Vitamin C: Good for Gout

[Guest guest]

" Conclusion

Supplementation with 500 mg/day of vitamin C for 2 months reduces serum uric

acid, suggesting that vitamin C might be beneficial in the prevention and

management of gout and other urate-related diseases. "

 

..... " For people whose levels remain elevated, doctors may prescribe drugs

that either inhibit the body’s uric acid production or promote its excretion

in

the urine. While these drugs can help prevent gout attacks, they may also cause

side effects including kidney damage, vomiting, or severe skin rashes. " ...

 

Bet you dollars to donuts that the medical Mafia will still prefer drugs over

nutrients? Yet again another demonstration on safety and effectiveness over

the generally toxic and less effective (disease masking) drugs! Is it any

wonder that they want to restrict our supplements?

 

.... " Vitamin C appears to reduce uric acid levels by increasing its excretion

in the urine. " ... " there are no published reports of vitamin C–induced gout. "

or kidney stones for that matter...

 

For the skeptics, this is just one beneficial effect of the so called

" expensive urine " ! Next time your doctor gets on his high horse and natters

about

useless ness of vitamins you may want to shut him up with this.

 

Chris Gupta

http://tinyurl.com/chnka

 

See also:

 

MISINFORMATION ABOUT VITAMIN C

 

The Negative Impact of Sugar on Vitamin C

 

Vitamin C & Menopause

 

THE VITAMIN C FANATICS WERE RIGHT ALL ALONG

 

VITAMIN C AND CANCER: NEW DEVELOPMENTS

 

All Vitamin C/Common Cold Studies Conducted Over The Past 60 Years Are Flawed

 

How to Get Intravenous Vitamin C Given to a Hospitalized Patient

---------

 

Vitamin C: Good for Gout

 

By Alan R. Gaby, MD

 

Healthnotes Newswire (July 21, 2005)­Supplementing with vitamin C may help

prevent gout by lowering blood levels of uric acid, reports Arthritis and

Rheumatism (2005;52:1843–7). While a previous study showed that taking a large

dose

of vitamin C (8 grams per day) can lower blood levels of uric acid, this is

the first study to show that a relatively modest amount (500 mg per day) has the

same effect.

 

Uric acid is a byproduct of human metabolism that circulates in the

bloodstream. When present in normal concentrations, uric acid is believed to

have

beneficial antioxidant effects in the body. However, when uric acid levels are

elevated it may crystallize in joints or other tissues, resulting in the painful

arthritic condition known as gout. A high blood level of uric acid is also

believed to be a risk factor for heart disease development.

 

Uric acid levels can be controlled to some extent by restricting certain

foods, such as refined sugar, red meat, organ meats, chicken, turkey, mackerel,

seafood, beans, peas, spinach, and yeast. For people whose levels remain

elevated, doctors may prescribe drugs that either inhibit the body’s uric acid

production or promote its excretion in the urine. While these drugs can help

prevent

gout attacks, they may also cause side effects including kidney damage,

vomiting, or severe skin rashes.

 

In the new study, 184 volunteers were randomly assigned to receive one of the

following daily for two months: 500 mg of vitamin C, 400 IU of vitamin E, 500

mg of vitamin C plus 400 IU of vitamin E, or a placebo. Among those taking

vitamin C, the average serum uric acid concentration decreased by approximately

10%. In contrast, uric acid levels increased slightly in those not taking

vitamin C, and the difference between the two groups was statistically

significant. The uric acid–lowering effect of vitamin C was most pronounced

among people

whose initial uric acid level was above normal. Vitamin E had no effect on

uric acid levels.

 

Vitamin C appears to reduce uric acid levels by increasing its excretion in

the urine. The results of this study suggest that supplementing with moderate

amounts of vitamin C might help prevent gout attacks. Whether larger doses

would be more effective remains to be determined. In the 1970s, one group of

researches expressed concern that high-dose vitamin C might actually trigger

gout

attacks by causing rapid mobilization of uric acid from the tissues. That

concept arose from the observation that drugs that increase uric acid excretion

will occasionally cause a gout attack. However, doctors who prescribe high-dose

vitamin C have not seen this problem, and there are no published reports of

vitamin C–induced gout.

 

An expert in nutritional therapies, Chief Medical Editor Alan R. Gaby is a

former professor at Bastyr University of Natural Health Sciences, where he

served as the Endowed Professor of Nutrition. He is past-president of the

American

Holistic Medical Association and gave expert testimony to the White House

Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine on the cost-effectiveness

of

nutritional supplements. Dr. Gaby has conducted nutritional seminars for

physicians and has collected over 30,000 scientific papers related to the field

of

nutritional and natural medicine. In addition to editing and contributing to

The Natural Pharmacy (Three Rivers Press, 1999), and the A–Z Guide to

Drug-Herb-Vitamin Interactions (Three Rivers Press, 1999), Dr. Gaby has authored

Preventing and Reversing Osteoporosis (Prima Lifestyles, 1995) and B6: The

Natural

Healer (Keats, 1987) and coauthored The Patient's Book of Natural Healing

(Prima, 1999).

 

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