High vitamin C intake may reduce risk of gout in men
Published on 12 Feb 2010
Men who have a high intake of vitamin C may be less likely to
develop gout, new research suggests.
Scientists at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver
carried out a prospective study involving 46,994 men, none of whom
had a medical history of gout at the start of the research.
Participants were asked to complete questionnaires every four
years between 1986 and 2006 in order to assess their intake of
vitamin C.
During the 20-year study period, 1,317 men were diagnosed with
gout and the researchers found that those with the lowest intakes
of vitamin C (less than 250 mg per day) were much more likely to
develop the joint disease than those with an intake of at least 500
mg per day.
Each 500 mg increase in daily vitamin C intake was associated
with a 17 per cent decrease in an individual's risk of gout.
Analysis also revealed that men who took a daily 1,500 mg
supplement of vitamin C were 45 per cent less likely to develop the
disease than those with an intake of less than 250 mg per day.
The researchers believe that vitamin C may have a preventative
effect by lowering the levels of uric acid in the blood.
Writing in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the study authors
concluded that "higher vitamin C intake is independently associated
with a lower risk of gout".
They also suggested that taking vitamin C supplements "may be
beneficial" for preventing the disease.
A spokeswoman for the Arthritis Research Campaign said that it
was thought that urate levels were not affected by acidic food such
as oranges and grapefruit, so the study offered important new
dietary evidence.
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