Vitamin C is a
water-soluble vitamin, so excess amounts normally wash out of the body
in urine. But it's possible that consuming too much vitamin C could
increase your risk of developing kidney stones. Kidney stones that block
the flow of urine could increase your chance of developing a bladder
infection, which can spread upward to the kidneys. The vitamin C itself
doesn't cause a kidney infection, but the formation of stones might. On
the other hand, vitamin C can also decrease bacterial growth in the
bladder, decreasing the risk of kidney infection.
Vitamin C Doses
Most
people who overdose on vitamin C get the excess amounts from dietary
supplements, not from foods such as juice. The upper daily recommended
dose of vitamin C is 2,000 mg. A 3/4-cup serving of orange juice
supplies just 75 mg of orange juice, so you'd have to down more than 20
servings per day to exceed 2,000 mg. A study conducted by researchers
from the National Institutes of Health and published in the April 1996
"Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences" found that oxalate
excretion, which increases the risk of kidney stone formation, increased
when people increased their vitamin C intake from 200 to 1,000 mg per
day. Researchers concluded that the upper limit for vitamin C intake
should be 1,000 mg per day.
Kidney Stones and Infection If a kidney stone blocks the flow of urine out of the kidney, you may develop a kidney infection, sometimes medically termed pyelonephritis. Kidney infections are more serious than their cousins, bladder infections. Symptoms of kidney infection include flank or back pain, fever, chills, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and feeling generally unwell. Elderly people may not have significant symptoms with a kidney infection, delaying diagnosis. If a kidney stone has caused a kidney infection, both the stone and the infection need treatment for the infection to improve.
Considerations You would have to drink a very large amount of juice to increase your vitamin C levels enough to increase oxalate in your urine. But if you already have high oxalate levels in your urine or if you have a tendency to develop kidney stones, talk to your doctor about your vitamin C intake. If you're prone to bladder infections, vitamin C in moderation may help prevent them. Vitamin C creates a more acidic environment in the bladder, which inhibits bacteria from clinging to the bladder wall and causing an infection.
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