum” Story. Working Papers, Australian Government.
7. Society for Kimberley Indigenous Plants and Animals, Terminalia ferdinandiana (Gubinge).
8. Brand, Cherikoff, Lee and Truswell. The Lancet, 1982.
9. USDA FoodData Central, Acerola (West Indian cherry), raw.
10. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2025, camu camu vitamin C range.
11. Down Under Enterprises / Escentials of Australia industry data, Sep 2026.
12. Ross Creek Tropicals, Kakadu Plum tree growing notes.
13. UQ News, 18 Sep 2024: Kakadu plum food preservative research.
14. Parks Australia, Kakadu plum, Kakadu National Park.
15. USDA FoodData Central, raw foods, vitamin C (total ascorbic acid) per 100g, rounded. Orange: 48.5mg (Valencia) to 59mg (navel).
16. National Health and Medical Research Council, Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand: Vitamin C.
17. US National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C fact sheet.
18. Akter S et al. Chemical and Nutritional Composition of Kakadu Plum Kernels. Foods, 2018.
19. Williams DJ et al. Organic acids in Kakadu plum: the good (ellagic), the bad (oxalic) and the uncertain (ascorbic). Food Research International, 2016 (Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and UQ).