October 6 2022 – Can taking vitamin C help reduce the chances of developing gout? A new study sheds light on this possibility.
Gout is a form of arthritis that has been on the rise in the United States in recent decades. Some consider it a lifestyle disease Research Show that the incidence of this condition has doubled in recent years as obesity rates have skyrocketed. It is caused by uric acid in the blood that builds up and crystallizes in the joints. The seizures are so severe that the joints can turn cherry red and shake severely – Sometimes it seems unbearable – Pain.
While there are effective treatments, many people fail to take their medication when it does“It doesn’t hurt, and if the condition goes unchecked, it can get worse and cause permanent joint damage.
Gout can cause attacks that vary in frequency and severity; But sometimes when people do not have these symptoms, they are less likely to remain aware of their medication.” Stephen JurashekMD, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.
This is why lifestyle interventions are seen as being of particular relevance to a disease such as gout. Vitamin C, for example, has few side effects, and for those with higher levels of uric acid in their blood, it can reduce the likelihood of developing this condition. A recent study was published in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition It found that people who were given 500 milligrams of vitamin C versus a placebo had a 12% lower risk of developing gout. The study of more than 14,000 physicians showed that men who were not overweight had the greatest reduction in risk of developing this condition. (Overweight It has been shown to increase the risk of developing gout.
As part of the study, participants answered a questionnaire asking if they had been diagnosed with gout. Other studies have shown that vitamin C Reducing urate levels In people without gout and Urine crystals break down in the blood, but this study took it a step further to show that the supplement actually reduces the risk of developing this condition.
“In addition to lowering uric acid levels in the body, it is thought that vitamin C may also reduce the inflammatory response to urate crystals,” he says. Jurashk. That’s because when bouts of irritation occur in joints throughout the body, much of the painful irritation is caused by the immune system’s response as it fights to break up the crystals.
Juraschek says this likely won’t change recommendations for patients with serious gout, but it could still have an effect.
“For individuals who have been told they have gout but have fewer attacks, they may be more open to taking vitamin C,” he says.
Will Settle, 42, of Hilton Head, South Carolina, was not involved in the study, but says he tends to try any safe preventative method. Gout runs in his family. His father and grandfather owned it, and now he does. His flare-ups have slowed in recent years, which he says has a lot to do with his diet and lifestyle. He stopped eating seafood, started drinking more water, and stopped drinking so much alcohol – Everything he thought had a major influence on the severity of his condition. (Both seafood and beer contain high levels of purines, which have been shown to increase the buildup of uric acid in the blood.) Settle says other simple lifestyle changes like vitamin C would be an easy addition to his routine with a few downsides. Plus he hates to take colchicineIt is a medicine intended to relieve pain, but causes severe diarrhea when taken.
“Anything to reduce flare-ups without having to take it colchicine,” He says.
But the jury is still out on whether vitamin C will have any real benefits. Study co-author Robert H. Schmerling, MDAnd the He is the former clinical chief of the division of rheumatology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York. He says the study shows that the effect of vitamin C in non-gout patients was rather modest. Also, vitamin C has not been shown to reduce gout attacks in those already diagnosed with this condition. Not to mention the study’s lack of diversity, as the subjects in it were all male and mostly white. However, there are still a few downsides to taking vitamin C, and it may end up being beneficial.
“It may turn out to be an effective treatment for those at high risk, but we’re not there yet,” he says.
ROBERT TIRKELUPDoctor of MedicineMD, chief of rheumatology at San Diego Veterans Administration Medical Center and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego, says there is an unmet need when it comes to gout prevention tools.
“The disease affects about 10 million Americans, and we need to better identify these individuals so that we can intervene early,” he says.
Whereas, vitamin C had a small but significant association with fewer new cases goutHe says, it didn’t lower it in those who already had the disease turkeltop. what or what“More than that, researchers did“Measuring uric acid levels in the blood, which would paint a more accurate picture of whether vitamin C has actually been reduced in the body.
There is still no clarity about the potential role of vitamin C in either the prevention or treatment of gout. However, future research will be of interest,” he says.
However, gout patients such as Settle do not exclude this. Anything to avoid pain that sometimes makes it difficult to get out of bed. He’s seen the benefit simple lifestyle changes can bring, and he’s willing to try just about anything to live a normal, arthritis-free life.
“I’m always looking for simple ways to keep flare-ups at bay,” he says.
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