Vitamin C and Gout

[Admin]

The BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7932158.stm) are reporting:
Vitamin C a 'gout preventer'
Men who get plenty of vitamin C may boost their resilience to the painful joint disease gout, work suggests.

In the 20-year study of nearly 47,000 men, daily supplements of the vitamin found in sprouts, peppers and oranges appeared to cut gout risk.

The US researchers believe vitamin C has a dual action - easing inflammation and lowering uric acid levels in the body that go awry in gout.

The findings are published in Archives of Internal Medicine.

Experts warned that the news should not be taken to mean
that it was fine to lead an unhealthy lifestyle and pop a vitamin pill to counteract this....Full story (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7932158.stm)

Vitamin C Intake and the Risk of Gout in Men
A Prospective Study
Hyon K. Choi, MD, DrPH; Xiang Gao, MD, PhD; Gary Curhan, MD, ScD
Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(5):502-507. (http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/169/5/502?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=gout&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&resourcetype=HWCIT)

Background Several metabolic studies and a recent double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial have shown that higher vitamin C intake significantly reduces serum uric acid levels. Yet the relation with risk of gout is unknown.

Methods We prospectively examined, from1986 through 2006, the relation between vitamin C intake and risk of incident gout in 46 994 male participants with no history of gout at baseline. We used a supplementary questionnaire to ascertain the American College of Rheumatology criteria for gout. Vitamin C intake was assessed every 4 years through validated questionnaires.

Results During the 20 years of follow-up, we documented 1317 confirmed incident cases of gout. Compared with men with vitamin C intake less than 250 mg/d, the multivariate relative risk (RR) of gout was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.97) for total vitamin C intake of 500 to 999 mg/d, 0.66 (0.52-0.86) for 1000 to 1499 mg/d, and 0.55 (0.38-0.80) for 1500 mg/d or greater (P < .001 for trend). The multivariate RR per 500-mg increase in total daily vitamin C intake was 0.83 (95% CI, 0.77-0.90). Compared with men who did not use supplemental vitamin C, the multivariate RR of gout was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.49-0.88) for supplemental vitamin C intake of 1000 to 1499 mg/d and 0.55 (0.36-0.86) for 1500 mg/d or greater (P < .001 for trend).

Conclusions Higher vitamin C intake is independently associated with a lower risk of gout. Supplemental vitamin C intake may be beneficial in the prevention of gout.

[Jeem]

I had an attack starting, the way my toe felt I was expecting to become housebound.

I had read about vitamin C being a cure someplace,, bought a tub of 500mg tablets of Vitamin c from the local supermarket , took 2 tablets in the morning and by evening didnt need pain killers .

Following morning another 2 tablets and I was starting to walk normally.

I now take 1000mg every day and so far no further attack , been pain free for 6 months .

Jeem

[Bheart74]

I also read somewhere that Vitamin C is similar to the drug Probenecid, it assists the kidneys in eliminating the uric acid from the body. I also take 1000 mg of Vitamin C daily which helped me.

[c matthews]

I eat more than 5 portions of fruit a day , and havent had an attack for ages . I drink Apple Cider Vinegar daily , watch my purine intake , and try and limit my alcohol , but usually fail miserably when the weekend comes .
Hopefully one of these is working to prevent my gout in future ?

[Dean]

Are fruits and vegetables enough, or do we need supplements?

[c matthews]

I dont like to take supplements , I have eaten 5>6 pieces of fruit a day , including oranges , and not had an attack for some time.

I would rather do things the natural way , if possible .

[Dean]

5 to 6 fruits a day seems a lot... aren't they full of sugar?

I agree with keeping things natural, though.

[Jeem]

I eat a lot of fruit , but the Vit C supplement really did the trick .

Jeem

[hyperuric]

Vit C supplements gave me kidney stones. :( I only eat whole foods now, raw if possible.

[gracei]

Vit C supplements gave me kidney stones. :( I only eat whole foods now, raw if possible.


Yes, Foods are good that any supplements.

Here are some fruits that are rich in vitamin C.

-Red and Green Hot Chili Peppers
-Guavas
-Bell Peppers
-Fresh Herbs
-Dark Leafy Greens
-Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts
-Kiwi Fruits (Chinese Gooseberries)
-Papayas
-Oranges and Clementines
-Strawberries

Have a great day eating with your fruits.

[c matthews]

Having said I eat 7 pieces of fruit each day , I have just had an attack so am back to base !!!
I am starting to think I may be taking too much fructose , see a separate thread, so have cut my fruit down to 3/4 a day ?????

[thurstonb]

I eat heaps of fruit every day and it does not give me gout.

In saying that, I tend to stick to bananas, rather than apples/oranges etc

[Buzby]

The suggestion that vitamin C inhibits gout based on what is emperical almost ancedotal evidence is very weak. People who get higher doses of vitamin C also eat healthier and have a mostly a healthy life style. In the absence of any mechanistic studies it is not worth following. Research should identify the mechanism is there is one.

[c matthews]

I am now taking a 50mg vitamin C supplement daily together with 4 pieces of fruit> bananas, oranges, apples..see how that goes

[eddiecrosby]

I eat more than 5 servings of fruit a day and havent had an attack for centuries. I drink apple cider vinegar every day, monitor my intake of purine and try to limit my drinking, but usually fail miserably when it comes to the weekend.

[c matthews]

I wish I knew what was the trigger and what was the cure , I dont , so take ACV weekly with bicarbonate of soda , daily Vitamin C supplements , and limit my purine intake . But, at the weekend I need a drink !!

[debucke]

I've read that vitamin c is great for keeping uric acid levels down. I have also read that taking more than 1000mg per day can lead to uric acid kidney stones. Has anyone else heard that?