Vitamin C for Gout?

Vitamin C is one of the beneficial nutrients for gout. It’s been shown to lower uric acid by improving excretion in the urine. This prevents that buildup which can lead to gout attacks.

Remember that high uric acid levels are caused by two reasons: the body produces too much or the body cannot excrete it fast enough. If you are one of those gout patients who have difficulty getting rid of uric acid, vitamin C might be useful for you.

It’s not the ultimate cure for gout but there has been a number of studies that show vitamin C’s positive effect on this condition.

In one study conducted for over 20 years (1986–2006) on 47,000 men, they found that those who took vitamin C had decreased their uric acid levels. Those who took a vitamin C dose of 1000mg to 1499mg had 34% lower risk compared to those who didn’t take it. Participants who took a higher dose of 1500mg had an even lower risk of 45%.

Another study followed 1,400 male patients who took vitamin C in varying doses. Those who took the highest dosage had lowered their uric acid the most compared to those who took smaller doses.

Even if you do not have gout, if you just have too much uric acid in your body, you can fix that by taking more vitamin C.

Other Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is not just good for gout. It’s also beneficial for many reasons:

● It’s an antioxidant that protects the body against free radicals. Free radicals are what cause deadly conditions like cancer. There’s already a number of studies showing its beneficial effect on lowering the risk for certain cancers like colorectal tumor, lung cancer, and brain tumor.

● It’s an essential component that allows the body to make collagen.

● It boosts the immune system, protecting you against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

● It helps detoxify the body.

● It protects against cardiovascular disease since vitamin C helps you manage your blood pressure.

● It lowers your risk for heart disease. A study found that taking a vitamin C supplement reduced bad cholesterol in the body

● It helps the good bacteria in the gut.

● It prevents scurvy which is a condition whose symptoms are bleeding gums, tooth loss, fatigue, joint pain, difficulty healing, and depression.

5 Ways to Get More Vitamin C In Your Diet

1. Eat foods high in vitamin C

Here is a complete list of foods that are high in vitamin C:

● Grapefruit

● Lemons

● Lychees

● Papaya

● Strawberry

● Oranges

● Acerola cherries

● Chili peppers

● Guavas

● Sweet yellow peppers

● Thyme

● Black currants

● Parsley

● Mustard spinach

● Kale

● Kiwi

● Broccoli

● Brussel sprouts

● Pineapple junks

● Tomato juice

● Potato

● Mango

● Cauliflower

● Cantaloupe

You’ll notice that all of these items are whole natural foods. No need to second guess. Just shop for more stuff at the perimeter of the grocery store and avoid processed foods as those tend to raise your uric acid. The best part is that you can enjoy these food items in a variety of ways whether as a drink, marinade, dressing, garnish, or main meal.

2. Eat fruits and veggies raw

You want to consume your fruits and veggies in their most natural state, raw. If you cook produce, you strip them off their vital nutrients such as vitamin C. So as much as possible, you want to avoid cooking. If you must, you can steam or microwave these foods, so they still retain their vitamins and minerals.

3. Eat fermented food

Try to include more fermented foods into your diet such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and cider. These food items have a strong flavor that can enhance your meals. And not only are they rich in vitamin C, they also contain good bacteria which are beneficial for your gut.

4. Avoid smoking

If you smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke, you need to increase your intake of vitamin C. This is because smoking exposes you to more free radicals. You might want to consider quitting the habit altogether as smoking puts you at risk for other more serious health conditions such as lung cancer and heart disease.

5. Follow a low purine diet

Eating vitamin C rich foods is not going to completely remove your gout symptoms. You still need to be watchful of your other food choices as certain foods can trigger gout. Some of the biggest offenders include alcohol, red meat, seafood, organ meats, and sugary foods. No matter how much vitamin C you take, if you’re still consuming these high-purine food items, there’s a great chance you’ll experience a gout attack.

Stick to a diet that is low in purines. Luckily, most vitamin C rich foods are low in purines. And even if they are, the nutrients they contain can easily counteract the negative effects of the purine. Plant-based purines do not have a harmful effect as meat-based purines so don’t be afraid to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet.

Are You Getting Enough Vitamin C?

It seems obvious that vitamin C is one of those important vitamins you should be getting enough of. However, we live in a world where processed food and fast food can be cheaper than whole, natural food. When you eat mostly the bad stuff, you may not be getting enough vitamin C.

But then you can’t just make up for it with vitamin C supplements (more on this later). To know if you are deficient in vitamin C, read the list below as these are signs that you may not have enough in your body.

● You get tired and irritable easily. These are the early signs of vitamin C deficiency.

● Your hair is abnormally bent, easily breaks, or falls out.

● You have bright red spots around your hair follicles.

● You have small acne bumps in areas like your arms, thighs, and buttocks. Your skin may also look dry and damaged.

● Your nails are thin, brittle, and shaped like a spoon. You may also find red spots or vertical lines on your nail bed.

● You bruise easily and take longer to heal from wounds.

● Your joints are swollen and feel painful. Your bones also feel weak and brittle.

● Your gums get red and swollen, or worse, they bleed. Later on, this can lead to your teeth falling out.

● You get sick easily due to poor immunity. This makes you more prone to infections.

● You have unexplained weight gain.

If you experience a number of these symptoms, you’ll want to increase your vitamin C intake through your diet. The good news is that these problems can easily be resolved once you start taking vitamin C-rich foods.

Vitamin C Dosage for Gout

Maintaining healthy uric acid levels is important if you have gout. This helps you avoid those dreadful gout attacks. In addition to medication, some gout patients will take vitamin C supplements. If you plan to do the same, you need to make sure the dosage is right.

75mg is the lowest dose for vitamin C and 1500mg is the highest. How much you take depends on how severe your condition is. The 100% daily recommended amount is 90mg for men and 75mg for women. It’s best to speak with your doctor as they can prescribe the right dosage to include in your regimen.

It’s important to remember that vitamin C Is a water-soluble vitamin. This means that it does not stay in the body for long. Instead, any excess gets excreted in the urine. Because of this, you don’t want to rely on vitamin C supplements too much. It’s always better to consume foods that are high in vitamin C. You’ll enjoy more of its benefits this way. It’s also impossible to get too much vitamin C from your diet. If you do, it will just get excreted through your urine with no side effects.

Vitamin C Side Effects

Taking high amounts of vitamin C has been linked to conditions such as kidney stones and digestive distress. If you’re already consuming enough vitamin C through your diet, you don’t need to take the supplements. These side effects only happen when you take vitamin C in supplement form and not from eating vitamin C rich foods.

2000mg per day is considered the upper limit. Going beyond this can put you at risk for experiencing these unwanted symptoms.

Another side effect of taking vitamin C supplement is increased iron absorption. Vitamin C binds to non-heme iron which is a type of iron found in plant foods, and not in meat. If you take an iron supplement or you get most of your iron from plant sources, you want to be cautious with taking vitamin C. Having a condition with increased iron accumulation such as hemochromatosis also puts you at risk when you take vitamin C. When you do, it can lead to iron overload, resulting in serious damage to your health.

How has vitamin C helped with your gout condition? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Disclaimer: This article is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for any health concerns.