Gout? Maybe You Should Have More Vit C

I’ve written about gout a few times over at Help My Hurt (Hope for people who have gout and Your coffee may help prevent gout). It’s a very painful condition of the joints and it most often hits the big toe, although it can affect other joints as well  (ankles, knees, wrists, fingers, and elbows). More men get it than women.

Your body produces uric acid, a waste product that’s in your blood and urine. The uric acid can build up and cause stiff, swollen, red joints. If you’ve ever had a gout attack, you’ll likely do just about anything to prevent another.

A new study has shown that vitamin C may help reduce the risk of gout in men. The study, which appeared in the latest issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine , involved following almost 47,000 men from 1986 to 2006. Over the 20 years, the men completed questionnaires about their diet and supplements and every two years, they reported in as to whether they had been diagnosed with gout.

The researchers found that those who took the most vitamin C had the lowest risk of developing gout. Out of the entire grouop, 1,317 men were diagnosed with gout within the 20-year period. When the researchers looked at who took vitamin C and at what level, they found a reduction of risk of 17% with every 500 mg of increase in vitamin C. The amounts of vitamin C ranged from less than 250 mg to over 1,500 mg per day.

It’s important to understand that this doesn’t mean men should run out and start consuming large amounts of vitamin C. Like everything, moderation is the key. If you want to take the maximum recommended doses of vitamin C, it’s best to speak with your doctor first, to ensure that all is well, lest you cause another problem while trying to avoid getting gout.

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