Vitamin C Not Effective in Reducing Uric Acid In Patients With Gout

Contrary to previous studies, a new study has found that Vitamin C is not clinically effective in reducing uric acid levels in gout patients.

Earlier studies had stated that Vitamin C is good for gout patients as it reduces uric acid levels. According to the results of a study published in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) journal, Arthritis & Rheumatism, researchers have found that Vitamin C is not very effective in clinically reducing uric acid, both when supplements are taken alone or combined with allopurinol.

Gout is a form of inflammatory arthritis that is caused when uric acid crystallizes within joints leading to swelling and unbearable pain. According to an ACR report, more than 8.3 million Americans suffer from this condition. Medical studies have found that the best treatment for this condition is medication that lowers uric acid levels in the body, either by slowing down uric acid production in the body or by increasing uric acid excretion through kidneys.

"While current treatments are successful in reducing the amount of uric acid in the blood, there are many patients who fail to reach appropriate urate levels and need additional therapies," explains lead author, Prof. Lisa Stamp, from the University of Otago in Christchurch, New Zealand. "Vitamin supplementation is one such alternative therapy and the focus of our current study, which looked at the effects of vitamin C on urate levels in patients with gout."

Forty gout patients took part in the study. Twenty that were already taking allopurinol were given an additional 500 mg dose of vitamin C daily or had the dose of allopurinol increased. The other 20 participants who were not already taking allopurinol were either given allopurinol or vitamin C. Levels of vitamin C, creatinine and uric acid were measure at the onset of the study and then again after eight weeks.

Researchers found that small doses of vitamin C for eight weeks did not lower uric acid levels by a significant amount.

"Though vitamin C may reduce risk of developing gout, our data does not support using vitamin C as a therapy to lower uric acid levels in patients with established gout," concludes Prof. Stamp. "Further investigation of the urate lowering effects of a larger vitamin C dose in those with gout is warranted."