Readers question Vitamin C, food labels

As promised for this celebration of National Nutrition Month—our first installment of questions from readers:

Corliss J. from Tucson writes: I would like to get more natural Vitamin C from foods. I have a condition called “stomach dumping” and also heart burn. Juicy sweet fruits cause digestive distress and heartburn. I take 500 mg Ester C tablet each day. Could you please suggest some foods that contain Vitamin C but are not sweet, acidic or juicy? How much should I eat daily?

Dear Corliss, the Recommended Daily Allowance for vitamin C is currently 75 milligrams for adult women. And while many people like yourself take higher doses from supplements, it's certainly possible to meet your vitamin C needs from food.

One kiwifruit, for example, contains 131 mg of vitamin C while 3/4 cup of orange of grapefruit juice offers about 95 mg. If you don't tolerate these juicy fruits, you can also get vitamin C in red or green bell peppers

(95 and 60 mg per 1/2 cup, respectively), 1/2 cup cooked broccoli or strawberries (50 mg), 1/2 cup Brussels sprouts (37 mg) or even a medium baked potato (22 mg).

According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon

State University, our bodies best absorb vitamin C at doses up to 200 mg. And we can get that amount from five servings (about 21/2 cups) of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day.

Although high doses of vitamin C appear to be safe, they can trigger digestive distress, especially if you exceed the current upper intake level of 2000 mg a day, set by the Food and Nutrition Board, Institue of Medicine.

Paula, who doesn't tell me where she lives, asks, When choosing a premade food, such as bread or cracker, which components should guide you in order of nutrition: carbs, fat, fiber, sodium or calories. I have slightly elevated blood pressure or have been told to lose 5- 10