A raw lime has about 29 mg of vitamin C per 100 g, so one medium lime gives a modest share of your day, not a full day’s worth.
If you’re squeezing limes for water, tacos, or a salad dressing, you’ve probably wondered how much vitamin C you’re getting. The number changes fast with size, how much juice you use, and how long it sits in air.
This guide keeps it practical: real portions, quick math, and the small details that change the final tally.
Vitamin C In Lime Portions At A Glance
USDA FoodData Central lists vitamin C for raw lime flesh and for raw lime juice. Using those values, the table below turns common kitchen portions into vitamin C and a rough percent of the U.S. Daily Value (DV).
| Portion | Vitamin C | Share Of 90 mg DV |
|---|---|---|
| 10 g lime (thin wedge) | 2.9 mg | 3% |
| 20 g lime (two wedges) | 5.8 mg | 6% |
| 30 g lime (small lime slice pile) | 8.7 mg | 10% |
| 50 g lime (small lime, edible part) | 14.6 mg | 16% |
| 67 g lime (medium lime, edible part) | 19.5 mg | 22% |
| 1 Tbsp lime juice (15 g) | 4.5 mg | 5% |
| 2 Tbsp lime juice (30 g) | 9.0 mg | 10% |
| 1/4 cup lime juice (60 g) | 18.0 mg | 20% |
Data source for raw lime nutrient values: USDA FoodData Central “Limes, raw”.
How Much Vitamin C Is In A Lime? Portion Breakdown
Here’s the straight answer in kitchen terms: a whole lime isn’t a mega vitamin C hit. A medium lime’s edible part lands near one-fifth to one-quarter of the 90 mg DV, depending on size and variety.
Most of the time, people don’t eat the full lime. They use wedges, a squeeze, or a few spoonfuls of juice. That’s why the table above is the best starting point for real life.
Whole lime vs squeezed juice
Whole lime numbers usually refer to the edible portion (flesh, plus a bit of membrane). Juice numbers are higher per 100 g than whole lime flesh, so a drink with a good splash of juice can add up faster.
Still, “a splash” is often one tablespoon. That’s only a few milligrams of vitamin C. If your goal is to raise your intake, portion size is the lever that moves the number.
Why two limes can feel like one
Limes vary a lot. Persian limes tend to be larger than Mexican limes. A lime that feels heavy for its size usually has more juice, which means more vitamin C in your squeeze.
Also, many recipes call for “the juice of one lime,” which can mean anything from 1 to 3 tablespoons. If you want the label-like number, measure the juice once, then you’ll know your usual.
Quick math you can do without a scale
You don’t need lab gear to get close. Use one of these rules of thumb based on USDA nutrient values:
- Wedge math: a thin wedge is often near 10 g edible lime, so it brings around 3 mg vitamin C.
- Squeeze math: 1 tablespoon (15 g) lime juice brings around 4–5 mg vitamin C.
- Half-lime math: half of a medium lime’s edible part lands near 10 mg vitamin C.
If you’re tracking intake for a nutrition plan, the most repeatable approach is simple: weigh the juice you usually add to drinks once, then reuse that number.
Vitamin C targets and what a lime can add
Daily vitamin C needs change by age, sex, pregnancy, and smoking status. The DV used on U.S. nutrition labels is 90 mg for adults and children age 4+.
You can confirm the DV on the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements vitamin C fact sheet.
How limes fit into a day of eating
If you eat a varied mix of fruits and vegetables, a lime usually plays a small role: it boosts flavor, lifts a meal, and adds a bit of vitamin C along the way.
If you’re leaning on citrus for vitamin C, it helps to spread your intake across the day. Vitamin C is water soluble, and food sources bring it in smaller doses that stack up with meals.
When lime juice makes a bigger dent
Some meals use more lime than you think. A marinade, a ceviche-style dish, or a batch of salsa can use 1/4 cup juice or more. That portion can bring around 18 mg vitamin C, which is a real chunk of the DV.
Drinks can also add up if you use a full lime per glass. Two glasses made with one lime each can land near 40 mg, depending on lime size.
What changes the vitamin C you end up eating
Vitamin C is sensitive to heat, air, and time. That doesn’t mean your lime “loses all of it,” but it does mean fresh use matters when you care about the number.
Time after cutting
Cut lime starts drying and oxidizing right away. If you squeeze and serve soon, you keep more vitamin C than if the juice sits for hours.
If you prep ahead, seal the juice and chill it. Less air contact helps slow loss.
When you buy limes, pick fruit that feels heavy, with glossy skin and no soft spots. At home, keep whole limes in the fridge in a loose bag, and keep it cold; they hold juice longer than on the counter. Before you cut one, roll it under your palm for 10 seconds to loosen the juice sacs. If a cut lime must wait, press plastic wrap tight against the cut face to slow drying.
Heat in cooking
Adding lime at the end of cooking keeps more vitamin C than simmering it. Use heat for flavor changes, then add a fresh squeeze right before serving if you want the vitamin C boost too.
Store-bought bottled juice
Bottled juice can be handy, but processing and storage can change vitamin C. Some products add vitamin C back in, some don’t. If the label lists vitamin C, you can use that number for your math.
If it doesn’t list vitamin C, you can still use it for flavor, but you won’t know the count without lab data.
Vitamin C in lime vs other common produce
People often rank citrus as “high vitamin C,” but the range is wide across produce. Limes are solid, yet not the top of the list.
| Food | Vitamin C per 100 g | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Lime, raw | 29.1 mg | Good boost in small servings |
| Orange, raw | 53.2 mg | One fruit can reach a big share |
| Strawberries, raw | 58.8 mg | One cup can add up fast |
| Red bell pepper, raw | 127.7 mg | One pepper can reach a day’s DV |
| Broccoli, raw | 89.2 mg | One large serving nears the DV |
| Kiwi, raw | 92.7 mg | One fruit can be close to the DV |
| Tomato, raw | 13.7 mg | Lower, but still adds up in salads |
Want another easy way to stack vitamin C through food? Swapping snacks helps. Fruit choices that people already eat daily can move your total without changing your meals much. One simple swap is choosing apples more often; apples can add some vitamin C, plus fiber.
When a lime isn’t enough on its own
If your diet is light on fruits and vegetables, a squeeze of lime won’t close the gap by itself. That’s not a knock on limes. It’s just portion math.
A better plan is to use lime as a flavor tool that helps you eat more of the foods that carry bigger vitamin C loads: peppers, berries, kiwi, citrus, and many vegetables.
People who may need more vitamin C
The NIH fact sheet notes that smokers need more vitamin C than non-smokers. Some medical conditions and medications can also change needs, so personal advice belongs with a clinician who knows your history.
If you’re using supplements, be cautious with high doses. Large supplemental amounts can cause stomach upset in some people, and there are upper limits for daily intake listed by health agencies.
Smart ways to use limes so you get more vitamin C
Since vitamin C drops with heat and time, the most reliable move is to add lime late and keep it fresh.
- Squeeze at the table: keep wedges whole until you’re ready to eat.
- Measure once, then repeat: if you always add two tablespoons to water, that’s your consistent dose.
- Store cut limes well: wrap tightly or use an airtight container in the fridge.
- Freeze juice in small cubes: thaw a cube when you need it, so less juice sits open in the fridge.
- Pair with iron-rich foods: vitamin C helps iron absorption from plant foods, so lime on beans or greens can be a nice match.
Practical takeaways you can use right away
If your question is how much vitamin C is in a lime, the usable answer is this: one lime gives a helpful dose, but the squeeze size matters more than the fruit name.
Use the portion table for quick estimates, measure your usual squeeze once, and add lime close to the moment you eat. That gets you the best mix of flavor and vitamin C without extra fuss.
Also, if you’re searching for numbers and landed here with the exact query how much vitamin c is in a lime?, bookmark the portion table and you won’t have to guess next time.
One more time for clarity: how much vitamin c is in a lime? It depends on size and how much juice you use, but the USDA base value stays the same per gram.