How Effective is Vitamin C in Treating Gout?

Around 165 million people in the world have gout. It’s one of the most common forms of inflammatory arthritis that can affect different people based on their age and lifestyle. Individuals that suffer from gout have their quality of life affected by inflamed joints, pain, and swelling.

How Effective is Vitamin C in Treating Gout?
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Gout requires long-term management, but there are treatments that can effectively peter out an attack so that it doesn’t extend to further joint pain and deformity. Among the various modes of treatment, vitamin C stands out as a potential solution. A study called the Hmong Microbiome and Gout, Obesity, Vitamin C (HMANGO-C) dives into vitamin C’s effect on uric acid and adults suffering from gout, exploring the relationship with gut microbiota and reducing serum urate levels.

This begs the question of how effective vitamin C is in treating the condition and how accessible it is as a long-term solution.

Signs That You May Have Gout

The symptoms of gout may come and go depending on whether you are triggering it with other conditions or your lifestyle. This will usually come with high levels of uric acid.

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that gout usually affects only one joint at a time. This is commonly the big toe, but it can also hit the knee, ankle, and other joints. Common signs and symptoms to watch for are intense pain, redness of the skin, swelling, and heat (warm to the touch).

Although gout can affect anybody, there are certain risk factors that increase your predisposition to develop the condition. You are at a higher risk of getting gout if you are male, over 40, obese, on diuretics, and suffering from kidney disease, diabetes, or hypertension.

Medical New Today’s article on uric acid levels also notes that genetics and diet play a huge role in increasing uric acid. Foods listed as common causes include beer, red meats, soda, some seafood, and processed food.

How Vitamin C Helps Gout

To avoid complications and help your range of movement, you may want to get into vitamin C. It is a naturally necessary vitamin that is able to help you deal with gout in many ways.

For starters, vitamin C helps reduce your uric acid levels. As this is the biggest proponent in gout, you want to have the right vitamins that will help your body expel excess uric acid when you urinate. As you relieve yourself of this waste, you lower your levels and mitigate any attacks.

Vitamin C also has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help alleviate the pain and swelling that you feel during a gout flare-up. Not only should it lessen these factors visually, but it should also reduce the pain or discomfort that you feel.

Additionally, the antioxidant properties in the vitamin can aid in the repair of your joints. While this will not remove the presence of gout, it can still help mitigate the severity of symptoms when you get an attack.

According to Zocdoc’s guide to managing gout, it is essential to fill your body with the right nutrients so that it has the resources to overcome a flare-up. Aside from taking prescribed medication, it’s important to incorporate fruits, oils, and healthy protein that isn’t red meat into your diet. You will often find that healthy food options are naturally rich in vitamin C.

Additionally, you also need to ensure that you are properly hydrated. This helps protect your tissues and lubricate your joints while allowing the body to effectively get rid of waste. Water is the best solution, but you can also try low-sugar options that incorporate vitamin C. Studies show that active men need 3.7 liters of water a day while active women need 2.7 liters.

Great Ways to Incorporate Vitamin C in Your Life

Although vitamin C isn’t a replacement for gout medication, it will still do wonders if you incorporate more of it into your daily life. Thankfully, it’s super easy to find affordable and accessible food and drinks that naturally provide this.

Among the best ‘Home Treatments for Gout Pain’ are cherries, which are rich in vitamin C. Eating around 15 cherries a day can be great for gout patients. Another option is lemon juice, which is a refreshing way to alleviate symptoms and quench your thirst. You can also eat more broccoli, kale, tomatoes, mango, pineapple, strawberries, and other citrus fruits like oranges, limes, and grapefruits.

Aside from what you eat and drink, you can also get more vitamin C by getting enough sun exposure. Simply spending some time out in the sun can boost your body’s healthy vitamin production to aid in gout treatment.

Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:May 10, 2023

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