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Does Vitamin C Help Arthritis

Bone Mineral Disease Management In Ra Patients And Others

Rheumatoid Arthritis Pain Cured Using Vitamin C IV Therapy

Despite our cautionary notes, we recognize that the prescription of calcium and vitamin D supplements to those at high risk of osteoporosis is warranted according to current recommendations . RA, like age, lifestyle, and hormonal and nutritional factors, should be considered a risk factor for osteoporosis. The presence of one or more of these risk factors may lead to measurement of bone mineral density by dual x-ray absorptiometry , and should result in advice to the patient on adequate calcium and vitamin D intake , exercise, and lifestyle modification. Intervention for the prevention of bone loss should be considered when the DXA T score is less than approximately â1.0 to â1.5 in the presence of osteoporosis risk factors. This intervention may include vitamin D and calcium supplementation as well as lifestyle advice.

Presently the decision to treat a patient with vitamin D and calcium supplements is commonly based on simple osteoporosis risk factors and DXA results rather than serum 25D levels. This practice may be analogous to giving statins to individuals at high cardiovascular risk irrespective of their cholesterol level. Whether measurement of serum 25D helps to further improve stratification for risk of osteoporosis remains to be determined, although there is some evidence that a sizable proportion of postmenopausal women with osteoporosis are not necessarily vitamin D deficient .

Overview

Why Is Vitamin D Essential For Health

Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the body as it helps maintain good overall health and strong and healthy bones.

It makes sure that the activities of the heart, muscles, lungs, and brain are not declined and we are able to fight infections.

The direct source of vitamin D is sunlight. Apart from that, we can obtain sunlight from different supplements and very little from the food we eat.

The direct source of vitamin D is sunlight. Apart from that, we can obtain sunlight from different supplements and very little from the food we eat.

The vitamin D that we get from sunlight and supplements has to be changed before it can be utilized by the body. Once

Once utilized, then it manages the amount of calcium absorption in blood and gut and helps the cells to communicate properly. The relation between vitamin D and bones was highlighted a long ago when it was reported that vitamin D prevents the occurrence of rickets in children.

More research has been conducted since then which have reported that vitamin D is useful in preventing and treating many diseases that affect long term health.

A difference between vitamin D and other vitamins is that our skin gets vitamin D from the sunlight, our body converts this vitamin D into an active hormone. This hormone is called “activated vitamin D” or “calcitriol”.

Vitamin D is useful for many body functions like:

  • Immune system
  • Respiratory function

How Are Vitamin C And Rheumatoid Arthritis Associated

Studies have found that patients with rheumatoid arthritis often have lower levels of antioxidants due to the free radical load that the autoimmune process adds to the body. .

Rheumatoid Arthritis patients can also have less than 50% of Vitamin C in blood and joint fluid than those without RA . So we need to be very proactive in replenishing our antioxidant levels and boosting our vitamin C levels.

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Benefits Of Vitamins In Arthritis Treatment

Vitamins are important cofactors of enzymes and also help to stabilise collagen fibres. These are needed to strengthen connective tissues as part of the treatment of osteoarthritis. In addition, vitamins C, D and E are important antioxidants.

This article focuses on vitamin C osteoarthritis treatment. As arthritis and other rheumatic diseases are influenced by a diet, scientists are investigating the benefits of a vitamin-rich diet. There is some evidence to suggest that vitamin C may benefit individuals suffering from rheumatic diseases.

Vitamin C is often labelled as a cure for almost any aliment, including a supportive remedy for osteoarthritis. However, how beneficial this vitamin is in the treatment of rheumatic diseases is still a matter for debate. Nevertheless, it doesnt hurt to boost the bodys intake of this antioxidant. Any excess vitamin C is safely excreted from the body.

Mri And Measurement Of Cartilage Volume Bone Area Cartilage Defects And Bone Marrow Lesions

How To Treat Arthritis With Vitamins

During 20032004, each subject had an MRI scan performed on the dominant knee . Knees were imaged on a 1.5-T whole-body magnetic resonance unit using a commercial transmitreceive extremity coil, with sagittal T1-weighted fat-suppressed three-dimensional gradient recall acquisition and coronal T2-weighted fat-saturated acquisition as previously described .

The tibial cartilage volume was determined by image processing on an independent workstation using Osiris software as previously described . The measurement was performed by two independent trained observers. One observer measured all subjects, and the other observer carried out cross-checks that is, measured randomly selected subjects, choosing one out of five subjects, in a blinded fashion. The coefficients of variation for cartilage volume measures were 2.1% for the medial tibial and 2.2% for the lateral tibial cartilage .

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Q: Can Getting More Vitamin D Improve My Ra Symptoms

It might. Right now it looks like rheumatoid arthritis patients tend to have lower vitamin D levels, says Dr. Hylland. So we recognize it probably plays an important role. Dr. Hylland estimates over half of his own RA patients are D deficient. Vitamin D levels may impact the severity of RA, too. In a 2018 study from India, RA patients with the most severe symptoms had D levels far lower than the average level among patients in remission or those with mild symptoms. Other studies have found similar results, prompting medical researchers to speculate whether vitamin D supplementation should be considered in RA treatment.

Vitamin C Deficiency And Pain

Pain is a symptom of the vitamin C deficiency disease scurvy, presenting primarily within the musculoskeletal system as arthralgia in the knees, ankles and wrists, as well as myalgia . Children in particular suffer from severe lower limb pain, as evidenced by numerous case reports in the literature . There have also been reports of adults and the elderly experiencing musculoskeletal pain due to severe vitamin C deficiency . Scurvy-related pain appears to be primarily due to bleeding into the musculoskeletal tissues, which can become so debilitating that patients are unable to walk . Bleeding into the muscles and other soft tissues results in swelling and tenderness in the affected area, whilst bleeding into the hip, knee and ankle joints results in hemarthroses, and bleeding into the periosteum results in severe bone pain. Pain due to vitamin C deficiency can be completely resolved within a week or two following supplementation with intakes of vitamin C that will eventually result in plasma saturation .

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Could Vitamin D Really Cure Your Arthritis

Just in case there were any doubts about the importance of vitamin D the sunshine vitamin two major studies published last week confirmed just how essential it is for good health.

One study found that people with higher levels in their blood were more likely to survive cancer, the other that having very low levels increased your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Previous research has linked high levels with fighting off infection and helping with all sorts of chronic problems. But there is a catch: we make most of our vitamin D when our skin is exposed to fairly strong sunlight and we can get more from oily fish and a few foods like cereals that have been fortified with it.

But to obtain the benefits suggested by this new research you have to have a level in your blood that is four or five times higher than we in the UK can get from occasionally exposing our face and hands to the sun on the way to work or having the odd meal of oily fish.

Now a new and controversial book by an American doctor suggests that taking even higher levels of the vitamin 10 to 15 times the recommended amounts can work wonders.

Dr James Dowd, who works at the Arthritis Institute of Michigan, has been prescribing vitamin D to people suffering from chronic disorders such as arthritis, back pain and headaches and the result, he claims, is a huge improvement in their symptoms.

He devised the Vitamin D Cure which he used on himself, and patients such as Barbara.

Vitamin D Supplements Linked To Less Cartilage Joint Loss In Knee Oa

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Among patients with knee osteoarthritis, higher intake with both vitamins C and D is associated with less cartilage degeneration, while supplementation with vitamin D alone over 4 years is linked with significantly less progression of knee joint abnormalities, according to data published in Arthritis Care & Research.

Various vitamin deficiencies have been identified in subjects with OA, including decreased vitamin C and D serum levels,Gabby B. Joseph, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, and colleagues wrote. One study found that the odds of having hip OA was 1.9 times lower in subjects with recommended or higher vitamin C intake and another study reported that 24% of patients with advanced OA were vitamin D deficient . Thus, understanding the impact of vitamin deficiency on knee joint health, and the value of nutritional supplements to prevent or treat OA is of significant scientific and clinical interest.

To analyze the links between vitamin C and D supplementation and MRI measures of cartilage composition and joint structure, Joseph and colleagues studied data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Joseph and colleagues included 1,785 participants from the initiative with radiographic Kellgren Lawrence knee grades of 0 to 3 in the right knee.

Disclosure: The researchers report funding from the NIH.

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Vitamin C Intake And Rheumatoid Arthritis

The two powerful ways to increase vitamin C intake and circulation is through diet and supplementation.

Food is the best source, since diets high in fruit and vegetables have been suggested to protect against rheumatoid arthritis .

It is very easy to incorporate more vitamin C into your diet. A variety of fruit is a great start and you can just choose your favourites. Oranges, blackcurrants, papaya, and also cantaloupe are all good options. You can read about some of our favourite options in this blog post here.

You can also consider taking a vitamin C supplement. Pure ascorbic acid is a possibility, starting with 1gram with lunch and another gram at dinner. You should also check with your doctor for any contraindications before starting.

Vitamin C And Its Transporter

Vitamin C is a highly water-soluble vitamin, which cannot diffuse across the hydrophobic plasma membranes. A specific transport system, sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters exists in the plasma membrane to mediate the entry process. Two subtypes of the sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter have been discovered.28,3133 SVCT1 is expressed in tissues such as liver, kidney, and intestinal epithelial cells, whereas SVCT2 is seen predominantly in tissues such as the brain, heart, and muscles.28,31,32 Our lab has extensively studied these transporters and their essential role in musculoskeletal tissue engineering over the past decade.3336 We previously demonstrated the expression of SVCT2 in chondrocytes, bone marrow stromal cells, osteoblast, and articular cartilage.3336 Our laboratory previously reported that the SVCT2 transporter is negatively regulated in human OA tissues and mice aging bones.28,3336 In addition, it is known that aging, oxidative stress, and inflammation can negatively alter the SVCT2 expression in these tissues.28,37,38 Therefore, we speculate that down-regulation of SVCT2 transport might be an important contributing factor in the pathophysiology of OA.

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Vitamin C Deficiency And Enhanced Requirements In Patients

Vitamin C deficiency is relatively rare in the general population of developed countries, with a prevalence of 6% reported in the United States . However, vitamin C deficiency and scurvy has been reported to occur in elderly hospitalized patients , critically ill patients , and cancer patients . Hospitalized patients, in general, are more likely to present with hypovitaminosis C , and a higher proportion of hospital patients exhibit deficiency compared with the general population . Trauma and surgery are known to significantly deplete vitamin C concentrations , and patients with severe infections and sepsis also have significant depletion of vitamin C . Cancer patients typically have lower vitamin C status than healthy controls , with a large proportion of them presenting with hypovitaminosis C and outright deficiency .

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Around 10 million people in the UK suffer from arthritis.

Two million of those have rheumatoid arthritis, an autoimmune disease where pain, swelling and stiffness in the joints is caused by inflammation.

Flare ups can be common and usually affect the hands, wrists and feet.

Vitamin C has been found to help arthritis sufferers with their joint pain.

In particular, the vitamin seems to work well for those with rheumatoid arthritis.

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Can Diet Improve Arthritis Symptoms

Through the centuries, many claims have been made about the influence of dietary habits and nutritional supplements on arthritis. Some of these claims are supported by medical evidence and some are reasonable theories. However, for most of these claims, we are just not sure.

Even without all the proof, there are many healthy nutritional ideas that you can consider.

Excess Vitamin C May Worsen Osteoarthritis

Researchers Say Dietary Intake Should Not Be Above the RDA Recommendation

June 3, 2004 — It may be possible to get too much of a good thing when it comes to vitamin C and your health.

Although heralded as a powerful antioxidant that fights everything from the common cold to cancer, a new study shows that over a long period of time high doses of vitamin C is associated with worsening of one of the most common forms of arthritis — osteoarthritis of the knee.

The study showed long-term use of vitamin C supplements worsened the severity of osteoarthritis of the knee in guinea pigs. In these animals, osteoarthritis of the knees is similar to the cartilage damaging disease in humans, the authors write.

Previous short-term studies in humans and guinea pigs have shown that vitamin C might protect against osteoarthritis of the knees. In contrast, this new study shows prolonged use of vitamin C supplements may aggravate osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis causes the progressive breakdown of joint cartilage — a cushioning tissue layer that helps bone move against each other without causing friction and destruction of bone.

Researchers say the study highlights the potential drawbacks of long-term use of high-dose vitamin C supplements on joint health.

The study appears in the June issue of Arthritis& Rheumatism.

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Different Types Of Kidney Stones

There is a considerable variety of kidney stones. Here are five well-known ones:

1. Calcium phosphate stones are common and easily dissolve in urine acidified by vitamin C.

2. Calcium oxalate stones are also common but they do not dissolve in acid urine. We will discuss this type further below.

3. Magnesium ammonium phosphatestones are much less common, often appearing after an infection. They dissolve in urine acidified by vitamin C.

4. Uric acid stones result from a problem metabolizing purines . They may form in a condition such as gout.

5. Cystine stones result from an hereditary inability to reabsorb cystine. Most childrens stones are this type, and these are rare.

How To Increase Vitamin C Intake

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Fruits and vegetables are your best sources for vitamin C, followed by supplements. The recommended dietary allowances for vitamin C for adults aged 19 years and older is 90 milligrams for men and 75 milligrams for women, according to the National Institutes of Health. If you are pregnant, you can take up to 85 milligrams, and 115 milligrams if you are breastfeeding. Smokers, burn victims, and people recovering from surgery will need extra vitamin C in their diets.

Some diets like the Mediterranean diet and vegetarian and vegan diets will usually provide you with sufficient sources of vitamin C. Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day can contain over 200 milligrams of vitamin C. To get the optimal daily allowance of vitamin C, eat fruits and vegetables raw. Storing produce for a long time and cooking it in certain ways, like steaming or microwaving, may reduce some of the vitamin C.

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What Is Vitamin C

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin and an essential nutrient in most animal species including humans. It is also known as ascorbic acid and its active form is L-ascorbate.

Vitamin C is required as a cofactor in a number of biochemical reactions and it is also an important antioxidant. While humans cannot synthesize vitamin C, most animals do and in large amounts too. Therefore, some have advocated that megadoses of vitamin C supplements should be routinely taken by humans.

Ascorbic acid is a weak acid and a sugar-like molecule which has a structure similar to that of glucose. It is transported all over the body either as L-ascorbic acid or its ion, L-ascorbate .

Vitamin C is a reversible antioxidant.

This means that it can be regenerated after reducing oxidative free radicals or bioactive molecules in the body. However, instead of splitting into a free radical itself, the ascorbic acid molecule is reformed in a unique mechanism that makes vitamin C a safe, reversible antioxidant.

Vitamin C is essential for the production of collagen and neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine. It also inhibits histamine release and activity as well as act as immune system booster.

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