Fight Gout With This Popular Vitamin
The connection between gout and Vitamin C has been the subject of a few studies over the past 30 years. You may have read in the news about a recent New Zealand study about Vitamin C and gout.
The study claims that taking vitamin C supplements daily doesn’t lower uric acid levels as much as drugs do. This is a study that only evaluated 40 people for about 8 weeks!
Is this study supposed to refute the earlier 20-year study, which included over 47,000 men and was conducted between 1986 and 2006? The findings of this study revealed that taking vitamin C supplements helped gout sufferers lower their uric acid levels and reduce inflammation.
In the same study from the Boston University School of Medicine, 1317 men developed gout during this 20-year period. According to the study, people who took 1,000mg to 1,499mg per day had a 34% lower incidence of gout. Those who took 1,500mg per day also had a 45 percent lower risk.
Note that this was irrespective of other gout risk factors such as diet and alcohol use.
Vitamin C intake may be linked to a lower risk of gout
Gout is a condition in which uric acid crystals build up in the joints. These crystals tend to collect in the joints, producing inflammation and pain. Inflammatory arthritis in men is the most frequent form.
The majority of treatments depend on changing one’s lifestyle, such as eating a low-purine diet and drinking enough water. Medicine to lower uric acid levels in the body may be prescribed in severe situations.
Higher vitamin C intake has been shown in several trials to help lower uric acid levels. Vitamin C intake should be between 75 and 90 milligrams per day.
Vitamin C’s uricosuric action may help to lower uric acid levels in the blood.
The effect Uricosuric Substances for gout treatments
Uricosuric drugs lower uric acid levels by blocking uric acid reabsorption in the renal tubules, resulting in increased net renal uric acid excretion. These drugs raise the risk of kidney stones, with probenecid posing a 9-10% risk.
They should not be taken during an acute gouty arthritis attack.
The goal of treatment is to reduce blood uric acid levels to around 5-6 mg/dL without developing kidney stones.
The lowdown on the latest vitamin C study and gout
Let’s go back to our original study that came out a couple of months ago. The researchers divided 20 patients with gout into two groups. The first group already took allopurinol, while the second did not.
The first group was directed to either raise their medication dosage or supplement with 500 mg of vitamin C per day. The second group was given either allopurinol or a 500mg vitamin C supplement every day if they were not already on medication.
At the beginning of the 8-week study, the levels of uric acid levels in the patients’ blood were 9 mg per deciliter on average. The researchers said a healthy uric acid level falls below 6.5 mg per deciliter.
In both cases, patients who started taking vitamin C, with or without allopurinol, did not see a significant decrease in uric acid levels. The study claimed that patients who started on allopurinol had a significant decrease in uric acid levels of around 3 mg per deciliter.
On the other hand, those who were on the medicine but increased their doses had a significant decrease of about 1.6 milligrams per deciliter.
The researchers eventually came to the conclusion that vitamin C had no impact; however, this was promptly debunked by Dr. Tim Bongartz. Dr. Bongartz is a Mayo Clinic rheumatologist in Rochester, Minnesota.
He believes it will be difficult to draw any clear conclusions from the current research. This is because there would need to be roughly 200 people in each group to notice a difference.
Even if the results of previous trials of people without gout could be replicated, he continued, it was unlikely that people’s uric acid levels would fall below the 6.5 milligrams per deciliter threshold. It also does not imply that medication is the only option.
Other measures, according to Dr. Bongartz, can assist gout sufferers in lowering their uric acid levels. One of the most important is for obese people to reduce weight.
Finally, fellow gout patients, it is up to you to discern and carefully dissect the data. Then you must come to your own conclusions about what is true and what is false based on the facts presented here.
Don’t take my word for any of the information and recommendations provided by myself on this website. Do your own homework and make your own conclusions from the information you process.
What are the benefits of vitamin C?
Now let’s take a closer look at vitamin C. It provides a variety of health benefits, including the ability to improve your immune system, assist in detoxification, and may protect against cardiovascular disease.
It may also help with good bacteria in the gut, eye disease, may help remove heavy metals from our bodies, and many other benefits.
Fresh raw foods such as oranges, cantaloupe, broccoli, red peppers, chili peppers, rose hips, parsley, and kiwi fruit should be included in your diet. However, make certain that everything is organic!
I personally take a supplement of vitamin C daily of 500mg and have been for years now. I bought a big bottle from Costco’s brand Kirkland, which lasts me for 500 days!
Remember vitamin C is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. Remember, that vitamins and drugs operate in 2 different ways in order to control uric acid levels.
Allopurinol, for example, works by preventing purines from being broken down into uric acid. Vitamin C, for example, may help with uric acid excretion in the urine. It’s possible that improving excretion is more important for you than lowering production.
Vitamin C for weight loss
Vitamin C is a water-soluble substance that provides the body with antioxidants and is also beneficial to eye health. However, because of its role in fat molecule metabolization, this vitamin is of particular relevance to those trying to reduce weight.
It’s critical to eat properly if you have a weight problem and want to lose weight. However, eating well entails more than just consuming less calories. It’s also critical to get the correct nourishment and reduce weight in a healthy and long-term manner.
Gout is more likely to develop if you are overweight, while gout is less likely if you lose weight. Even without a purine-restricted diet, research suggests that cutting calories and lowering weight can lower uric acid levels and lessen the incidence of gout attacks.
It’s also important to consider where you put on weight. People who have visceral fat (belly fat) are more likely to develop gout, even if they are not technically overweight.
This is due to the fact that belly fat produces more of the inflammatory chemicals that can cause the disease than subcutaneous fat.
Benefits of Vitamin C for Weight Loss
One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to reduce weight is focusing solely on macronutrient intake. People often overlook the importance of micronutrients such as key vitamins and minerals in weight loss.
Vitamin C, commonly known as ascorbic acid, is one such micronutrient that can assist you in losing weight. We are all familiar with vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits and is the most important nutrient for increasing immunity in the body. The nutrient, on the other hand, is essential for weight loss.
But did you know that taking vitamin C may help you lose weight? A vitamin C shortage could be preventing you from losing weight. Vitamin C deficiency can also cause symptoms such as bleeding gums, acne outbreaks, and other skin disorders.
Scurvy is a disease characterized by a persistent deficiency of vitamin C, and some other symptoms of scurvy include easy bruising of the body and muscle and joint problems.
Let’s look at why it’s so crucial to get enough vitamin C, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
Vitamin C For Weight Loss And Belly Fat Reduction
For years, vitamin C has been widely viewed as vital to everyone’s nutrition, particularly for sailors who suffered from scurvy and a variety of other maladies as a result of a shortage of fruit and vegetables.
One of the most important water-soluble vitamins is ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C. It is required for the manufacture of collagen, carnitine, and neurotransmitters. For their own needs, most plants and animals generate ascorbic acid.
A deficiency of an enzyme called gluconolactone oxidase prevents apes and humans from synthesizing ascorbic acid.
As a result, we must ensure that our meals are high in vitamin C. Fortunately, many fruits and vegetables contain significant amounts of vitamin C, making them simple to obtain.
Vitamin C has an RDA of 75-90mg. According to recent studies, the best way to get the maximum health benefits from vitamin C is to take 500 milligrams each day. This is why supplementing with vitamin C is a sensible solution.
Vitamin C’s seven most important health advantages
- Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant:
Antioxidants work by stabilizing and cleaning up free radicals to protect cells and reduce harm. As a result, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta Carotene may help the body stay younger and protect it from certain life-threatening diseases.According to studies, increasing your vitamin C intake can boost your blood antioxidant levels by up to 30%. This aids the body’s natural anti-inflammatory defenses.
Exercise-induced oxidative stress is highest in those with low vitamin C levels, where oxidative stress and free radicals are frequent due to the intense nature of the activity and its influence on the body.
We may therefore conclude that if you are currently exercising and doing tough daily workouts, you need to take vitamin C supplements to avoid the harmful effects of free radicals.
- Vitamin C may help to lower blood pressure:
Because vitamin C is water-soluble, it also acts as a diuretic, causing the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the body, allowing the blood vessel walls to relax and thus may lower blood pressure.Lower blood pressure also means a lower risk of stroke and improved cardiovascular health, which is especially important today because so many people suffer from cardiovascular disease.
- Vitamin C strengthens your immune system:
We’ve already heard how vitamin C may prevent curable diseases like scurvy and fights a variety of illnesses. As a result, it boosts your immunity and has been shown to prevent illnesses such as the common cold and flu.According to research, vitamin C is essential for stimulating the immune system and increasing the organism’s strength and protection. It is primarily beneficial to immunity and general health due to its role in reducing inflammation.
Finally, vitamin C strengthens the immune system, lessens the severity of allergic reactions, and aids in the fight against infections. Adding more vitamin C to your diet should be a priority if you want to stay fit and healthy.
- Vitamin C improves iron absorption:
Vitamin C-rich fruits, such as gooseberry, have been shown to improve iron bioavailability from staple cereals and pulses. We know that iron’s main function is to increase the body’s ability to transport oxygen through the blood and that a lack of iron can result in anemia. As a result, vitamin C is extremely beneficial to this process.
- Aids in the maintenance of healthy skin and hair:
Vitamin C plays an important part in ensuring that you have healthier skin and thicker hair. Vitamin C aids in the formation of the protein collagen, and when combined with the previously mentioned iron absorption, you’ll not only have healthier skin and hair, but you’ll also be able to retain it.Collagen is a buzzword these days, but instead of taking supplements, eat collagen-rich foods like berries and omega-3-rich foods like avocados and salmon. Along with your vitamin C diet, you’ll be able to maintain your natural attractiveness indefinitely.
- Helps with weight loss:
Everyone wants to lose weight, gain muscle, or stay the same weight they are now, but it can be difficult at times, and you need a little help. Along with a well-balanced diet and regular exercise, you should aim to increase your intake of sweet potatoes and citrus fruits.According to research, vitamin C status is inversely related to body mass. Individuals with adequate vitamin C status oxidize 30% more fat during a moderate exercise bout than those with low vitamin C status; thus, vitamin C deficient individuals may be more resistant to fat mass loss.
In short, if your vitamin C levels are high, you will get the most out of your fat-burning workout.
- Vitamin C is beneficial to both physical and mental health:
Overall, vitamin C is an important micronutrient that does not have a positive reputation by chance. It has also been considered as a vitamin that offers you more energy and promotes your mental health, in addition to improving your ability to heal wounds and reduce inflammation both inside and outside your body and giving you a fantastic look.
Although it’s difficult to prove, those who have higher vitamin C levels have been found to be less prone to suffer from depression and exhaustion. It’s difficult to determine whether this is related to all the other aforementioned advantages, but you should simply increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods and see for yourself; you won’t be disappointed!
Vitamin C has been linked to a wide range of health advantages, including increasing antioxidant levels, may help lower blood pressure, may help prevent gout episodes, enhancing iron absorption, boosting immunity, and may lower the risk of heart disease and dementia.
Overall, if you don’t get enough vitamin C from your diet, vitamin C pills are an excellent and easy way to increase your intake.
Can You Take Too Much Vitamin C?
Yes, there is a limit to taking vitamin C. For children, it’s 500mg, for kids between 9 and 13, it’s 1,200mg. For teens, it’s 1,800mg. And for adults, it’s 2,000mg. Try to not go above this amount and you should be fine.
Vitamin C has a low risk for toxicity but taking too much of it can lead to some mild side effects. This includes cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. If you experience any of these symptoms, cut back on your dosage.
Also, people with hemochromatosis should watch their vitamin C intake. Hemochromatosis is when the body retains too much iron. Taking too much vitamin C will raise the body’s absorption of nonheme iron.
The best way to really benefit from vitamin C is by eating vitamin C-rich foods. Supplements are great but they are not easily stored in the body. This means that any excess gets excreted through your urine. Before going the supplement route, start with your diet first and see if you can add more vitamin C-rich foods into your meals.
Ways to Get More Vitamin C into Your Diet
Aside from the obvious lemons and oranges, you can also eat more of these foods to increase the vitamin C in your diet.
- Eat acerola cherries
Half a cup of acerola cherries has 822 mg of vitamin C, which is 900% of the daily recommended amount! Try to get a few of these in your snacks and you should have more than enough vitamin C that you need. - Spice up your meals with chili peppers
If you’re into hot food, great –more vitamin C for you. By adding just one green chili pepper to your dish, you are already consuming 109 mg of vitamin C. In addition, chili peppers contain capsaicin which helps reduce pain and inflammation. - Sweeten up with yellow peppers
If hot peppers are not for you, don’t worry since there’s another kind of pepper that is just as rich in vitamin C and that is the yellow bell pepper. Just half a cup of it already contains 137 mg of vitamin C. The best part is that the vitamin C content of this pepper increases as it matures! - Sprinkle with thyme
Thyme is another ingredient that can really boost the vitamin C content of your dishes. A tablespoon of thyme can already have as much as 3.5mg of vitamin C! - Add parsley
Another herb that is vitamin C-rich is parsley. Two tablespoons of it already contain 11% of the daily recommended value. What’s great about parsley is that it’s a plant-based, non-heme iron which means that it can work well together with the vitamin C content for the body to absorb it more efficiently. - Try kale
A cup of raw kale already contains 80 mg of vitamin C. Aside from that, kale is also rich in vitamin K and quercetin. Vitamin K helps with blood clotting and keeps the bones healthy. Meanwhile, quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that reduces inflammation, blood pressure, and blood sugar
I’m not saying Vitamin C is a cure-all for gout but when combined with other vitamins for gout. A low purine diet and the other natural remedies for gout described elsewhere on this website, could be very useful, my fellow gout sufferer.
If you do take vitamin C, make sure to drink plenty of water. Also, check your urine pH regularly to avoid excess acidity. You can also take an Ester-C version of Vitamin C because it is non-acidic.
What has your experience been like consuming vitamin C for gout? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
36 replies to "Gout and Vitamin C"
bjr, suis nvx dans ce blogue. J’ai 44 ans et une polyarthrite depuis l’adolescence. Depuis plusieurs années un traitement en biothérapie a eu de très bon effets sur ma polyarthrite mais a augmenté le taux d’acide urique au delà des valeurs normales. (84mg/l.) Mon généraliste et mon spécialiste ayant confirmé que cette hausse d’acide urique est due aux effets secondaire de la biothérapie. Depuis quelques mois j’ai baissé ma consommation de sucre raffiné. 1 morceau de sucre pour le café au lait du matin au lieu de deux, j’ai supprimé les pates et ne prend plus que du riz complet à la place du riz blanc que j’ai définitivement éliminé. Le 6 juillet j’ai été malade , coup de froid, voix enrouée et toux sèche génante le soir , léger mal de gorge à la déglutition. J’ai pris un sirop pour la toux et de la vitamine C liposomale à raison de 2 à 3 gélules par jour dose (810mg/4* 2 ou 3) pendant une semaine puis 1 gélule par jour. Et bien le 21/07/2022 je reçois mes résultat d’un bilan sanguin complet . Alors oui les marqueurs de l’inflammation étaient plus élevées suite à ce coup de froid mais surprise mon acide urique qui était toujours haut est redescendu à 64mg/l c’est à dire au niveau des valeurs normales Pour ce qui me conçerne, la prise de vitamine C liposomale qui se diffuse progressivement dans le sang est la cause de cette baisse d’acide urique. Toutefois , j’envisage de continuer la vitamine C à dose modéré mais en essayant l’esther C qui ne crée pas d’acide dans les urines tout en veillant à bien boire. Renseignez vous sur qui finance les études qui montrent que la vitamine C n’aurait aucun effet sur l’acide urique et vous verrez que ces laboratoires directement ou non dépendent de Big Pharma. ils vont donc naturellement orienté leur recherches , à charge, de façon à démontrer l’absence d’efficacité de la vitamine C sur l’acide urique. Pareille avec l’effet de la spiruline sur le mauvaise cholestérol ou de l’ananas sur le cancer.
00mg of vitamin C is just a joke, as it were many times demonstrated through plenty of studies across those last 60 years. To be efficient, treatment needs megadoses of vitamin C, at least 20-30gr/day. Refer to studies made by Dr Frederick Klenner to see what means megadoses.
I have 3 questions.
Are gout flare-ups exacerbated by eating refined carbs and sugar (think apple pie for breakfast, pasta etc.)?
Is naturally occurring fructose bad for gout (bananas, pears, oranges etc.)
What do you think of the ketogenic diet as useful in preventing flare-ups?
Thank you
Hi Ruth!
Yes refined sugars get processed from liver and kidneys and will raise uric acid. If you eat pasta, all you have to do is choose 100% whole grain.
Naturally occurring fructose is obviously a tad better but still keep your portions limited. Have just 1 fruit a day if you can.
As for Ketogenic diet, I’m not a fan, I think it’s just a fad that will go away. Look at the Gluten-Free movement, past 2 years there has been a huge decline and will probably disappear in a few years. You can learn more on my post about Gout and Ketogenic Diet.
It is also important to note that Allupurinol inhibits the conversion of purines into Uric acid. However, that is one of the paths to expel purines from the body. If purines are not expelled from the body via the uric acid path, it still accumulates in the body and is stored in the liver. Not a solution!
[…] Vitamin C has also been found to help with uric acid excretion. Try to consume at least 500mg of vitamin C per day, preferably from natural sources like citrus fruits, bell peppers, kale, broccoli, and guavas. Cherry juice (black or tart) is also a great addition to your diet. Though it is low in vitamin C, it has strong anti-inflammatory properties that help fight uric acid symptoms. […]
I’ve had occasional gout attacks for years despite taking 500mg vitamin C a day. I stopped taking vitamin C in January but noticed a significant increase in gout attacks, something like every 2 or 3 weeks. Six months later I read that vitamin C might be good for gout so started taking it again and I haven’t had an attack in the 4 months since. So, I would say there is definitely a link for me.
I have suffered gout attacks since the mid 1990’s usually 4 to 6 per year. I tried everything, tart cherry juice, quit drinking beer, was even a vegetarian for 3 years. Even living like a monk I still would experience attacks.
I had relied on indocin to get me through attacks but my joints were stiff and swollen even when I wasn’t having an attack. I live in Florida and my work has allowed me to wear flip flops. Shoes have been pretty much out of the question for years.
During my most recent attack I had begun taking vitamin C for another reason and I noticed my gout changed a little. I felt an itching as you do when a wound is healing and my toe had much less pain to the touch. I tried 1000mg of drug store C twice a day and noticed even more difference. So I went for it and ordered vitamin C crystals. I now take 1 tsp (4000mg) twice a day in water buffered with one half tsp baking soda.
I haven’t had an attack in 5 months. What is really different is my swelling is gone and I can curl my toes, wear shoes and if I happen to hit my foot there is no extreme pain like I have had for years.
So there you have it. I know 5 months is not long but I feel completely different.
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Hi Spiro!
I have been told that mandarins are detrimental for a person with gout. I was wondering if you could tell me if this is correct?
Thank you
Hi Graham!
No that is first I hear about it. You can eat mandarins, I eat them in winter and enjoy their vitamin C which helps your gout.
Hi.
My gout is caused by Vitamin C ‘Capsules’
(the ones that you dissolve in water)
I know this by self monitoring of all foods.
Takes time but worth it.
96% of ALL arthritis is caused by diet and is
associated with your DNA factor, North or South
hemisphere family roots and climate.
Remember this…. Gout is a type of Arthritis.
Best wishes.
Cameron.
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500 mg of vitamin C a day just isn’t enough to treat gout. Take at least a 1000 mg (1 gram,) a day of vitamin C, and take it in a buffered, time release form, so that the acid doesn’t hurt your digestive system. Use the vitamin C as a booster for your daily allopurinal, when it’s not quite doing the job. I find that a high load of allergens, such as wind bourne pollen in spring, increases all rheumatic disorders, including gout, psoriasis, anklyosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and other allergies and auto-immune disorders. Other diet based treatments will help your drug regimen, such as cold water fish oil extracts with omega 3 fatty acids, and nature’s antioxidants such as compounds from grape seeds and grape skins – resveratrol, polyphenols and flavanols. Take these natural treatments along with the scientific medicines such as NSAIDS. Any natural antioxidant will also help, such as over the counter alpha lipoic acid and astaxanthin. Bright red and bright blue fruit contain many helpful compounds that are anti-oxidant.
My Husband has gout. Have you ever heard of Gundy’s Vital Red’s. We were wondering if it helps this issue. A couple links to look at:
https://supplementpolice.com/gundry-md-vital-reds/
http://gundrymd.com/supplements/vital-reds/?b=2
Just wondering what your thoughts are on this.
Thank you!
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