Can Vitamin C Be Metabolized To Oxalate?
Posted: Mon Nov 09, 2009 5:09 pm
Hello. I am a member of a moms group and the subject of vitamin C comes up from time to time. Many of the moms use sodium ascorbate in large doses when their kids are sick. One of the moms, however, stated that for the past 3 years, she has taken large doses of C on a regular basis and has developed an oxalate accumulation from high dose sodium ascorbate. She stated that the first symptom was red swollen hands, and at first the doctors were not able to identify the problem, but it turned out that she developed an oxalate problem because Vitamin C can convert to oxalates in the body (similar to what kidney stones are made of, except the oxalates are deposited--and wreak havoc--throughout the body rather than the kidneys). She states that she now has to be on a low oxalate diet to encourage her body to dump the excess oxalates. She said it could be a fatal condition if not caught, which really scared the 'you know what' out of me. (I have been giving my son sodium ascorbate on a daily basis per Dr. Fonoro's dosage advice in my last post...1 gram per year of age up to age 10)
I actually vaguely inquired about this issue here on these boards about a year ago, but the literature that was recommended to me was WAY over my head. "-) I have been doing a ton of research on the great benefits of C, and just recently purchased one of Dr. Levy's books. (Now if my 1 year old will allow me the time to read it, that would be nice!)
Could someone please explain to me (in really simple terms....) if this is a true cause for concern?
The mom that experienced this said that it is a very known problem, and gave me some sites that caution on vitamin C use.
The following site mentions Vitamin C as a supplement to avoid if you have an oxalate issue.
http://lowoxalate.info/faqs.html
And this site was given to me as well:
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/ho ... alates.asp
Here is a quote from the above site:
Apparently there is even a Yahoo Group for people with this problem. So, how do you know if you are at risk for developing this problem via vitamin C consumption?
Thank you in advance,
April
I actually vaguely inquired about this issue here on these boards about a year ago, but the literature that was recommended to me was WAY over my head. "-) I have been doing a ton of research on the great benefits of C, and just recently purchased one of Dr. Levy's books. (Now if my 1 year old will allow me the time to read it, that would be nice!)
Could someone please explain to me (in really simple terms....) if this is a true cause for concern?
The mom that experienced this said that it is a very known problem, and gave me some sites that caution on vitamin C use.
The following site mentions Vitamin C as a supplement to avoid if you have an oxalate issue.
http://lowoxalate.info/faqs.html
And this site was given to me as well:
http://www.greatplainslaboratory.com/ho ... alates.asp
Here is a quote from the above site:
(I have been taking way more than 4 g per day for about 7 months now....should I be worried?)Evaluate vitamin C intake. Vitamin C can break down to form oxalates. However, in adults, the amount of oxalate formed did not increase until the amount exceeded 4 g of vitamin C per day (27).
Apparently there is even a Yahoo Group for people with this problem. So, how do you know if you are at risk for developing this problem via vitamin C consumption?
Thank you in advance,
April