It’s a common misconception that vitamin C can cause kidney stones. After all, doesn’t vitamin C make your body produce more urine, and doesn’t more urine mean a greater risk of developing stones?
While it’s true that vitamin C does make your body produce more urine, the jury is still out on whether or not this actually increases your risk for stones. Let’s take a closer look at the evidence for does vitamin c cause kidney stones.
Vitamin C and Kidney Stones: The Evidence
There have been several studies conducted on the relationship between vitamin C and kidney stones, with mixed results.
One study, published in renowned journals, found that people who took vitamin C supplements had a significantly increased risk of developing kidney stones. However, the study did not account for other factors that could have contributed to stone formation, such as diet or hydration levels.
Another study, published in another journal of medicine, found no link between vitamin C intake and kidney stones. This study followed over 23,000 men for 12 years and found that those who took vitamin C supplements were no more likely to develop stones than those who did not take supplements. This study did control for other factors, making it more reliable than the first one.
The verdict?
More research is needed to say for sure whether or not vitamin C increases your risk for kidney stones. In the meantime, if you are concerned about stone formation, you can talk to your doctor about whether or not taking a supplement is right for you.
Myths about Vitamin C and kidney stones
Vitamin C causes kidney stones because it makes you produce more urine.
As we’ve seen, there is no definitive evidence that vitamin C increases your risk for stones. Even if it does make you produce more urine, this is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, producing more urine can actually help prevent stones by flushing out bacteria and toxins that could lead to infection or inflammation.
You should avoid vitamin C if you are prone to kidney stones.
There is no evidence to support this claim. If you are concerned about stone formation, you can talk to your doctor about whether or not taking a supplement is right for you.
Conclusion:
There is currently no consensus on whether or not vitamin C increases your risk for kidney stones. Some studies have found a link between the two, while others have not. If you are concerned about stone formation, talk to your doctor about whether or not taking a supplement is right for you.
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