Gout and Vitamin C? Yes Vitamin C is good for gout, but there's a small caution.
This page on gout and vitamin C was last reviewed or updated on 29 April 2010 Gout and Vitamin C ? Yes they are connected, and it's a good connection. That is, Vitamin C is reckoned to lower uric acid levels somewhat, but don't expect the kind of reduction you get from medications. Recall that vitamins and drugs work in two ways to reduce uric acid levels. One is restricting its supply by inhibiting purine breakdown into uric acid, the other is improving uric acid’s excretion in the urine. Vitamin C is thought to be a uric acid excretor, not an inhibitor. Improving excretion may be more important for you than reducing production. GOUT AND VITAMIN C STUDIES The connection between gout and Vitamin C has been the subject of a few studies over the past 30 years. They have concluded that Vitamin C will reduce the uric acid level, but have differed in the amount of Vitamin C given to study participants. A U.S. study of 184 non smokers, published in 2005 looked at the link between gout and Vitamin C. It concluded that the amount of Vitamin C required to achieve a serum (blood) uric acid level reduction was only 500 mg daily. The Vitamin C was taken as a supplement. This is not a mega dose. Previously it has been thought that the amount needed was at least 4,000 mg (4 grams) daily. Dr Robert Atkins,(the Atkins diet), in another of his books, "Dr.Atkins' Vita Nutrient Solution," recommended 5,000 -10,000 mg as part of his formula natural remedy for gout. In the 2005 study how much did 500 mg of Vitamin C reduce participants' uric acid level? It found an average, across all, reduction of about 10% (0.5 mg/dL). And reductions were larger among participants who had higher levels of uric acid at the start of the study. Participants took the 500 mg daily amount for two months. Those who were given a placebo (i.e. a dummy) showed a slight increase in uric acid levels. Vitamin E was also given to participants but had no effect on uric acid levels. 0.5 mg/dL is a useful reduction but for most people probably not a natural remedy for gout, although the 0.5 mg/dL figure is an average and some participants did better. But a 0.5mg/dL reduction will not be enough for most to reduce uric acid below the 6.0 mg/dL level at which the MSU gout crystals may dissolve. However, when combined with other vitamins for gout, a low purine diet and the other natural remedies for gout described elsewhere on this website, it could be very useful. A small caution Rapid changes in uric acid levels can trigger a gout attack. This rapid change can be brought about by many factors in addition to mega doses of Vitamin C, including by drug medications that lower uric acid. (It's why doctors prescribe prophylatic medicines such as Colchicine or NSAIDS, along with uric acid lowering medicines). People who are susceptible to gout must consider these rapid changes. Such a rapid change concerned the authors of one study in the 1970’s who also examined the link between gout and Vitamin C. They recorded that mega doses of Vitamin C (4,000 mg and 8,000 mg daily) reduced uric acid levels significantly, and by more than in the 2005 study. i.e. the same conclusion as Dr. Robert Atkins. However, as far as Vitamin C induced rapid changes in uric acid levels is concerned, this kind of change has not been reported in any study. Vitamin C for preventing gout. If 500 mg daily of Vitamin C can reduce uric acid levels, then Vitamin C ought to act as a preventative gout vitamin too. A Taiwan study of males in the late 1990’s examined the weight, diet and lifestyles of gout and non-gout patients in Taiwan. It concluded that Vitamin C, and folic acid (folate) were protective against gout. Folic acid is the dietary supplement form; folate is the food form. It also found fibre (fiber) is protective against gout. And it reached the well known and accepted conclusions that hypertension (high blood pressure) and obesity are risk factors for gout. And the study came to another, very different, conclusion from the conventional wisdom about purines – purine intake (but not alcohol intake) was not associated with a risk of gout. i.e. alcohol IS associated with a higher risk for gout but other purine foods and beverages are not. Alcohol generally is considered to be a high uric acid generating substance. Restricting purines in your diet is not difficult, so it’s still worth doing. Your uric acid level tests should tell if a low purine diet works for you. 1,000 mg plus doses If you wish to try Vitamin C for gout in doses over 1,000 mg as part of a natural gout remedy discuss it with your doctor, or a qualified naturopathic doctor. The 500 mg level is below the British government’s 1,000 mg (1 gram) recommended upper safety level safety limit for Vitamin C. It’s half of the maximum amount (1,000 mg) in a Vitamin C tablet sold in the U.S. and many other countries. To avoid excess acidity (lower pH) also take alkalizing minerals, or another alkalizing agent recommended by your doctor. Drink plenty of water and check your urine pH regularly.Acidic urine can lead to kidney stones. Or you can take an Ester-C version of Vitamin C, because this is non-acidic. Use Vitamin C products that have added flavonoids, because flavonoids improve its absorption, as do time release versions. One flavonoid added to better Vitamin C products is rutin. Did you know that a 2009 study found that rutin itself lowered blood uric acid levels in rats with elevated blood uric acid? (The other flavonoid that did this in this study was quercetin). These features cost a bit more, but it's a bit more money well spent.
Try to eat more foods with high amounts of Vitamin C.
Our link which enables you to download the free National Nutrient database is on this page. Use this link to download the database itself or download a list of foods high in Vitamin C sorted by highest amount first downwards.
Of course you know some foods high in Vitamin C. But here's some not very well known foods which are very high in Vitamin C - Acerola cherry (aka the Barbados cherry); Indian gooseberry (from which Amla powder is made); Kakadu plum; various types of pepper. Horseradish is surprisingly high in Vitamin C.There's a good list of foods which are high in Vitamin C in the free Vitamin C and gout report (below).
TEST YOUR VITAMIN C LEVEL Want to test your Vitamin C level, and then re-test it later to see if it has improved? If you live in the continental United States or Anchorage, Alaska you can test it with Life Extension.org. Click on the banner below. On the page that arrives click on nutrient testing.(Right panel, yellow background). Then click on "VIEW RELATED BLOOD TESTS." The vitamin C test is number 14.
You can also have your uric acid level tested as part of the Chemistry and Complete Blood Count (CBC) Blood Test at Life Extension.com. Results of the other tests included in this package will be very useful to know. The Lipid profile tests for example, are used at the beginning of any diet which attempts to lower uric acid, especially if insulin resistance is considered the cause of high uric acid. Read our sections on the Zone diet and the Atkins diet. THE VITAMIN C AND GOUT REPORT Get a free copy of The Vitamin C and Gout report when you subscribe to the Gout Dugout free monthly newsletter. It tells you much more about Vitamin C and Gout than is found on this page.Click on this link to subscribe.
Click on this link to read back issues of the newsletter.
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