Vitamin C has been found to have an abundance of health benefits, but recent study from Sweden suggests that vitamin C supplements may cause kidney stones in men.
Vitamin C is a known combatant against colds and the flu. However, a study from Sweden reported, Monday, in JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that there may be a link between vitamin C supplements and kidney stones in men. Researchers did not find that vitamin C was a trigger that caused to stones, but people who have had kidney stones should be advised - among men who took vitamin C supplements daily, a higher risk of kidney stones was reported.
The data was analyzed from a large study of middle-aged and elderly Swedish men were studied by researchers led by Laura Thomas of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. The men were tracked for about 12 years after they responded to a series of questions about their diet and lifestyle. Out of the group, 907 of the men claimed that they took vitamin C supplement regularly and 22,000 did not. It was found that 3.4 percent of the vitamin C users developed kidney stones for the first time. Analyzing the non-supplement users, the data was much lower at 1.8 percent.
"Vitamin C is an important part of a healthy diet," Thomas said. "Any effect of vitamin C on kidney stone risk is likely to depend both on the dose and on the combination of nutrients with which it is ingested."
Thomas noted that the Swedish supplements taken by the participants in the study contained about 1,000 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per tablet. In the U.S., most vitamin C supplements sold in the U.S. contain either 500 or 1,000 mg, so consumers have a choice. The recommended dosage by the U.S. Institute of Medicine is 90 mg per day for men. A small glass of orange juice or a cup of broccoli would be the equivalent.
Thomas said that it is important for men to continue to get plenty of vitamin C through fruits and vegetables and not to be deterred by the findings. Vitamin C is important to prevent scurvy, as it is vital for proper bone and muscle health.
