Rich sources of vitamin C are

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2023

Explanation

Amla (Indian Gooseberry) is an exceptionally rich source of Vitamin C, containing approximately 600 mg per 100 grams.
This concentration is significantly higher than that of most other fruits and vegetables, including citrus fruits like oranges.
Due to its high potency, Amla is a superior dietary choice for meeting daily Vitamin C requirements and addressing deficiencies.
The stability of Vitamin C in Amla is also high, meaning it retains its potency even when dried.

Option B: Apples are a relatively poor source of Vitamin C, providing only a small fraction of the amount found in Amla or even oranges.
Option C: While oranges are well-known for their Vitamin C content, they contain substantially less (around 30-68 mg per 100g) than Amla (600 mg per 100g).
Option D: Spinach contains a moderate amount of Vitamin C (around 28 mg per 100g) but is not considered a rich source compared to fruits like Amla or oranges.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Nutritional sources of Vitamin C as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses provide dietary counseling for various conditions. Knowing the richest sources of Vitamin C is vital for advising patients on wound healing, immune support, and improving iron absorption in cases of anemia.
For a patient diagnosed with scurvy (severe Vitamin C deficiency), recommending Amla can be a highly effective, natural, and cost-effective dietary intervention.
What if? If a patient has a citrus allergy and needs to boost their Vitamin C intake, a nurse could recommend non-citrus sources like Amla, bell peppers, or broccoli.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question based on nutritional knowledge.
Identify the core task: determine which of the listed foods is the 'richest' source of Vitamin C.
Recall or compare the nutritional profiles of the options. Amla (Indian Gooseberry) is renowned in both traditional and modern nutrition for its exceptionally high Vitamin C content.
Quantitatively compare the options if possible. Amla contains about 10-20 times more Vitamin C than an orange.
Eliminate options that are known to be moderate or poor sources, such as spinach and apple.
Select Amla as it has the highest concentration of Vitamin C among the choices.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Parks TextBook of Preventive & Social Medicine part 2 — Subpart A (pp 1-232 of 464) pp. 155-157, 164-166

E6 textbook of Applied Biochemistry and Nutrition & DieteticsHarbans Lal (pp 26-464 of 479) p. 328-330

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