You must read and accept the disclaimer to use this site. Updated when a question is received about this page.

You must read and accept the disclaimer to use this site.

updated March 2005

Does vitamin C cause arthritis?

This article highlights what news services will publish to get the reader's attention. There have been many studies of vitamin C over the years, and none have suggested such a linkage. As vitamin C is important for strong bones and cartilage, there is not a reasonable biochemical rationale for such a result either.

Prolonged vitamin C exacerbates osteoarthritis in animal model

Reuters

Health Professional Medical News, 4 June 2004

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Prolonged exposure to high doses of ascorbic acid increased the severity of osteoarthritis in a guinea pig model of spontaneous knee osteoarthritis, according to a report in the June issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism. Previous short-term studies have suggested that ascorbic acid might be protective against osteoarthritis, the authors explain, but long-term treatment with ascorbic acid has not been studied. Dr. Virginia B. Kraus from Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina and colleagues investigated the effects of 8 months' exposure to low, medium, and high doses of ascorbic acid on the development of histologic knee osteoarthritis in male Hartley guinea pigs. The low dose was chosen to prevent scurvy, the medium dose to reflect those received by a person consuming five fruits and vegetables daily, and the high dose to match that shown in a previous study to slow the progression of surgically induced osteoarthritis in guinea pigs. Plasma levels of ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid levels in cartilage tissue differed significantly among the three dose levels, the authors report. Mean total histologic scores were highest, reflecting the most severe osteoarthritis, in the high-dose ascorbic acid group, the results indicate, and there was a significant correlation between plasma ascorbic acid concentration and total histologic score. Higher plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid correlated with the presence of osteophytes, which predominantly expressed active TGF-beta, the researchers note. Joint tissue turnover, as measured by synovial fluid COMP levels, was also higher with higher ascorbic acid plasma concentrations and ascorbic acid dose levels. "In conclusion," the investigators write, "this study highlights the potential drawbacks of long-term, high-dose ascorbic acid intake on joint health, suggesting that dietary intake should not be supplemented above the currently recommended dietary allowance (90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women)."

To proper analysis