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Does Vitamin C Cause Kidney Stones

The Benefits Of Vitamin C And Kidney Disease

Some Vitamin C may cause Kidney Stones

It is well known that an increase in oxidative stress plays a role in the development of kidney diseases. Furthermore vitamin antioxidant supplementation improves kidney blood flow and pressure , decreases inflammation, and improves fibrosis in kidneys with poor blood flow.

In a study published by the Journal of American Society of Nephrology , Vitamin C and E supplementation increased eNOS , decreased NF-kappaB, NAD H-oxidase, inducible-NOS, and nitro tyrosine, signifying decreased oxidative stress and inflammation.

On top of that, vitamin C and E supplementation saw a decrease in the elements that cause fibrosis, leading to considerably reduced glomerulosclerosis and kidney fibrosis. The study concluded chronic antioxidant intervention in early experimental renovascular disease improves renal functional responses, enhances tissue remodeling, and decreases structural injury.

Clearly vitamin C is good, yes?

Are Bananas Good For Kidney Stones

Bananas may be a particularly helpful remedy against kidney stones, as they are rich in potassium, vitamin B6 and magnesium and low in oxalates. Studies have shown that consuming a banana per day can help reduce the likelihood of developing kidney problems.5 jui. 2021

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Is It Safe To Take All Your Vitamins At Once

You canbut its probably not a good idea. For some supplements, optimal absorption can depend on the time of day taken. Not only thattaking certain vitamins, minerals, or other supplements together can also reduce absorption and may result in adverse interactions, which can be harmful to your health.

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FALLACY #3: ITS BETTER TO TAKE MORE VITAMINS AND MINERALS THAN TOO LITTLE. YOUR BODY WILL PASS OUT THE EXCESS ANYWAY

Vitamin C tends to fall into this category of over-enthusiastic use. “Most people think it’s fine to take as much Vitamin C as they want,” said Prof Rosenbloom. “I know people who take 10,000mg a day” when the upper tolerable limit is 2,000mg a day, she said.

There are repercussions for doing so. “Excessively large amounts of Vitamin C have been occasionally linked to hyperoxaluria, a condition where there is too much oxalate in the urine, said Kong. The excess oxalate can combine with calcium to form crystals and possibly, kidney stones. Otherwise, the most common side effects reported include diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Kong also warned against an excessive calcium intake. It can harm the kidneys and reduce absorption of other essential minerals like magnesium and iron, she said, adding that fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K are stored longer in the fatty tissues and the liver, and can lead to increased risks of toxicity if consumed excessively.

If youre not sure what the maximum safe limits of the vitamins and minerals are, check here.

FALLACY #4: IT’S OK TO TAKE THOSE JUST-EXPIRED GLUCOSAMINE TABLETS

Keeping to the expiry date isnt the only thing to ensure your vitamins effectiveness. Png advised to keep them in a cool and dry place, or refrigerated once opened.

FALLACY #5: IT’S OK TO TAKE YOUR SUPPLEMENTS ALL IN ONE GO

Diet Further Confounds The Vitamin C Kidney Stone Theory

Best Does Too Much Vitamin C Cause Kidney Stones

Certain foods contain significant amounts of oxalates. These include numerous healthy staples:

  • Spinach
  • Peppers
  • Pecans

Certain soy-based foods are also major oxalate sources. Tea also contributes oxalate. The essential amino acid glycine, a precursor to the master antioxidant, glutathione is, according to Dr. Levy, likely the major source of glyoxylate which is an immediate precursor to oxalate. The artificial sweetener aspartame combines two amino acids that lead to oxalate. Sardines and other high-purine foods increased oxalate excretion.

Kidney stones are made of calcium oxalate, but calcium doesnt get nearly the attention of Vitamin C in its potential role in kidney stone formation. In a study of 91,731 women, researchers found that the high dietary intake of calcium decreased the risk of kidney stones, while calcium supplements may have increased the risk.

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A Dozen Ways To Reduce Your Risk Of Kidney Stones

1. Maximize fluid intake. Especially drink fruit and vegetable juices. Orange, grape and carrot juices are high in citrates which inhibit both a buildup of uric acid and also stop calcium salts from forming.

2. Control urine pH. Slightly acidic urine helps prevent urinary tract infections, dissolves both phosphate and struvite stones, and will not cause oxalate stones. And of course one way to make urine slightly acidic is to take vitamin C.

3. Avoid excessive oxalates by not eating rhubarb, spinach, chocolate, or dark tea or coffee.

4. Lose weight. Being overweight is associated with substantially increased risk of kidney stones.

5. Calcium is probably not the real culprit. Low calcium may itself cause calcium stones .

6. Most kidney stones are compounds of calcium and yet many Americans are calcium deficient. Instead of lowering calcium intake, reduce excess dietary phosphorous by avoiding carbonated soft drinks, especially colas. Cola soft drinks contain excessive quantities of phosphorous as phosphoric acid. This is the same acid that is used by dentists to dissolve tooth enamel before applying bonding resins.

7. Take a magnesium supplement of at least the US RDA of 300-400 mg/day. More may be desirable in order to maintain an ideal 1:1 balance of magnesium to calcium. Many people eating “modern” processed-food diets do not consume optimal quantities of magnesium.

10. Persons with cystine stones should follow a low methionine diet and use buffered vitamin C.

Vitamin C In High Doses Related To Kidney Stone Formation In Men

Three-dimensional reconstructed CT scan image of a ureteral stent in a 26-year-old male. There is a kidney stone in the pyelum of the lower pole and one in the ureter beside the stent .

If you are a person who believes in moderation, and that less is sometimes better”, you may want to take note of some recent research published in JAMA Internal Medicine regarding the role of high dose vitamin C and kidney stone formation in men.

In this article, researchers in Sweden established a link between the use of vitamin C and development of kidney stones in more than 23,000 men over an 11 year period. During this prospective observational cohort study, about 2 % of the men developed kidney stones. It turns out that those who reported taking vitamin C supplements were about two times more likely to have suffered from kidney stones. Taking standard multivitamins did not appear to elevate the risk.

The normal requirement for vitamin C intake for a man is 90 mg a day, while the average woman needs only 75 mg a day. Vitamin C is integral for skin, bone and connective tissue health, and also helps the body to absorb iron. Foods rich in vitamin C include citrus fruits, as well as red peppers and papaya. Vitamin C supplements can potentially supply us with up to 10 times the recommended daily requirement.

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Can A 500 Mg Dose Of Vitamin C Give You Kidney Stones Or Is It Unlikely

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Can Vitamin C Be The Cause Of Kidney Stones

Too much of this vitamin can lead to kidney stones!

Well, vitamin C cannot actually cause the kidney stones. But, vitamin c kidney stones are a risky affair. A recent study suggests that taking extra supplements of vitamin c with the presence of kidney stones can increase the risk of it double fold. The presence of kidney stones suggests cutting down the consumption of vitamin c supplements. The combination of vitamin c kidney stones is pretty lethal. The risk of vitamin c kidney stones is more in men than in women.

High doses of vitamin c can be dangerous if kidney stones are present as it might increase the number of kidney stones. Extra doses of vitamin c are much dangerous than taking a single dose of a multivitamin as the extra doses of vitamin c can increase the chances of having more vitamin c kidney stones. But, the too much is still not measured it can be said that the dose prescribed by doctors should not be crossed. In a week more than seven tablets of vitamin c should not be consumed if having kidney stones.

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Vitamin C Metabolism And Oxalate

After Vitamin C performs its duties as an antioxidant, it metabolizes into dehydroascorbic acid . Sometimes other antioxidants like glutathione regenerate Vitamin C to its active state. If that doesnt happen, the DHAA turns into diketogulonic acid, which then converts to lyxonic acid, xylose, threonic acid, or oxalic acid.

Oxalic acid is also known as oxalate, an end product for which the body has no further use. Since calcium oxalate is the primary constituent in most kidney stones, some doctors warn their patients that Vitamin C supplementation might increase their chances of developing kidney stones.

However, researchers have found the process isnt that predictable, and the amount of Vitamin C that turns into oxalate may not be as significant as some would suggest. In one study, researchers noted that a significant amount of Vitamin C is excreted in urine without converting to oxalate. Other researchers noted that human subjects excreted about 80% of vitamin C as DHAA before it ever converted to oxalate. Conclusions from studies that have examined Vitamin C supplementation and urinary oxalate levels are mixed, with some showing increases in urinary oxalate and others showing no difference between subjects who did and did not supplement.

The Bioavailability Of Different Forms Of Vitamin C

In the rapidly expanding market of dietary supplements, it is possible to find vitamin C in many different forms with many claims regarding its efficacy or bioavailability. Bioavailability refers to the degree to which a nutrient becomes available to the target tissue after it has been administered. We reviewed the literature for the results of scientific research on the bioavailability of different forms of vitamin C.

Natural vs. synthetic ascorbic acid

Natural and synthetic L-ascorbic acid are chemically identical, and there are no known differences in their biological activity. The possibility that the bioavailability of L-ascorbic acid from natural sources might differ from that of synthetic ascorbic acid was investigated in at least two human studies, and no clinically significant differences were observed. A study of 12 males found the bioavailability of synthetic ascorbic acid to be slightly superior to that of orange juice, based on blood levels of ascorbic acid, and not different based on ascorbic acid in leukocytes . A study in 68 male nonsmokers found that ascorbic acid consumed in cooked broccoli, orange juice, orange slices, and as synthetic ascorbic acid tablets are equally bioavailable, as measured by plasma ascorbic acid levels .

Different forms of ascorbic acid

Mineral ascorbates

Vitamin C with bioflavonoids

Ascorbate and vitamin C metabolites

Ascorbyl palmitate

D-Isoascorbic acid

Other formulations of vitamin C

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Assessment Of Vitamin C Intake And Other Nutrients

In 1986 and 1991 , participants were asked to complete a FFQ that asked about the average use of more than 130 foods and 22 beverages in the previous year dietary information was updated every four years. Validation studies have demonstrated the reliability of the FFQ., The intake of dietary factors was calculated from the reported frequency of consumption of each specified unit of food and, except for oxalate, from US Department of Agriculture data on the content of the relevant nutrient in specified portions. The oxalate content of most foods on the FFQ, as well as of frequently consumed foods written in, was measured by capillary electrophoresis as previously described. The FFQ also inquires about vitamin and mineral supplements. Users of multivitamins and vitamin C supplements are asked to name the specific brand and to provide the amount and frequency of use. Our database contains the composition of over 1000 brands of multivitamins and calculates the amount of vitamin C as the frequency of intake multiplied by composition. The same method is used for individual vitamin C supplements. For the current analysis, we used data from the FFQ for total vitamin C intake of alcohol dietary intake of calcium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, fructose, oxalate, phytate, animal protein, and total fluids and calcium supplements. All nutrients were energy-adjusted.

How Much Vitamin C Is Too Much

Large Doses of Vitamin C Do Not Cause Kidney Stones

Since vitamin C is water-soluble and your body excretes excess amounts of it within a few hours after you consume it, its quite difficult to consume too much.

In fact, it is nearly impossible for you to get too much vitamin C from your diet alone. In healthy people, any extra vitamin C consumed above the recommended daily amount simply gets flushed out of the body .

To put it in perspective, you would need to consume 29 oranges or 13 bell peppers before your intake reached the tolerable upper limit (

19 ).

All the adverse effects of vitamin C, including digestive distress and kidney stones, appear to occur when people take it in mega doses greater than 2,000 mg .

If you choose to take a vitamin C supplement, it is best to choose one that contains no more than 100% of your daily needs. Thats 90 mg per day for men and 75 mg per day for women .

Summary:

Its nearly impossible to consume too much vitamin C from food. However, if youre supplementing with this vitamin, you can minimize your risk of getting too much by taking no more than 90 mg per day if youre a man, or 75 mg per day if youre a woman.

Vitamin C is generally safe for most people.

This is especially true if you get it from foods, rather than supplements.

Individuals who take vitamin C in supplement form are at greater risk of consuming too much of it and experiencing side effects, the most common of which are digestive symptoms.

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Take 1000 Mg Of Vitamin C Daily

Vitamin C has antioxidant properties that promote cell repair and maintenance of body immunity. An adult needs 1000 mg of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin. Excessive vitamin C dissolves in the bodys moisture and is excreted through sweat and urine. In contrast, vitamin C is safer than fat-soluble vitamins. Although Vitamin C is safe to be consumed, when body ingests too much vitamin C, the user may experience nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dizziness, rash, and so on. When taking a high dose of vitamin C for long periods , the user may increase the risk of kidney stones because it will stimulate the intestinal secretion of oxalic acid and increase the formation of calcium oxalate. Nevertheless, there is no need to stay away from vitamin C, because by taking appropriate amounts of calcium and drinking enough water every day, human body will be able to adjust the secretion of oxalic acid and regulate the formation of calcium oxalate, thus reducing the incidence of kidney stones.

Regarding the prevention of kidney stones, no doubt good and balanced diet, coupled with habit of drinking enough water daily, are critical for achieving this goal. As for vitamin C and calcium, both can only be taken under the correct guidelines. If the intake does not exceed the prescribed amount and only reliable health products are taken, then the user is unlikely facing any risk of kidney stones later.

Factors That Increase Your Risk Of Kidney Stones

Kidney stones often have no single cause, and several factors may increase your risk for getting them. Some of these factors are listed below. They include:

Lack of water

You need to make enough pee to dilute the things that can turn into stones. If you donât drink enough or sweat too much, your pee may look dark. It should be pale yellow or clear.

If youâve had a stone before, you should make about 8 cups of urine a day. So aim to down about 10 cups of water daily, since you lose some fluids through sweat and breathing. Swap a glass of water for a citrus drink. The citrate in lemonade or orange juice can block stones from forming.

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Assessment Of Kidney Stones

Participants who reported an incident kidney stone were asked to complete a supplementary questionnaire about the date of occurrence and associated signs and symptoms such as pain or hematuria. A kidney stone associated with pain or hematuria was the study outcome. Medical record validation studies confirmed the kidney stone diagnosis in more than 95% of cases among participants who submitted the supplementary questionnaire. Stone composition was available in a subsample of the cases and found to be 50% calcium oxalate in 77% of NHS I, 79% of NHS II and 86% of HPFS participants.

Monitoring The Intake Of High Acid Foods

Does vitamin C cause kidney stones?

Highly acidic urine can increase the risk of uric acid kidney stones and make passing them more painful.

High amounts of acid in the urine also encourage the kidneys to reabsorb citrate rather than excrete it. Citrate is a compound that can help flush out calcium-based stones, as well as impair their growth.

Highly acidic foods include:

According to the National Kidney Foundation, almost 1 in 10 people in the United States develop a kidney stone during their lifetime. The risk is around 19% for men and 9% for women.

Most men experience their first kidney stone after the age of 30 years.

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