Increase your intake of vitamin C to deal with high level of uric acid or gout

If you are at risk of recurrent gout or have high uric acid level, here's how vitamin C will help!

Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Published : March 18, 2016 6:21 PM IST

Uric acid causes a lot of health problems and before uric acid crystals start depositing in your joints, leading to inflammation, it is important to start following strict dietary restrictions. Although reducing intake of purine rich foods and avoiding consumption of carbonated and sugary beverages is the key, increasing the intake of vitamin C is what you need. According to a 2011 study published in the Arthritis Care and Research, vitamin C supplementation significantly lowered uric acid in blood, thereby reducing the risk of hyperuricemia and preventing the incidence of recurrent gout.

Vitamin C and uric acid

Vitamin C shows uricosuric properties, which increases the clearance of uric acid through kidneys, thereby reducing uric acid level in blood. It also acts at the uric acid reabsorption sites of the kidneys, thereby increasing the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and also dilating arterioles. Known to be a potent antioxidant, vitamin C supplementation also decreases damage done by free radical. This also leads to a reduction in the production and hence, the presence of uric acid in the serum [1]. Also read about 7 tips to reduce uric acid level and prevent gout.

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Tips to increase your intake of vitamin C

Start your day with a glass of lemon juice as vitamin C helps you to flush free radicals from the body. Also, keeping your body well hydrated by increasing fluid consumption, causes excretion of uric acid thereby aiding in regulating of uric acid.
Snack on fruits such as cherries, blueberries, grapes, pineapple and guava to increase your intake of vitamin C. There are many natural sources of vitamin C.
Eating leafy vegetables like spinach and amaranth, which are rich in vitamin C might help you deal with the condition. You can even enjoy them in your soups form to boost your overall intake.
You can even reap the benefits of vitamin C by eating a salad containing bell pepper and broccoli. Squeeze half a lemon on the vegetables to make it even tastier.

Reference

Juraschek SP, Miller ER, Gelber AC. Effect of Oral Vitamin C Supplementation on Serum Uric Acid: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Arthritis care & research. 2011;63(9):1295-1306. doi:10.1002/acr.20519.