Use vitamin C effervescent tablets with caution, as overdose may cause gout!

Audit expert: Shen Yingjian

Director of the Nutrition Department of Hebei Yanda Hospital

Vitamin C is one of the most well-known vitamins. Especially at the moment when the epidemic is spreading, the claim that vitamin C can alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19 has begun to circulate on the Internet.

Many friends even store a large amount of vitamin C at home, planning to "take two tablets whenever they have nothing to do."

Stop right now! Don’t think this is a good thing!

What is Vitamin C?

Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is an indispensable antioxidant for the human body. Once the human body lacks vitamin C for a long time, it will cause scurvy , causing bleeding gums, tooth loss, and in severe cases, it can be life-threatening.

Vitamin C can enhance the body's immune function by increasing the level of other antioxidants in the body. Lack of vitamin C will lead to a decrease in the body's immunity and increase the chance of infection. Vitamin C can also stimulate the body to produce interferon, kill viruses, and ensure that tissue cells are normal and do not become cancerous. In addition, vitamin C can also accelerate the synthesis of human collagen, giving people delicate and smooth skin.

For a vitamin with so many benefits, it seems that the more the better. However, as the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little. Some experts point out that long-term and large-scale intake of vitamin C can lead to adverse reactions. Intake of more than 1 gram per day will cause red and bright skin and frequent urination, and more than 2 grams may cause nausea and diarrhea. Stopping the intake may also cause vitamin C deficiency.

Recommended intake of vitamin C

An average person only needs to consume 100 to 200 mg of vitamin C per day to meet their needs , but there are still quite a number of people in our country who do not meet this standard. One of the reasons is that vitamin C is mainly found in various fresh fruits and vegetables, and in the dietary structure of quite a number of people, the proportion of such food is pitifully small.

Source: hippopx

Common green vegetables and citrus fruits, including kiwis and winter dates, are rich in vitamin C. If you love fresh fruits and vegetables, you don't need to worry about lacking vitamin C. It is worth mentioning that lemons, which are often considered rich in vitamin C and once regarded as a symbol of vitamin C, actually have a much lower vitamin C content (20mg/100g) than kiwis (70mg/100g) and even lower than the unprepossessing Chinese cabbage (30mg/100g).

Source: hippopx

According to the recommended standards in the Chinese Dietary Guidelines, an average person can ensure adequate vitamin C intake by eating one pound of vegetables and half a pound of fruit every day. Don't worry too much if you don't meet this standard. In fact, as long as you maintain a balanced diet and don't eat picky foods, it is difficult to have a serious vitamin C deficiency.

Source: Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents

Taking too much vitamin C effervescent tablets can cause gout

Due to their convenience, sparkling water-like taste, and sweet and sour flavor, vitamin C effervescent tablets stand out among many vitamin C supplements and have become the first choice for many people to supplement vitamin C. However, the vitamin C dosage in vitamin C effervescent tablets is generally high, with the most common reaching 500~1000 mg per tablet.

Vitamin effervescent tablets Source: pixabay

Therefore, using it to supplement vitamin C is actually far beyond the standard. The risks of long-term use of large amounts of vitamin C are far more than those mentioned at the beginning of the article. It may also cause oxalate stones, and in sensitive people it may increase uric acid levels and lead to gout.

In addition, effervescent tablets contain a lot of sodium bicarbonate. Long-term use will increase the body's sodium intake. If you usually like to eat high-salt snacks such as potato chips and spicy strips, or your meals are heavy in oil and salt, then the sodium in the effervescent tablets will invisibly increase the burden on your body's metabolism and cause cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure.

How to Choose the Right Vitamin C Supplement

There are many kinds of vitamin C supplements on the market, and the prices of different types vary by dozens of times. So does the more expensive one have better effects? Not necessarily. With the development of the modern pharmaceutical industry, the various vitamin C supplements sold on the market have actually reached the best quality. Even the cheapest vitamin C tablets in the pharmacy that cost a few yuan a bottle are almost the same as the vitamin C effervescent tablets that cost hundreds of yuan.

If you are looking for cost-effectiveness, then a small bottle of inconspicuous vitamin C tablets is undoubtedly your best choice. A small bottle contains 100 tablets, each containing 100 mg of vitamin C. One tablet a day can last for more than three months. Of course, for those who are greedy, there are also chewable tablets with various sweet and sour flavors to choose from, but because they use more complex processes to ensure taste and flavor, the price is relatively expensive.

However, the most recommended vitamin C supplements are still various fresh fruits and vegetables . While supplementing vitamin C, it also greatly increases the intake of dietary fiber. Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis and plays an important role in maintaining intestinal health. Moreover, fresh fruits and vegetables are delicious, so foodies should not let them go easily.

Source: hippopx

The human body is a very sophisticated system, and in order for it to run smoothly, it needs to take in various nutrients. But the human body is also very "delicate", and any lack or excess of these nutrients will cause problems, and too much supplementation will also cause problems. Only by achieving a stable balance can the health of the human body be guaranteed.

Therefore, science reminds us that the supplement of nutrients should be comprehensive and reasonable. It is not just the vitamin C mentioned today. Many other nutrients are also essential to the human body. They should be treated like vitamin C. With a balanced and reasonable intake, coupled with appropriate exercise, you can have a healthy and energetic body.