Supreme Collagen [Discontinued] by Health Logics

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

• Aging skin. Oral collagen peptides seem to improve skin hydration and elasticity in older adults. However, it is unclear if any improvements related to wrinkles are cosmetically important. Details: Meta-analyses of the available research, as well as multiple individual clinical studies, show that collagen peptide products, taken in doses of 372 mg to 12 grams daily for 4-12 weeks, improve skin hydration and elasticity in older adults. Studied products include Peptan-F or Peptan-P (Rousselot), Wellnex (Nitta Gelatin), Gold Collagen Active (Minerva Research Labs), VERISOL (Gelita AG), and Nippi peptide FCP-EX (Nippi/Shizuoka) (97632,100703,101597,104647,107460,112457). Pooled study results also suggest that hydrolyzed collagen sourced from fish improves skin hydration and elasticity, while collagen peptides originating from chickens seems to modestly improve skin elasticity but not hydration. Collagen peptides derived from bovine do not seem to improve skin hydration or elasticity (112457). Despite research showing improvement in skin hydration and elasticity, it is unclear if collagen peptides reduce skin wrinkles to a cosmetically significant degree, as most studies have not evaluated this outcome. In one clinical study, taking a freshwater fish-derived collagen peptide (Vinh Wellness Collagen, Vinh Hoan Corporation) 10 grams every morning reduced wrinkle count in the nasolabial region of the right side, but not the left side, of the face by 24% when compared with placebo. Collagen peptides did not improve participant-reported measures of wrinkles, elasticity, hydration, and others, when compared with placebo (104639). Another clinical study shows that taking a specific fish scale-derived collagen peptide (Wellnex, Nitta Gelatin) with either a high or low ratio of prolyl-hydroxyproline and hydroxylpropyl-glycine as 5 grams orally daily for 8 weeks modestly improves wrinkle depth and roughness, but not wrinkle volume, when compared with placebo. The product with a high ratio of dipeptides had a larger effect (97632). Also, one clinical study shows that taking a specific product containing porcine collagen type I peptides (VERISOL, Gelita AG) 2.5 grams daily for 8 weeks reduces eye wrinkle volume by 20% when compared with placebo (101648). Two similar moderate-size clinical studies in middle-aged adults with crow's feet wrinkles and dry skin show that taking specific low-molecular-weight fish-derived collagen peptide products (Geltech Co.; CPNS) at doses of 2000 mg or 1650 mg, respectively, daily for 12 weeks improves eye wrinkles, skin hydration, and elasticity when compared with placebo (110729,110730). While investigator satisfaction scores regarding wrinkle reduction were modestly improved, participant satisfaction was not improved (110729). Small clinical studies have shown contradictory findings when collagen peptides are taken in combination with other ingredients. In one clinical trial, a specific drink (Diva Luxe) providing fish collagen peptides 5.5 grams plus Chenopodium formosanum extract 1 gram daily for 8 weeks improved some measures of skin brightness and hydration, but not wrinkles and crow's feet, when compared with placebo (104646). Another small clinical study shows that taking collagen peptides 4 grams daily in combination with coenzyme Q10 50 mg, vitamin C, vitamin A, and biotin for 12 weeks reduces wrinkles and improves skin smoothness by a small amount when compared with placebo. However, there was no difference in skin elasticity or hydration (104638). A clinical study in older females shows that taking collagen peptides 9 grams in combination with zinc and vitamins A, C, and E daily for 90 days increases stratum corneum water content and skin viscoelasticity when compared with placebo. However, it is unclear if the improvement from baseline differed between groups. Small improvements in dermal echogenicity, wrinkles, or skin pores were noted in some facial regions, but the lack of statistical comparison to placebo limits the validity of these findings (107464). Some small clinical studies have shown mixed effects with low doses of collagen peptides from preliminary clinical research using BioCell Collagen (BioCell Technology, LLC) or Celergen (Laboratories-Dom) (28681,97930). It is unclear if any improvements from these studies are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combinations. Topical application of collagen peptides has been minimally evaluated. A very small observational study in older adults has found that application of a carbopol gel containing collagen peptides 1% to the periorbital area twice daily for 8 weeks is associated with increased skin hydration and elasticity and reduced transepidermal water loss, skin roughness, and wrinkles when compared with baseline (107459). The validity of these findings is limited by poor study methodology, lack of statistical comparison to baseline, and lack of a comparator group.
• Dry skin. Oral collagen peptides seem to improve skin hydration and elasticity in adults with dry skin. However, their effect on other measures of dry skin is unclear. Details: A meta-analysis of 19 clinical studies, along with several small and moderate-sized individual studies, some of which are included in the meta-analysis, show that taking collagen peptides 372 mg to 12 grams daily for 4-12 weeks improves skin hydration and elasticity when compared with placebo in healthy adults (107461,110729,110730,112457,112458). Some studies show that collagen peptides improve skin roughness (107461), decrease peeling (110729,110730), and increase stratum corneum and epidermis water content (107462) but not skin gloss (107461) or elasticity (107462). Some research shows that collagen peptides reduce transepidermal water loss (107462), while another study shows no change (107461). Subgroup analysis of the meta-analysis suggests that hydrolyzed collagen sourced from fish improves skin hydration and elasticity the most, while collagen peptides originating from chicken seem to modestly improve skin elasticity but not hydration. Collagen peptides from bovine do not seem to improve skin hydration or elasticity (112457). Studied products include FCP-Z (Nippi Co., Ltd), Geltech Co., CPNS, and GPVGPS Collagen (Daehan Chemtech) (107462,110729,110730,112458). Collagen peptides have also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. A small clinical study in healthy adults with low skin moisture shows that drinking 30 mL of a beverage containing fish scale-derived collagen peptides 10 grams and ornithine 400 mg (FUJIFILM) daily for 8 weeks does not improve skin moisture but seems to improve skin elasticity and reduce water loss when compared with placebo (101607). Another very small clinical study in a mixed population of patients with dry skin and mild atopic dermatitis shows that twice daily application of an emollient containing collagen peptides, soluble proteoglycan, and hyaluronic acid for 4 weeks reduces itching severity from moderate at baseline to mild or almost none. Transepidermal water loss and skin hydration also improved when compared to baseline (107465). The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group. Both of these studies are limited by their small size, and it is unclear if any improvements are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination.

POSSIBLY INEFFECTIVE

• Muscle strength. Most research suggests that oral collagen peptides do not improve leg strength. However, they may improve hand-grip strength and fat-free mass. Details: Small clinical studies in healthy male and female athletes or non-athletes undergoing resistance or other training show that taking collagen peptides 15-30 grams daily or after training sessions for up to 15 weeks, with or without vitamin C, does not improve leg strength (i.e. squat strength, knee extension, or flexor strength) when compared with placebo (101608,104641,107457,110668,110669). Similarly, 2 very small clinical studies in healthy adults show that taking a specific oral collagen peptide product (Bodybalance, Gelita AG) 5-15 grams daily while completing a resistance training program for 14-15 weeks increases patellar tendon cross-sectional area but does not improve most measures of tendinous tissue remodeling including patellar tendon size, vastus lateralis aponeurosis size, patellar tendon mechanical properties, tendon stiffness, maximal knee extension strength, or rectus femoris muscle cross-sectional area when compared with placebo (112452,112454). However, a small clinical study with the same product in untrained females aged 18-50 years shows that taking 15 grams daily in addition to resistance training three times weekly for 12 weeks improves hand-grip strength when compared with resistance training and placebo (101608). In untrained males aged 30-60 years, taking the same dose of this collagen peptide product along with resistance training for 12 weeks improves fat-free mass by 3 kg, compared with 2 kg with resistance training and placebo. A post-hoc exploratory analysis suggests that the effects seen in males are similar to those seen with whey protein (107457).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Acne. Although there has been interest in using oral collagen peptides for acne, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of collagen peptides for this condition.
• Androgenic alopecia. Oral collagen peptides have only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients, their effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A moderate-sized clinical study in adults with androgenic alopecia or telogen effluvium shows that taking a combination product containing hydrolyzed collagen 300 mg, taurine, cysteine, methionine, iron, and selenium (GFM Oral, Cantabria Labs) daily along with conventional therapy, consisting primarily of finasteride or minoxidil, for 12 weeks improves hair loss when compared with conventional therapy alone (111636). It is unclear if this effect is due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Athletic performance. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides improve performance in most athletes. Details: In recreationally active female runners undergoing resistance and endurance training 3 times weekly, clinical research shows that taking collagen peptides 7.5 grams twice daily for 12 weeks increases running distance by approximately 1,034 meters, compared with an increase of 703 meters in those taking placebo, although there was no effect on speed (104641). A clinical study in healthy young male athletes undergoing heavy strength and power training shows that taking collagen peptides 20 grams and vitamin C 50 mg daily for 3 weeks improves squat performance and countermovement jump performance when compared with placebo. However, removal of a single outlier negated the statistical significance of most of these findings (107456). Also, it is unclear if any improvements from this study are due to collagen peptides, vitamin C, or the combination.
• Atopic dermatitis (eczema). It is unclear if oral or topical collagen peptides are beneficial for improving the severity of eczema. Details: A small clinical study in patients with atopic dermatitis shows that taking a porcine skin-derived collagen peptide with a high ratio of tripeptides with glycine-X-Y sequences, 3.9 grams daily for 12 weeks, improves symptoms and severity of eczema when compared to baseline. There was no improvement in the group taking the same dose of porcine skin-derived collagen peptide without the high ratio of tripeptides (101605). Another very small clinical study in a mixed population of patients with atopic dermatitis and dry skin shows that twice daily application of an emollient containing collagen peptides, soluble proteoglycan, and hyaluronic acid for 4 weeks reduces itching severity from moderate at baseline to mild or almost none. Transepidermal water loss and skin hydration also improved when compared to baseline (107465). It is unclear if any improvements are due to collagen peptides, the other ingredients, or the combination. Both of these studies are limited by their small size and lack of comparator groups.
• Burns. Some preliminary clinical research suggests that oral collagen peptides might reduce the time needed for burn healing. Details: In male patients with 20% to 30% body surface area burns, a small clinical trial shows that taking a collagen-based supplement providing collagen peptides (Amutiya, Qom) 36 grams daily for 4 weeks improves wound healing when compared with taking an isocaloric supplement containing the same amount of soy protein. Complete wound healing occurred in 50% and 100% of patients taking collagen for 2 and 4 weeks, respectively, compared with 7% and 40% of those taking the isocaloric product. The duration of hospital stay was not significantly different between the two groups (104642). A small clinical study in hospitalized adults with 20-45% body surface area 2nd or 3rd degree burns shows that consuming a beverage containing collagen peptides 40 grams daily for 4 weeks shortens the time to wound healing, improves scar scores, and reduces the duration of hospital stays but does not limit wound infections when compared with placebo. Adding fish oil 3 grams daily did not further improve outcomes (110667).
• Brittle nails. One small clinical study suggests that oral collagen peptides may improve nail health in people with brittle nails. Details: A small clinical study shows that taking a specific porcine type I collagen peptide product (VERISOL, Gelita AG) 2.5 grams daily for 6 months improves overall symptoms of brittle nail syndrome, increases nail growth rate by 12%, and reduces broken nail frequency by 42% when compared with baseline (101606). This study was limited by its small size and lack of a comparator group.
• Cellulite. One small clinical study suggests that oral collagen peptides may reduce cellulite. Details: In people with cellulite, a small clinical study shows that taking specific collagen peptides (VERISOL by Gelita AG) 2.5 grams daily for 6 months seems to reduce cellulite, skin waviness, and dermal density by a small amount when compared with placebo (101619).
• Cognitive function. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides are beneficial for improving memory. Details: In healthy adults, preliminary clinical research shows that taking collagen peptides 5 grams daily for 4 weeks improves some measures of memory and verbal learning when compared to baseline (104643). This study was limited by its small size and lack of a comparator group.
• Dermatoporosis. One small clinical study suggests that using oral or topical collagen peptides does not improve this condition. Details: A small clinical study in post-menopausal patients aged 70 years on average with mild dermatoporosis shows that taking collagen peptides 5 grams daily, applying a collagen peptides 2.5% serum 3 pumps nightly to each forearm, or using these in combination for 6 months does not improve skin lesions, epidermal thickness, collagen or elastin density, or patient perception of skin improvement when compared with placebo (110731). However, it is unclear if these results apply to patients with more severe dermatoporosis.
• Diabetes. Some preliminary clinical research suggests that oral collagen peptides might have a small effect on glycemic indices. Details: Preliminary clinical research in patients with type 2 diabetes shows that taking fish-derived collagen peptides 6.5 grams orally twice daily for 3 months, in addition to treatment with antidiabetes drugs, may modestly reduce levels of fasting blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin, and fasting blood insulin and may increase levels of insulin sensitivity when compared with antidiabetes drugs and placebo (101626,101627).
• Erythema. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides are beneficial for erythema. Details: A moderate-sized clinical study in adults with dry and wrinkled eye skin shows that taking low-molecular weight collagen peptides (GPVGPS Collagen, Daehan Chemtech) 2000 mg daily for 12 weeks reduces erythema index when compared with placebo (112458).
• Exercise-induced gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides prevent GI symptoms due to exercise. Details: A small crossover study in moderately well-trained young adults shows that taking collagen peptides 10 grams daily for 7 days prior to rigorous treadmill exercise does not limit GI symptoms but may attenuate some markers of GI distress when compared with placebo (110665).
• Exercise-induced muscle soreness. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides prevent muscle soreness after exercise. Details: Preliminary clinical research in a small number of healthy, recreationally active adults shows that taking collagen peptides (Peptan, Rousselot BVBA, Collagen Peptides, Vital Proteins) 10-15 grams twice daily, starting 7 days prior to strenuous exercise and continuing for 2-5 days after, does not reduce muscle soreness when compared with placebo (100700,104648). However, there was a small benefit on the recovery of countermovement jump ability within 24 hours (104648). Furthermore, another small clinical study in adults unaccustomed to exercise shows that taking collagen peptides 10 grams daily for 33 days modestly reduces muscle soreness and fatigue immediately after the exercise load, but not 2 hours after exercise or the next morning, when compared with placebo (111639). Also, a small clinical study in active middle-aged adults shows that taking specific collagen peptides (SOLUGEL Collagen Peptides, PB Leiner) 10 grams daily for 6 months improves pain in those who exercise frequently (>188 minutes weekly) when compared with placebo. However, collagen peptides do not seem to improve pain in low frequency exercisers (<188 minutes weekly) (112455). Collagen peptides have also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. One preliminary clinical study in healthy, recreationally active adults shows that taking a specific product (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) containing collagen peptides from chicken collagen type II, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate 1.5 grams twice daily for 6 weeks prior to two bouts of intense resistance exercise attenuates increases in biomarkers of muscle damage and decreases delayed onset muscle soreness when compared with placebo (96301). It is unclear if these benefits are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients or the combination.
• Gingivitis. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides are beneficial for patients with gingivitis. Details: A small clinical study in patients with mild-to-moderate chronic gingivitis shows that taking a specific collagen peptide product (Verisol B, Gelita AG) 5 grams daily for 90 days following mechanical plaque removal reduces bleeding and inflammation but does not improve plaque scores when compared with placebo (110666).
• Hypertension. Limited research suggests that oral collagen peptides may lower systolic or diastolic blood pressure. However, results are inconsistent. Details: One preliminary clinical study in patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes shows that taking fish-derived collagen peptides 6.5 grams twice daily for 3 months modestly reduces diastolic, but not systolic, blood pressure when compared with placebo (101626). Another small clinical study in patients with mildly elevated blood pressure shows that taking a test food containing chicken leg-derived collagen peptides 2.9 grams daily for 12 weeks lowers systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure when compared with placebo (101610). An additional small clinical study in patients with mild hypertension shows that taking chicken leg-derived collagen peptides 5.2 grams daily 4 weeks reduces systolic blood pressure by 12 mmHg when compared with baseline (101618). This study was limited by its small size and lack of a comparator group. The reasons for conflicting data are unclear.
• Insomnia. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides are beneficial for insomnia. Details: A very small clinical study in physically active males with difficulty sleeping shows that taking collagen peptides 15 grams before bedtime for 7 nights reduces the frequency of nocturnal awakenings and improves cognitive accuracy but does not improve objective measures of total sleep time, latency, efficiency, stage changes, waking after sleep onset, other cognitive function measures, or subjective measures of sleepiness, fatigue, and sleep quality when compared with placebo (112459).
• Joint pain. Most research shows that oral collagen peptides might moderately reduce joint pain in young athletes. However, evidence in elderly patients is conflicting. Details: Preliminary clinical research in student athletes with joint pain shows that taking a specific collagen peptide product (FORTIGEL, Gelita AG) 10 grams in 25 mL of liquid daily for 24 weeks modestly improves pain during movement and at rest when compared with placebo (101601). Other clinical research in young adults exercising or participating in sports at least 3 hours weekly with activity-related knee pain shows that taking this same product 5 grams daily for 12 weeks reduces pain intensity during activity by 38% to 41%, compared with a 26% to 28% reduction in those taking placebo. However, there was no improvement in pain at rest or after the activity when compared with placebo (97623,107454). Furthermore, it is not clear if these effects are clinically significant. Research on the use of collagen peptides in older patients is conflicting. A small clinical study in otherwise healthy patients aged 40-65 years with joint discomfort shows that taking a specific collagen peptides product (AVC-H2, Avicenna) 1.25 grams twice daily for 8 weeks improves overall Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) scores by 37% at 4 weeks, compared with 14% in those receiving placebo. However, this difference in improvement was no longer significant at 8 weeks. Collagen peptides also improved the physical activity and stiffness subdomains, but not the pain subdomain, at 4 and 8 weeks when compared with placebo (107455). A larger clinical study in patients 50 years or older with general joint pain shows that taking a specific collagen peptides product (Genacol) 1200 mg daily for 6 months does not reduce pain or improve function when compared with placebo (97657). However, collagen peptides used in combination with other ingredients have shown benefit. Preliminary clinical research in patients 51-70 years of age shows that taking a specific combination product (Gold Collagen Active, Minerva Research Labs) containing fish collagen peptides 4 grams, glucosamine hydrochloride 1000 mg, chondroitin sulfate 500 mg, L-carnitine 200 mg, and other ingredients daily for 90 days reduces joint pain by 43% when compared with baseline, while patients taking placebo saw negligible improvement in pain. A greater percentage of patients taking this product also perceived improvements in joint discomfort, flexibility, mobility, and rigidity when compared with placebo (100703). It is unclear if these effects are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Obesity. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides are beneficial for weight loss. Details: A preliminary clinical study in adults with overweight shows that taking skate skin-derived collagen peptides 2 grams daily for 12 weeks modestly reduces body fat mass by 1.2 kg, compared with an increase of 0.3 kg in the placebo group (101621). It is unclear if collagen peptides improve weight loss or reduce body fat mass in the long-term.
• Osteoarthritis. Most research suggests that oral collagen peptides improve pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis; however, any improvement is modest and may not be considered clinically significant. Details: A meta-analysis of 3 clinical studies, all of which are included below, in adults with knee osteoarthritis shows that taking collagen peptides or hydrolyzed collagen reduces pain when compared with placebo (112456). Clinical research shows that taking specific collagen peptides (Colnatur, Protein SA) 10 grams daily for 5 months increases the number of patients who experience at least a 30% improvement in pain by approximately 42% when compared with placebo. However, there is no difference between groups when the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) scale is used. Patients with the greatest joint deterioration at baseline, as well as those with the lowest dietary meat intake, seemed most likely to experience benefit from collagen peptides (97635). Another small clinical study shows that taking collagen peptides isolated from pork skin and bovine bone (Nitta Gelatin Inc.) 5 grams dissolved in 250 mL water or milk twice daily after food for 13 weeks modestly improves pain when compared with placebo (101611). Another small clinical study in patients over 40 years old shows that taking collagen peptides (Colatech) 10 grams daily for 90 days reduces pain by about 2 points on a 100-point scale, compared with a 0.9-point reduction with glucosamine sulfate 1.5 grams. Ibuprofen use was not affected (101622). One multicenter clinical study shows that taking collagen peptides 10 grams daily for 6 months does not relieve pain or improve joint function when compared with placebo, although a trend towards reduced pain and improved joint function was observed in patients with severe symptoms at baseline (7704). Collagen peptides have also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients. Clinical research in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, or hand shows that taking a specific product (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) containing collagen peptides from chicken collagen type II, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate 1 gram twice daily for up to 10 weeks reduces pain and the need for rescue analgesics and increases physical activity when compared with placebo (28678,28680). Similarly, a moderate-size clinical study in patients aged 45-75 years with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis undergoing resistance exercise twice weekly shows that taking a specific product (Suntory Beverage and Food Asia) containing collagen peptides from chicken collagen type II, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate 2 grams daily for 24 weeks does not improve WOMAC scores when compared with glucosamine 1.5 grams daily or placebo, but may modestly improve pain scores when compared with placebo. However, the use of rescue analgesics was not assessed. Adding essence of chicken 5.81 grams daily to collagen peptides did not improve WOMAC or pain scores (110670). Also, preliminary clinical research in patients with knee osteoarthrosis shows that taking a specific product (Ialoral 1500, PharmaSuisse Laboratories Srl) containing collagen peptides, chondroitin sulfate, hyaluronic acid, and keratin peptides for 4 weeks improves pain and function by a moderate amount when compared with baseline (104645). However, the validity of these findings is limited by the lack of statistical comparison to the control group. It is unclear if these effects are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Osteopenia. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides prevent loss of bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal adults. Details: A large clinical study in patients with reduced BMD after menopause shows that taking specific collagen peptides (Fortibone, Gelita AG) 5 grams daily for 12 months increases BMD of the spine and the femoral neck by 3% and 7%, respectively, compared with losses of 1% with placebo (101609). In a very small observational extension of this study, BMD continued to increase over an additional 4 years when compared with baseline. However, the validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group (107340). Collagen peptides have also been evaluated in combination with calcium and vitamin D. In patients with osteopenia after menopause, a small clinical study shows that taking collagen peptides calcium chelate 5 grams, containing elemental calcium 500 mg and vitamin D3 200 IU, daily for 12 months does not affect total hip, total body, or vertebral BMD when compared with calcium 500 mg and vitamin D 200 IU (101604). The validity of these results is limited by a high dropout rate and insufficient power to detect smaller effects. Conversely, another small study in this population shows that taking specific collagen peptides (Fortibone, Gelita AG) in combination with elemental calcium (as calcium lactate) 500 mg and vitamin D3 400 IU daily for 12 months improves trabecular bone mineral content, trabecular volumetric BMD, and cortical volumetric BMD, but not cortical bone mineral content, when compared with a combination tablet containing equivalent doses of elemental calcium (as calcium carbonate) and vitamin D (107453). It is unclear if these effects are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Osteoporosis. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides improve bone mineral density (BMD) in adults with osteoporosis after menopause. Details: In patients with osteoporosis after menopause, clinical research shows that taking collagen peptides 10 grams daily in addition to twice weekly intramuscular calcitonin for 6 months does not improve BMD in the forearm when compared with calcitonin alone (104649). It is unclear if supplementation with collagen peptides improves BMD in the femoral neck or lumbar spine.
• Pressure ulcers. Oral collagen peptides might help to improve ulcer size and healing. Details: A small clinical study in patients with Stage II, III, or IV pressure ulcers shows that taking collagen peptides 5 grams orally three times daily for 8 weeks in addition to standard care improves ulcer size and exudate when compared with placebo and standard care (101612). This study was limited because it only used one scale to assess healing of the pressure ulcer. Another small clinical study in patients with stage II or III pressure ulcers shows that receiving standard care and collagen peptides with high levels of prolyl-hydroxyproline 5 grams twice daily for 16 weeks improves ulcer exudate, healing, and wound size when compared with standard care plus placebo (101620).
• Sarcopenia. Oral collagen peptides might help to increase fat-free mass. However, it is unclear if collagen peptides are more beneficial than other types of protein. Details: A small clinical study in elderly males with sarcopenia shows that taking collagen peptides from type I collagen 15 grams daily for 12 weeks along with three resistance training sessions weekly modestly increases fat-free mass and power when compared with resistance training and placebo (101624). It is unclear if supplementation with collagen peptides is more beneficial than supplementation with protein.
• Sprains. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides improve ankle instability after a previous sprain. Details: A small clinical study in athletes with chronic ankle instability from an ankle sprain shows that taking collagen peptides 5 grams daily for 6 months improves subjective ankle instability when compared with placebo. However, ankle stiffness, which is a more objective measure of ankle instability, is not improved when compared with placebo (101603).
• Tendinopathy. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides improve tendon pain. Details: A small clinical study in patients with Achilles tendinopathy shows that taking a specific collagen peptides supplement (TENDOFORTE, Gelita AG) 2.5 grams daily for 3 months in addition to a calf-strengthening program improves pain when compared with baseline (101615). The validity of this finding is limited by the lack of a comparator group.
• Wound healing. It is unclear if oral collagen peptides improve wound healing. Details: A small clinical study in healthy volunteers with wounds after photothermolysis shows that taking collagen peptides 3 grams daily for 4 weeks improves erythema, skin hydration, and skin elasticity when compared with placebo (101599). This study was limited by small size, short duration, and no direct measurement of wound healing or scar formation.
• Wrinkled skin. Some small clinical studies suggest that oral collagen peptides might help to reduce lines and wrinkles from sun damage. Details: Preliminary clinical research in females with photodamaged skin shows that taking a specific low molecular weight collagen peptide product (Evercollagen, Newtree Co.) 1000 mg daily for 12 weeks modestly improves most measures of skin wrinkling, hydration, and elasticity when compared with placebo. This specific collagen peptide product is standardized to contain more than 15% glycine-containing tripeptides, including 3% glycyl-prolyl-hydroxyproline (100702). Another moderate-sized clinical study in adults with dry and wrinkled eye skin shows that taking low-molecular weight collagen peptides (GPVGPS Collagen, Daehan Chemtech) 2000 mg daily for 12 weeks reduces skin wrinkling parameters including facial skin roughness, peak-to-valley values, maximum wrinkle height, and eye wrinkle volume and improves skin hydration and skin elasticity when compared with placebo. However, there was no improvement in maximum wrinkle depth (112458). Another preliminary clinical study shows that taking a specific combination product (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) containing collagen peptides from chicken collagen type II 600 mg, low molecular weight hyaluronic acid 100 mg, and chondroitin sulfate 200 mg daily for 12 weeks reduces lines and wrinkles associated with both natural aging and photoaging by about 13% when compared to baseline (28681). This study was limited by the lack of a comparator group. Additionally, it is unclear if these effects are due to collagen peptides, other ingredients, or the combination. More evidence is needed to rate collagen peptides for these uses.

(Read more about COLLAGEN PEPTIDES)

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

• Dry eye. Applying eye drops containing hyaluronic acid alone or in combination with other ingredients, seems to improve symptoms of dry eye. Details: A large meta-analysis of clinical studies in patients with dry eye disease shows that using eye drops containing hyaluronic acid 0.1% to 0.4% for at least 14 days modestly improves tear production when compared with artificial tears or saline control, with a more significant improvement when compared with saline control. Tear stability is also modestly improved when compared with saline control (108622). Several individual clinical studies using specific hyaluronic acid eye drops have also demonstrated improvement. One clinical study in patients with dry eye disease shows that applying eye drops containing hyaluronic acid 0.1% to 0.3% 5-6 times daily for 12 weeks might improve symptoms to a similar degree as cyclosporine 0.05% eye drops. The products used in this study included Hyalein ophthalmic solution 0.1%, New Hyaluni ophthalmic solution 0.15%, and Hyaluni ophthalmic solution 0.3% (97885). Another clinical study shows similar efficacy between hyaluronic acid 0.15% eye drops (New Hyaluni), applied 6 times daily for 12 weeks, and eye drops containing cyclosporine 0.05% and carboxymethylcellulose 0.5%, applied twice daily (110555). A smaller clinical study in patients with dry eye disease shows that applying specific eye drops containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% (Hyalistil) seems to have similar efficacy as using tamarind seed polysaccharide eye drops (16301). Furthermore, adding hyaluronic acid to conventional treatment seems to offer additional benefit. A large multicenter clinical trial in patients with dry eye disease shows that applying 1-2 drops of artificial tears containing carboxymethylcellulose 0.5% and hyaluronic acid 0.1% (Optive Fusion, Allergan) at least 2 times daily for 3 months seems to further improve pain and discomfort when compared with using artificial tears containing carboxymethylcellulose alone (104384). One small clinical study also shows that hyaluronic acid 0.3% ocular gel and hyaluronic acid 0.18% eye drops, applied 4-6 times daily for 12 weeks, are equally effective for improving dry eye symptoms (110556). Hyaluronic acid has also been studied in combination with other ingredients. Several small clinical studies in patients with dry eye syndrome ranging from mild to severe shows that applying eye drops containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% or 0.3%, polyvinylpyrrolidone, and glycerin (Visaid 0.2% or 0.3%, Avizor S.A.), administered as one drop 3-8 times daily for one month, improves some signs and symptoms of dry eye when compared with sodium chloride 0.9% (97894,97895). Conversely, a large clinical study in patients with mild to moderate dry eye disease shows that applying preservative-free eye drops containing sodium hyaluronate with chondroitin sulfate (Humylub Ofteno PF, Laboratorios Sophia), one drop into each eye four times daily for 90 days, seems to be no different for improving dry eye severity when compared with using polyethylene/propylene glycol eye drops (104443).
• Venous leg ulcers. Topical application of hyaluronic acid-impregnated gauze reduces wound size and promotes wound healing. Details: Clinical studies in patients with at least one leg ulcer of venous or mixed arterial/venous origin show that once daily application of a specific hyaluronic acid-impregnated gauze (Ialuset, Laboratoires Genévrier) reduces wound size at 45 days by 73% and produces complete wound healing at or before 20 weeks in 40% of patients. In those receiving a neutral vehicle gauze, these improvements occurred in 46% and 19% of patients, respectively (108627,108640).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Aging skin. Oral hyaluronic acid has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. It is also unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial for aging skin. Details: A very small study shows that taking a specific combination product (GliSODin Skin Nutrients Advanced Anti-Aging Formula, Isocell North America Inc.) containing hyaluronic acid, krill oil, sea buckthorn berry oil, and cacao bean extract orally three times daily for 90 days, along with applying tazarotene 0.1% cream, moderately decreases wrinkling and photodamage and improves skin moisture and elasticity when compared with tazarotene cream alone (91778). Another small clinical study in females with aging skin shows that taking a specific combination product (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) containing hyaluronic acid 100 mg, chondroitin sulfate 200 mg, and collagen peptides 600 mg daily for 12 weeks reduces lines and wrinkles by about 13% when compared with baseline (28681). The validity of this finding is limited by the lack of a comparator group. Furthermore, it should be noted that both studies were funded by the product manufacturer. A small open-label clinical study in females with mild to moderate lip dryness and mild to severe lip condition shows that three daily applications of a two-step lip treatment containing hyaluronic acid for 4 weeks improves the overall condition of lips, as well as texture/visual roughness, plumpness, color/rosiness, definition/contour, and lines/wrinkles when compared with baseline (108634). The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group.
• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever). It is unclear if nasal irrigation with sodium hyaluronate is beneficial in patients with mild, persistent seasonal allergic rhinitis. Details: A small clinical study in patients with mild, persistent seasonal allergic rhinitis receiving an oral antihistamine and an intranasal corticosteroid shows that nasal irrigation with sodium hyaluronate twice daily for 1 month improves mucociliary clearance time by 3 minutes, compared with 1 minute with the use of isotonic saline and 5 minutes with the use of surfactant (108630). It is unclear if this change is associated with clinically relevant symptom improvement.
• Burns. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial in patients with burns. Details: A meta-analysis of small clinical trials suggests that topical hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid derivatives might improve the healing of wounds, including burns, when compared with control (104389). A small nonrandomized clinical study in patients with partial- to full-thickness burns shows that hyaluronic acid 0.2% gel daily for 12 weeks during the re-epithelialization phase reduces erythema, tension, pruritus, burning, and neoangiogenesis when compared with baseline (108636). The lack of statistical comparison to the ozonated oil group and the single-blinded nature of the study limit the validity of these findings.
• Canker sores. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial for canker sores. Details: A clinical study in adults with recurrent canker sores shows that applying a gel containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% two to three times daily for 7 days reduces soreness immediately and for up to 30 minutes after application when compared with baseline. However, these improvements are numerically similar to those seen with placebo (108637). The lack of statistical comparison to placebo limits the validity of this finding. A small observational study in children with recurrent canker sores has found that applying a gel containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% twice daily for 7 days is similarly effective to dexamethasone topical ointment applied three times daily for 5 days for reducing pain and ulcer size (104388).
• Corneal abrasion. It is unclear if eye drops containing hyaluronic acid are beneficial in preventing recurrence in patients with a history of traumatic corneal abrasion. Details: A small clinical study in patients with fully healed traumatic corneal abrasion at risk for recurrence shows that administration of eye drops containing hyaluronic acid 0.3% five times daily for 3 months does not reduce the incidence rate of major symptomatic episodes at 12 months when compared with observation alone (108623).
• Diabetic foot ulcers. Oral hyaluronic acid has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A meta-analysis of results from 4 clinical studies shows that applying hyaluronic acid combination gels or hyaluronic acid-based biomaterials to diabetic foot ulcers increases the odds of complete healing at 12 weeks by about 1.7-fold when compared to control treatment. Forms of hyaluronic acid assessed in the evaluated studies included zinc hyaluronate, hyaluronic acid-based biomaterial (Hyalograft 3D autograft), and a gel containing hyaluronic acid and amino acids (Vulnamin Gel, Errekappa) (91776). It is not clear if the beneficial effects were due to hyaluronic acid or other components of the treatments.
• Exercise-induced muscle soreness. Oral hyaluronic acid has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A very small clinical study in healthy, recreationally active adults shows that a specific product (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) containing hyaluronic acid 150 mg, chondroitin sulfate 300 mg, and collagen peptides 900 mg, taken twice daily for 6 weeks prior to two bouts of resistance exercise, attenuates muscle damage and decreases delayed-onset muscle soreness when compared with placebo (96301). It is unclear if these effects are due to hyaluronic acid, the other ingredients, or the combination. Furthermore, it should be noted that both studies were funded by the product manufacturer.
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Oral hyaluronic acid has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Patients with non-erosive GERD are thought to be less responsive to conventional acid suppression with proton pump inhibiters (PPIs) and H-2 blockers. A small preliminary clinical study shows that taking a syrup containing hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate along with PPIs, H2-receptor antagonists, and/or antacids, reduces the intensity of symptoms associated with non-erosive GERD by about 3.5-fold when compared with placebo (89592). A larger clinical study in patients with non-erosive GERD shows that taking a different formulation of the same combination of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid (Esoxx, Alfa Wassermann) 4 times daily for 14 days, in conjunction with a PPI, improves GERD symptom severity by 21%, heartburn by 15%, and regurgitation by 10% when compared with using a PPI and placebo (101271). Hyaluronic acid has also been evaluated in combination with chondroitin sulfate in patients with extraesophageal symptoms of GERD. A small, open-label study shows that taking a specific combination product (Gerdoff, SOFAR S.p.A.) containing hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulfate three times daily with omeprazole 40 mg daily for 6 weeks increases the rate of treatment response, defined as a 50% or greater improvement in reflux symptoms index scores, by around 40% when compared with omeprazole alone. While average symptom scores were not significantly improved with the combination product over omeprazole, the need for omeprazole as rescue therapy for breakthrough symptoms was reduced in the treatment group (109648). It is unclear if the findings described above are due to hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, or the combination.
• Gingivitis. It is unclear if hyaluronic acid used in a mouthwash reduces gingivitis severity. Details: A small clinical study in patients with biofilm-induced gingivitis shows that rinsing with 10 mL of hyaluronic acid 0.025% mouth wash (Gengigel, RICERFARMA SRL) for 1 minute twice daily reduces probing index and bleeding when compared with rinsing with a placebo solution, but is less effective when compared with chlorhexidine 0.12% solution (104383). Another small clinical study in patients with plaque-induced gingivitis shows that rinsing with 10 mL of a mouthwash containing hyaluronic acid 0.1% and hydrogen peroxide 1.8% for 30 seconds twice daily for 21 days reduces gingival index scores but not plaque index scores when compared with placebo (110554). It is unclear if these findings are due to hyaluronic acid, hydrogen peroxide, or the combination.
• Intranasal surgery. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid irrigation improves recovery in patients after nasal surgery. Details: A small clinical study in patients that underwent nasal surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis shows that performing nasal irrigation with high molecular weight sodium hyaluronate 9 mg twice daily for 6 weeks improves sinus scarring, crusting, and headache when compared with nasal irrigation with saline. However, the sodium hyaluronate irrigation did not improve sinus inflammation or secretions, nasal obstruction, or facial pain (101288).
• Intrauterine adhesions. Several small studies suggest that intrauterine administration of hyaluronic acid gel seems to prevent intrauterine adhesions after uterine surgery. Details: Meta-analyses of 11-12 small clinical studies in patients undergoing uterine surgery shows that intrauterine application of 1-10 mL of hyaluronic acid gel after surgery reduces the risk of intrauterine adhesions by around 50% and increases pregnancy rates when compared with no treatment (110551,110552). One analysis suggests that hyaluronic acid is most effective for prevention of intrauterine adhesions when at least 5 mL of gel is applied (110551).
• Lichen planus. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial in patients with oral lichen planus. Details: A clinical study in patients with oral lichen planus shows that application of a gel containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% four to five times daily for 28 days reduces soreness in as little as 5 minutes for up to 4 hours when compared with baseline. These findings are numerically similar to those seen with placebo; however, the lack of statistical comparison to placebo limits the validity of this finding (108635). A small clinical study in patients with symptomatic oral lichen planus (including mixed forms) shows that application of a gel containing hyaluronic acid 0.2% three times daily for 4 weeks is similarly effective to triamcinolone for improving pain, erythema, and lesion size (108633). It is unclear if the improvement from baseline differed between groups.
• Melasma. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial in patients with moderate to severe facial melasma. Details: A small clinical study in patients with mostly mixed-type, moderate to severe facial melasma shows that twice daily application of hyaluronic acid along with isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol reduces melasma severity similarly to isobutylamido thiazolyl resorcinol alone (108628). The single-blinded nature of the study limits the validity of these findings.
• Oral mucositis. Topical hyaluronic acid has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effects when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical study in children aged 5 years or older with chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis shows that using a solution containing sodium hyaluronate, verbascoside, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (Mucosyte; Biopharm) three times daily is more effective than placebo for improving pain and other symptoms (97890). Another small clinical study in adults in recovery from hematopoietic stem cell transplantation shows that using a spray product containing sodium hyaluronate with synthetic amino acid precursors of collagen (Mucosamin) attenuates the development of severe oral mucositis when compared with chlorhexidine 0.2% (97889).
• Osteoarthritis. It is unclear if oral hyaluronic acid is beneficial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. Details: A small study in patients with knee osteoarthritis shows that taking chicken comb extract (Hyal-Joint, Bioibérica) 80 mg, standardized to contain hyaluronic acid 60% to 70%, once daily for 8 weeks does not reduce pain when compared with placebo (55742). This study was limited by small size and a significant placebo effect. Another small study in patients with knee osteoarthritis shows that taking a different supplement (Oralvisc, Bioibérica) 80 mg standardized to contain hyaluronic acid 70% and glycosaminoglycans once daily for 3 months modestly reduces pain when compared with placebo (91779). Reasons for these differing findings may relate to hyaluronic acid formulation, study funding sources, or the magnitude of placebo effect. Hyaluronic acid has also been studied in combination with chondroitin and collagen peptides (BioCell Collagen, BioCell Technology, LLC) with some evidence of benefit (28680).
• Otitis media. It is unclear if using intranasal hyaluronic acid solution is beneficial for otitis media in children. Details: Preliminary clinical research in children 3-12 years of age who have recurrent or chronic middle ear inflammation and adenoiditis shows that using a compound (Yabro, IBSA Farmaceutici Italia S.r.l.) containing hyaluronic acid in saline intranasally 15 days per month for 3 months modestly reduces the number of patients with impaired otoscopy or middle ear function when compared to baseline (97888). It is unclear if this effect is due to the hyaluronic acid product or to the natural resolution of inflammation over time.
• Radiation dermatitis. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial for the prevention of radiation dermatitis. Details: A small clinical study in patients with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy following lumpectomy shows that three daily applications of a specific hyaluronic acid gel (RadiaPlex, MPM Medical) to one side of the breast results in a grade 2 or greater dermatitis occurrence rate of 62%, compared with a rate of 48% on the side receiving petrolatum-based gel. A review of a planned interim analysis led to early trial discontinuation (108638).
• Rhinosinusitis. It is unclear if hyaluronic acid solution is beneficial for acute or chronic rhinosinusitis when used in an intranasal saline rinse. Details: A small clinical study in adults with acute rhinosinusitis who are being treated with levofloxacin and prednisone shows that using a 3% hyaluronic acid in saline nasal douche twice daily improves smell, obstruction, and discharge within 14 days when compared with saline alone (97886). A very small clinical study in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis without nasal polyps shows that receiving micronized nasal hyaluronic acid douches twice daily for 30 days improves nasal symptoms, nasal obstruction, and ability to smell to a similar degree as normal saline (104387).
• Sexual dysfunction. It is unclear if vaginal hyaluronic acid is beneficial for improving sexual function in adults with dyspareunia. Details: A small nonrandomized clinical study in females with dyspareunia while taking oral hormonal contraceptives shows that once daily vaginal application of a hyaluronic acid gel for 12 weeks reduces pain and improves sexual function at 12 weeks when compared baseline. Though patients treated with twice weekly vaginal estrogen therapy had better 12-week scores than patients treated with hyaluronic acid, it is unclear if the improvements from baseline differed between groups (108639).
• Tooth extraction. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial for wound healing after tooth extraction. Details: A small clinical study in patients undergoing tooth extraction shows that application of hyaluronic acid 0.2% gel or hyaluronic acid 0.1% spray to the extraction socket twice daily for 7 days increases the rate of wound closure when compared with no treatment (110553). The validity of these findings is limited by a lack of placebo control group.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs). Oral and intravesical hyaluronic acid have been evaluated for the prevention of UTI in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A meta-analysis of prospective and retrospective studies shows that intravesical administration of 50 mL of specific solutions containing chondroitin sulfate 2% and hyaluronic acid 1.6% (iAluRil, IBSA Farmaceutici; Cystistat, Bioniche), once weekly to once monthly for up to 6 months, reduces the rate of UTI recurrence by about 2-3 incidents per year and delays the time to the first UTI recurrence when compared with placebo or prophylaxis with sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (99688). However, the validity of these findings is limited by the low quality and high heterogeneity of the included studies, as well as concerns for publication bias. Also, the effect of hyaluronic acid alone is unclear. Oral hyaluronic acid has also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients for the prevention of recurrent UTI. A small prospective observational study shows that taking 1-2 capsules of a combination of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, curcumin, and quercetin daily for 15 days each month, in conjunction with the use of local topical estrogen therapy for up to 12 months, reduces the number of women with recurrent UTIs when compared with taking the oral combination product or the vaginal estrogen product alone (96781). It is unclear if this effect is due to hyaluronic acid, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Vaginal atrophy. It is unclear if topical hyaluronic acid is beneficial for improving symptoms of vaginal atrophy. Details: A small, open-label clinical trial in patients going through menopause with symptoms of vaginal atrophy shows that applying 3 grams of a topical vaginal preparation of hyaluronic acid (Hyalo Gyn, Fidia Farmaceutici) every 3 days for 30 days improves vaginal health scores and reduces vaginal itching, vaginal burning, and pain during intercourse when compared to baseline. However, it does not appear to be any more effective than a polycarbophil vaginal gel (110549). Also, a small observational study in postmenopausal patients with vulvovaginal atrophy has found that applying a topical vaginal preparation containing hyaluronic acid (Justgin, JustPharma) three times weekly for 8 weeks is associated with improved symptoms of vaginal dryness, burning, and itching, as well as pain during intercourse, when compared to baseline (97887). The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group and retrospective nature of the study. Some research has evaluated combination products containing hyaluronic acid for vaginal atrophy. A clinical trial in patients with cervical cancer shows that intravaginal administration of a specific suppository (Santes, Lo.Li. Pharma) containing hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, and vitamin A, once daily for the 5 week duration of radiotherapy reduces vaginal dryness, inflammation, and dyspareunia when compared with no additional treatment (101283). Also, a small, open-label clinical study in patients with vaginal atrophy after treatment for breast cancer shows that intravaginal application of a suppository containing hyaluronic acid and extract of aloe, marigold, tiger grass, and tea tree daily for 10 days then every 3 days for 80 days improves vaginal health scores and reduces vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse when compared to baseline, with no difference between the hyaluronic acid-containing suppository and vaginal laser therapy (110550). It is unclear if these findings are due to hyaluronic acid, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Wound healing. Small clinical studies show that topical hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid derivatives may improve the healing of various types of wounds. Details: A meta-analysis of small clinical trials suggest that topical hyaluronic acid and hyaluronic acid derivatives might improve the healing of burns, wounds, and skin ulcers when compared with control (104389). More evidence is needed to rate hyaluronic acid for these uses.

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LIKELY EFFECTIVE

• Cystic fibrosis. Long-term nebulized hypertonic sodium chloride improves lung function and reduces pulmonary exacerbations in patients with cystic fibrosis. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research in adults with cystic fibrosis show that, when taken along with a bronchodilator and other standard therapies, nebulized hypertonic sodium chloride in concentrations of 3% to 7%, up to 10 mL twice daily for 4 weeks, increases forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1) when compared with isotonic saline (sodium chloride 0.9%) (26230,26230). This benefit was not seen at 48 weeks. Other clinical research in adults with cystic fibrosis shows that inhaling sodium chloride 7%, 4 mL twice daily for 48 weeks, does not improve FEV1 when compared with isotonic saline. However, chronic treatment with hypertonic saline does reduce the number of pulmonary exacerbations and increase the number of patients without pulmonary exacerbations when compared with isotonic saline (29402). It is not clear if this benefit occurs in children with cystic fibrosis. The Pulmonary Clinical Practice Guidelines Committee of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recommends that individuals with cystic fibrosis aged 6 years or older use nebulized hypertonic saline long-term to improve lung function, reduce the number of exacerbations, and improve quality of life (29403).

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

• Amphotericin B nephrotoxicity. Oral sodium chloride seems to prevent nephrotoxicity associated with use of amphotericin B. Details: Clinical research shows that administering oral or intravenous sodium chloride 150 mEq daily during treatment with amphotericin B can attenuate the rise in serum creatinine levels and preserve renal function when compared to treatment with amphotericin B alone (26226).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Bipolar disorder. It is unclear if oral sodium is beneficial in preventing lithium level fluctuations in patients with bipolar disorder. Details: A moderate-sized open-label clinical study in adults with type I bipolar disorder receiving lithium carbonate shows that taking sodium chloride 1 gram daily for 12 weeks along with dietary salt restriction of 1 gram daily reduces the percentage of patients with lithium level fluctuations above 0.8 mEq/L, but does not significantly affect serum sodium, potassium, aldosterone, or creatinine levels when compared with controls who were not salt restricted, but were advised not to consume additional salt at the table (112909). However, the interpretation of these findings is limited by missing data in both groups.
• Canker sores. Although there is interest in using topical sodium chloride for canker sores, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of sodium chloride for this condition.
• Congestive heart failure. It is unclear if oral sodium is beneficial in patients with acute decompensated heart failure requiring decongestive therapy with diuretics. Details: A moderate-sized clinical study in adults hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure requiring high-dose intravenous furosemide shows that taking sodium chloride 2 grams three times daily for up to 96 hours does not affect patient weight or serum creatinine levels when compared with placebo (112911). However, the clinical relevance of this study is unclear and it may have been inadequately powered to detect a difference between groups.
• Conjunctivitis. Although there is interest in using ophthalmic sodium chloride for conjunctivitis, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of sodium chloride for this condition.
• Hyponatremia. Although there is interest in using oral sodium chloride for hyponatremia, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of oral sodium chloride for this condition.
• Pharyngitis. Although there is interest in using topical sodium chloride for pharyngitis, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of sodium chloride for this condition.
• Prematurity. It is unclear if oral sodium is beneficial for premature infants. Details: Preliminary clinical research in infants born at less than 32 weeks' gestation shows that adding sodium 4 mEq/kg daily to enteral feedings, starting from the 7th day after birth and continuing through the 35th day, reduces the risk of developing hyponatremia and improves weight gain when compared with adding water (98180). A small, open-label clinical study in newborns less than 35 weeks gestation shows that high sodium intake, defined as an average of 0.25% sodium in maintenance fluids, for 48 hours on day 2 and 3 after birth results in less weight loss within the first 72 hours of life when compared with control, but does not improve mortality, length of hospital stay, or complications from prematurity (112908). However, interpretation of these findings is limited by varied concentrations of sodium as an intervention. More evidence is needed to rate sodium for these uses.

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EFFECTIVE

• Vitamin C deficiency. Oral or intramuscular vitamin C is effective for preventing or treating vitamin C deficiency. Details: Administering vitamin C orally or intramuscularly prevents and treats vitamin C deficiency, including scurvy. Vitamin C administration can reverse complications of scurvy within 2 days to 3 weeks (4844). In newborns with transient tyrosinemia due to vitamin C deficiency, oral or intramuscular vitamin C can correct this condition (15).

POSSIBLY EFFECTIVE

• Anemia of chronic disease. Oral vitamin C seems to improve markers of anemia in patients on hemodialysis. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research in hemodialysis patients with anemia shows that treatment with vitamin C 200-300 mg three times weekly for 3-6 months increases hemoglobin levels by approximately 0.9 grams/dL, increases transferrin saturation by about 8%, and decreases the required recombinant human erythropoietin dose by 17 U/kg weekly when compared with standard care (83447,83475).
• Atrial fibrillation. Oral and intravenous vitamin C seems to help prevent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgeries. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that taking vitamin C prior to and after cardiac surgery reduces the risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation by 27% to 53%. Most studies administered vitamin C at doses of 1-2 grams orally daily for 1-3 days prior to cardiac surgery, followed by 1-2 grams in two divided doses daily for 4-5 days after cardiac surgery. Some studies provided vitamin C intravenously at similar doses, but oral vitamin C seems to be more effective (91233,96703,96705). Despite these findings, a meta-analysis of clinical research conducted only in the U.S. does not support the benefit of vitamin C for reducing postoperative atrial fibrillation (96703). These differences may be related to lifestyle factors such as nutrition, as well as differences in hospital treatments. Vitamin C has also been studied in combination with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with evidence of benefit (90701).
• Bowel preparation. Powdered vitamin C is approved for use as part of a polyethylene glycol-based bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Details: Clinical research shows that treatment with 2 liters of oral solution containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) plus vitamin C achieves a similar quality of bowel cleansing as treatment with 4 liters of PEG when administered on the evening prior to colonoscopy or when administered in a split-dose regimen. Patients given 2 liters of PEG plus vitamin C solution also have better adherence and experience fewer adverse events, such as nausea, vomiting, or abdominal bloating, compared to patients treated with 4 liters of PEG solution without vitamin C (90413,90415,90420,90424,90428). This treatment also appears to be effective and tolerable in elderly patients aged 60-79 years, including those with poor bowel habits and a high number of comorbidities (108085). Other clinical research in older adults undergoing bowel preparation for colonoscopy also shows that taking 1 liter of PEG plus vitamin C (CleanViewAL, Taejoon Pharm) results in similar quality of bowel cleansing overall and per segment with similar tolerability and adverse effects as sodium picosulfate 170 mL plus magnesium citrate or oral sulfate solution alone (111297,112476). The most common PEG plus vitamin C preparation used in clinical research is MoviPrep (Norgine BV), which contains macrogol 3350 100 grams, sodium sulfate 7.5 grams, sodium chloride 2.7 grams, potassium chloride 1 gram, vitamin C 4.7 grams, and sodium ascorbate 5.9 grams per liter of solution (90413,90415,90424). In the U.S., MoviPrep is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for bowel preparation prior to a colonoscopy.
• Common cold. Oral high-dose vitamin C might modestly reduce cold symptoms; however, taking vitamin C prophylactically does not seem to prevent the development of a cold. Details: There is substantial controversy about the effectiveness of vitamin C for treating the common cold (1969,1989,7100,9835,9836). The majority of evidence shows that taking high doses of vitamin C orally might decrease the duration of cold symptoms by 1-1.5 days in some patients (1966,1967,1968,1987,6458,7102,9832,83487). However, other studies have found no effect with doses up to 3 grams daily (9833). A meta-analysis of clinical research suggests that vitamin C supplementation decreases the incidence of cold in individuals exposed to physical stress, but not in the general population (83487). Other research suggests vitamin C may be more effective for treating cold symptoms in children than in adults. Also, there may be a dose-dependent response; doses of at least 2 grams daily seem to work better than 1 gram doses (9834). Taking vitamin C supplements prophylactically does not decrease the risk of catching a cold (1966,1967,1968,1987,3042,6458,7101,9832). Dietary intake of vitamin C also does not seem to affect the risk of getting a cold (10780).
• Complex regional pain syndrome. Most research shows that taking oral vitamin C after a wrist or distal radius fracture or after orthopedic surgery seems to reduce the risk of developing complex regional pain. Details: Although some research has found no benefit in patients with distal radius (i.e. wrist) fractures (90411,96702), most clinical research shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily, and possibly doses of up to 1500 mg daily, for 45-50 days beginning immediately after fracture can reduce the risk of developing complex regional pain syndrome (2045,16302,96700,96706). Reasons for discrepancies are unclear but might relate to differences in diagnostic criteria for complex regional pain syndrome (96702). Research in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery has also shown benefit with the use of vitamin C for the prevention of complex regional pain syndrome (90422,108076,108087). One meta-analysis of clinical research in patients undergoing wrist, foot, or ankle surgery shows that taking vitamin C 500-1000 mg for 42-50 days following surgery reduces the rate of complex regional pain syndrome, and may improve pain following ankle or foot surgery, when compared with placebo (108076). The validity of these findings is limited by the high heterogeneity of included trials. Another meta-analysis of clinical research in patients undergoing orthopedic surgery (i.e. wrist, knee, ankle, foot, lumbar, rotator cuff) suggests that oral and intravenous vitamin C may have similar effectiveness; however, this evidence is low quality (108087).
• Exercise-induced respiratory infections. High-dose oral vitamin C seems to reduce the risk of respiratory infections associated with strenuous exercise. Details: Some preliminary clinical research suggests that prophylactic use of vitamin C in doses of 600 mg to 1 gram daily for 3-8 weeks before heavy physical exercise, such as a marathon, might prevent upper respiratory infections that sometimes follow heavy exercise (9831,83370). More recently, high doses of vitamin C have been studied. A large clinical study in army recruits undergoing basic military training shows that taking vitamin C 6 grams daily for one month reduces the odds of getting a cold by 20% when compared with placebo (102975).
• Hypercholesterolemia. Oral vitamin C seems to reduce lipid levels in patients with hypercholesterolemia. Details: A meta-analysis of clinical research in patients with hypercholesterolemia shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily for at least 4 weeks reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol by about 8 mg/dL and reduces triglycerides by about 20 mg/dL when compared with control (83445).
• Hypertension. Oral vitamin C seems to modestly reduce blood pressure in patients with hypertension. Details: Vitamin C seems to modestly reduce systolic blood pressure, without meaningful effects on diastolic blood pressure (2044,9822,13162,83483,102974). A meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials in patients with hypertension, with or without other comorbidities, shows that taking a median dose of vitamin C 500 mg daily for 8 weeks reduces systolic, but not diastolic, blood pressure by about 5 mmHg. Some of the studies used vitamin C in combination with other supplements, such as vitamin E and magnesium. When studies assessing vitamin C alone were analyzed, the magnitude of reduction in systolic blood pressure decreased (83483). A newer meta-analysis of small clinical studies in patients with essential hypertension shows that taking vitamin C 200 mg or more daily reduces systolic blood pressure by about 4 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by about 2 mmHg (102974). However, this newer analysis omitted numerous relevant studies and included studies with normotensive patients and those without an adequate control, limiting the validity of its findings.
• Laser skin resurfacing. Topical vitamin C seems to reduce erythema occurring after cosmetic laser skin resurfacing procedures intended to reduce scars and wrinkles. Details: There is some evidence that an aqueous formulation of topical vitamin C can decrease the degree and duration of erythema following cutaneous carbon dioxide laser resurfacing for scar and wrinkle removal (1959).
• Lead toxicity. Dietary vitamin C seems to lower concentrations of lead in the blood. Details: Observational research has found that consuming more vitamin C from dietary sources is associated with lower blood concentrations of lead. People who consumed at least 340 mg of vitamin C daily as part of the diet had lower blood lead levels than those who consumed less than 100 mg vitamin C daily (3097,3098,3099).
• Nitrate tolerance. Oral vitamin C might prevent nitrate tolerance in some patients. Details: Small clinical studies show that taking vitamin C orally seems to prevent the development of nitrate tolerance in patients taking sublingual nitroglycerin. There is some evidence that short-term vitamin C supplementation can prevent tolerance to the vasodilatory effects of nitrates (1441,1961).
• Postoperative pain. Oral or intravenous vitamin C might prevent acute postoperative pain following certain surgeries. It is unclear if vitamin C reduces chronic postoperative pain. Details: A meta-analysis of 7 small clinical studies in adults undergoing elective surgery shows that receiving perioperative vitamin C, either as 1 gram orally, 2-3 grams intravenously, or 50 mg/kg intravenously, modestly reduces acute pain and opioid requirements for up to 24 hours when compared with control (105457). Most surgeries were laparoscopic and included cholecystectomy, colectomy, hysterectomy; two non-laparoscopic surgeries included uvulopalatopharyngoplasty with tonsillectomy and major abdominal surgery (90418,99840,105457). A meta-analysis of clinical trials in adults undergoing noncardiac surgery (i.e., orthopedic, abdominal, gynecologic, kidney transplantation) shows that administering perioperative vitamin C, either orally or intravenously, reduces postoperative intravenous morphine requirements at 2, 24, and 48 hours after surgery and improves pain scores at 2, 6, and 24 hours after surgery when compared with placebo. The dose of vitamin C did not appear to impact outcomes. However, when only laparoscopic surgeries are included, perioperative vitamin C does not improve pain or morphine use when compared with placebo (108087). A moderate-sized clinical study in adults undergoing transurethral resection of a bladder tumor under general anesthesia shows that administering intravenous vitamin C 1 gram after induction of anesthesia reduces the incidence and severity of catheter-related bladder discomfort immediately after surgery and at 1 and 2 hours postoperatively, but not 6 hours, when compared with placebo. However, vitamin C does not reduce postoperative pain scores or analgesic requirements when compared with placebo (111645). Further research is needed to determine the effects of vitamin C for acute postoperative pain. Vitamin C has also been evaluated for reducing chronic pain after surgery. Clinical research in patients undergoing surgery for foot or ankle trauma shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg orally twice daily postoperatively for 6 weeks reduces pain scores when compared with placebo at 2 weeks and 6 weeks. The mean total amount of diclofenac used for pain relief over the 6-week period is also reduced, from 5.7 grams with placebo to 3.4 grams with vitamin C (102131).
• Wrinkled skin. Topical vitamin C might reduce the appearance of existing wrinkles. Details: Topical preparations containing vitamin C seem to improve the appearance of wrinkled skin. Some evidence shows that vitamin C 3% applied for 12 weeks might reduce facial wrinkles (14008). A small clinical study shows that applying a dissolving microneedle patch containing vitamin C 5.6% every 4 days for 12 weeks to crow's feet on one side of the face reduces wrinkles when compared to control treatment applied on the other side of the face (98780). Other clinical research in females aged 30-60 years shows that applying an oil-soluble cream containing the vitamin C derivative tetra-isopalmitoyl ascorbic acid 1%, 2%, or 3% to the periorbital area twice daily for 8 weeks reduces visual wrinkle grading when compared with placebo. A dose analysis shows greater improvements in wrinkle parameters, average wrinkle depth, and mean depth with the lower concentration, while greater improvements in maximum roughness and maximum depth are observed with the higher concentration (108072). This study only included individuals defined as having Fitzpatrick skin type III or IV; it effects on other skin types is unclear. Preparations containing vitamin C in combination with other ingredients have also been investigated. A small low-quality trial in females with moderately photodamaged and hyperpigmented facial skin shows that applying a moisturizer with vitamin C 30%, vitamin E, and coenzyme Q10 once daily in the morning, along with applying retinol 0.5% once daily or once every other day for 12 weeks, seems to improve skin tone, photodamage, and wrinkles when compared to baseline (99085). In another small trial, a topical preparation containing vitamin C 10% as L-ascorbic acid along with acetyl tyrosine, zinc sulfate, sodium hyaluronate, and bioflavonoids (Cellex-C High Potency Serum) applied to photo-aged facial skin for 3 months improves fine and coarse wrinkling, yellowing and sallowness, roughness, and skin tone when compared with placebo (6155). It is unclear if the beneficial effects of these products are due to vitamin C, other ingredients, or the combination.

POSSIBLY INEFFECTIVE

• Acute bronchitis. Oral vitamin C doesn't seem to improve symptoms of acute bronchitis. Details: A clinical study in adults with acute bronchitis shows that taking vitamin C orally 500 mg on day 1, then 250 mg on days 2 through 5 (similar to an azithromycin regimen) doesn't seem to have any effect on quality of life or bronchitis duration when compared with azithromycin (9827).
• Asthma. Oral vitamin C doesn't seem to prevent asthma or improve lung function. Details: Although some observational research has found that some patients with asthma might have lower serum vitamin C levels (5873), other observational research found that increased dietary vitamin C intake is not associated with a reduced risk of asthma or improved lung function (15006,34567). In addition, clinical research shows that supplemental intake of vitamin C does not reduce asthma symptoms, improve lung function, or reduce the use of inhaled steroids in asthma patients (90409).
• Atherosclerosis. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the progression of atherosclerosis. Details: A clinical study shows that taking a specific combination product containing slow-release vitamin C 250 mg and vitamin E 136 IU (CellaVie, Ferrosan A/S) twice daily modestly slows the 3-year progression of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery in males, but not females. This result persisted at a 6-year follow-up of this study (1918,10473). However, when this form of vitamin C is used alone, it does not slow the 3-year progression of atherosclerosis of the carotid artery (1918).
• Bladder cancer. Oral vitamin C does not reduce the risk of bladder cancer or mortality from bladder cancer. Details: Epidemiological research has found that supplemental vitamin C intake is not associated with mortality rate in patients with bladder cancer (9839). A secondary analysis of a large clinical trial, the Physicians' Health Study II, in healthy men aged at least 50 years also shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily alone or with vitamin E 400 IU daily for up to 10 years does not reduce the risk of developing bladder cancer or bladder cancer-related deaths when compared with placebo (90097).
• Cardiovascular disease (CVD). Oral vitamin C does not seem to be beneficial for either primary or secondary CVD prevention. Details: Vitamin C does not seem to be beneficial for primary prevention of CVD. Some population research has found that higher supplemental vitamin C or dietary vitamin C has been associated with a reduced risk of developing CVD (10358,14108,109779), while other observational research has found no benefit (34566,10358,14108). However, meta-analyses of clinical research in healthy patients show that vitamin C supplementation does not prevent CVD or coronary heart disease when compared with control (97308,104025). In 2004, the American Heart Association stated that current evidence does not justify use of antioxidants such as vitamin C for reducing the risk of CVD (12142). Evidence is also negative for secondary prevention in people with coronary heart disease. Population studies have found that higher serum vitamin C was associated with no effect or decreased CVD mortality from CVD (3910,5878). A meta-analysis of two large clinical trials shows that vitamin C supplementation does not reduce CVD events or CVD mortality when compared with control (97308).
• Colorectal cancer. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent colorectal cancer. Details: Population research has found that dietary vitamin C intake is not associated with a reduced risk of developing colon cancer. When total vitamin C intake from food and supplements is considered, there is a modest association (34600). However, most clinical trials show that supplemental vitamin C, alone or along with other antioxidants, does not reduce the risk of colorectal cancer development, colorectal cancer or adenoma recurrence, or colorectal cancer-related mortality (34580,34581,34594,90097,90089,92903).
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Oral vitamin C, even at high doses, does not seem to speed recovery from COVID-19 in non-hospitalized patients. An analysis of clinical research suggests that oral or intravenous vitamin C might reduce mortality in patients hospitalized with COVID-19; however, given that nearly all individual studies are small and do not show benefit, larger and higher-quality studies are needed to confirm these findings. Details: A clinical study in adult outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 shows that taking oral vitamin C (ascorbic acid) 8000 mg in 2-3 divided doses daily, alone or with zinc gluconate 50 mg daily, for 10 days does not reduce symptom severity when compared with standard care (104450). The study was terminated prior to complete enrollment due to futility and apparent lack of effect from vitamin C and/or zinc supplementation. Limitations of this study include a lack of placebo control and blinding. Additionally, this study has been criticized for methodologic concerns (106624). Another small clinical trial in adult outpatients with confirmed COVID-19 shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg daily for 14 days does not improve symptoms or quality of life when compared with placebo (109462). Vitamin C has also been evaluated in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Individual prospective and retrospective studies in critically ill patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in various countries have found that administering vitamin C, either enterally as 500-1000 mg daily or intravenously as 8-24 grams daily or 50 mg/kg daily, does not significantly reduce in-hospital or short-term mortality, hospital length of stay, or end-organ failure when compared with control groups receiving standard care alone. Additionally, all but one study found no change in the need for mechanical ventilation (105458,105465,106937,106938,108075,108079,108081). One small study found a small improvement in survival rate when compared with standard care; however, the overall survival rate in this study was low (108075). Additionally, one clinical study in patients hospitalized in Turkey with COVID-19 shows that adding high-dose intravenous sodium ascorbate 50 mg/kg to a treatment regimen of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin, and zinc may improve recovery time, with 57% and 39% of patients achieving total recovery at day 15 in the vitamin C and control groups, respectively (108071). However, the validity of this trial is limited due to unclear reporting. Additionally, these small studies were likely underpowered to detect differences between the vitamin C and control groups. A meta-analysis of 10 clinical trials and 9 observational studies in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 shows that receiving oral or intravenous vitamin C daily reduces the odds of in-hospital mortality by 41% when compared with control. When only clinical trials were considered, the odds of in-hospital mortality were decreased by 56%; however, this reduction was only identified in studies using vitamin C 10 grams daily or less. Conversely, supplementation with vitamin C increased the length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay by nearly 2 days and did not impact length of hospital stay or reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, liver injury, or cardiac injury (109955). Given that most individual studies in this analysis did not show improvements in mortality with vitamin C, larger and higher-quality prospective studies are needed to determine the role of vitamin C in hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Vitamin C has also been evaluated in patients with long COVID. Preliminary clinical research in adults with long COVID and persistent fatigue shows that taking a specific combination product containing vitamin C 500 mg and L-arginine 1.66 grams (Bioarginina C, Farmacetici Damor) for 28 days increases 6-minute walk test distance by 10% and reduces self-reported fatigue when compared with placebo (110390).
• Fetal and premature infant mortality. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent neonatal death. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that taking vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of neonatal death (83472,96707).
• Fractures. Oral vitamin C does not seem to improve fracture healing. Details: Clinical research shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily for 50 days following an acute distal radial fracture does not improve physical function, symptoms, or healing rates when compared with placebo (90411).
• Helicobacter pylori. Oral vitamin C does not seem to improve eradication of H. pylori. Details: Most clinical research shows that treatment with vitamin C, alone or in combination with vitamin E, does not improve the eradication rate of H. pylori when taken with a standard eradication regimen when compared with the eradication regimen alone (83476,90094).
• Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy. Oral vitamin C does not seem to improve neuropathy in these patients. Details: In a meta-analysis of five studies in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A, taking vitamin C 1-4 grams orally daily for 1 year did not improve neuropathy when compared with placebo (99084). Continuing vitamin C 4 grams daily for 2 years also does not improve neuropathy in these patients (90419).
• Interferon-related retinopathy. Oral vitamin C does not seem to improve retinopathy associated with interferon therapy. Details: A small clinical study in patients with chronic hepatitis C receiving interferon therapy shows that taking vitamin C 600 daily orally does not seem to reduce the risk of retinopathy from interferon therapy when compared with control (10355).
• Leukemia. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the risk of leukemia or mortality from leukemia. Details: A large clinical trial in men aged at least 50 years shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily, alone or along with vitamin E 400 IU daily, for up to 10 years does not reduce the risk of developing leukemia or leukemia-related deaths when compared with placebo (90097).
• Low birth weight. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the risk of infants being born with a low birth weight. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that maternal use of oral vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of giving birth to infants with low birth weight when compared with control (83450,83472).
• Lung cancer. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the risk of lung cancer. Details: Two meta-analyses of clinical research suggest that taking vitamin C, alone or in combination with vitamin E, does not reduce the incidence of lung cancer or lung cancer-related mortality (34528,34632). Also, a clinical study in females shows that taking supplemental vitamin C 500 mg daily, with or without vitamin E and beta carotene, is associated with an INCREASED risk of lung cancer when compared with placebo (34580).
• Melanoma. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the risk of melanoma. Details: Clinical research shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily, alone or along with vitamin E 400 IU daily, for up to 10 years does not reduce the risk of developing melanoma or melanoma-related deaths when compared with placebo in men aged at least 50 years (90097).
• Miscarriage. Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce the risk of miscarriage. Details: A meta-analysis of clinical research shows that taking vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of miscarriage when compared with control (94820).
• Overall mortality. Oral vitamin C does not reduce overall mortality. Details: Although population research suggests that higher dietary intake and higher plasma vitamin C levels are associated with a reduced risk of mortality from all causes (3910,109779), vitamin C supplementation does not seem to affect overall mortality. Meta-analyses of clinical research show that taking vitamin C supplements does not reduce overall mortality when compared with control (34622,111641). Clinical studies of vitamin C used in combination with vitamin E, beta carotene, and/or selenium and zinc, also show no benefit for overall mortality (9817,14109).
• Pancreatic cancer. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent pancreatic cancer. Details: Observational research has found that increased dietary vitamin C intake is associated with up to a 30% reduced risk of pancreatic cancer (99083,99086). However, clinical research shows that supplemental vitamin C 500 mg daily does not reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer in females (34580). Also, taking vitamin C in combination with beta-carotene plus vitamin E does not reduce the risk of pancreatic cancer (12185,34581).
• Pre-eclampsia. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent pre-eclampsia. Details: Despite some early positive research in high-risk pregnancies, the majority of meta-analyses and clinical studies show that taking vitamin C alone or with vitamin E or other supplements does not reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia when compared with control. There is even some concern that vitamin C supplementation may increase the risk of gestational hypertension (3236,83450,83472,83474,96707).
• Preterm labor. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent preterm labor. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that taking vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of preterm labor when compared with control (83450,83472,96707).
• Prostate cancer. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent prostate cancer. Details: A large-scale clinical study (The SU.VI.MAX study) shows that a combination of vitamin C 120 mg, vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 30 mg, beta-carotene 6 mg, selenium 100 mcg, and zinc 20 mg, taken daily for an average of 8 years, does not reduce the risk of prostate cancer overall. However, it might reduce the risk of prostate cancer in those who have normal PSA levels. It does not seem to be beneficial for reducing the risk of prostate cancer in patients with PSA levels above 3 mcg/L (14135). Another large scale study (Physician's Health Study II) shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg daily for an average of 8 years does not significantly reduce the risk of prostate cancer when compared with placebo (16708). Similarly, results from the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian (PLCO) Cancer Screening Trial seem to show that supplemental or dietary intake of vitamin C does not reduce the risk of prostate cancer when compared to individuals not taking vitamin C (14124).
• Radiation dermatitis. Topical vitamin C does not seem to prevent radiation dermatitis in cancer patients. Details: A small clinical study shows that applying a 10% vitamin C solution does not appear to protect from radiation dermatitis when applied to the scalps of patients treated with radiation for intracranial tumors (789).
• Small for gestational age (SGA). Oral vitamin C does not seem to reduce SGA. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that taking vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of small for gestational age birth when compared with control (83450,83472).
• Stillbirth. Oral vitamin C does not seem to prevent stillbirth. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that maternal use of vitamin C alone or with other supplements does not reduce the risk of stillbirth when compared with control (83472,96707).

LIKELY INEFFECTIVE

• Sepsis. Intravenous vitamin C, alone or in combination with thiamine and/or hydrocortisone, does not prevent organ failure, reduce intensive care or hospital length of stay, or reduce mortality in sepsis or septic shock. Details: Observational research suggests that patients with septic shock are more likely to have low plasma levels of vitamin C (100317). However, two randomized clinical trials in patients with sepsis show no benefit with intravenous vitamin C, with or without thiamine, for improving organ function and preventing organ failure when compared with control treatment (102130,104027). A clinical study in patients with septic shock shows that administering an intravenous bolus of vitamin C 1000 mg followed by a continuous infusion of 250 mg/hour for 96 hours, starting within 24 hours of vasopressor initiation, does not improve 28-day or intensive care unit (ICU) mortality when compared with placebo. A subgroup analysis shows that the addition of corticosteroids does not affect outcomes in either group (108078). This study may have been inadequately powered to detect a difference between groups. Also, a larger clinical trial in adults with sepsis receiving vasopressor therapy in the ICU shows that intravenous administration of vitamin C 50 mg/kg every 6 hours for up to 4 days increases the risk of death or persistent organ dysfunction at day 28 by 14% to 21% when compared with placebo. There were no differences in mortality at 6 months (109459,111643). Vitamin C has also been frequently studied in patients with sepsis and septic shock in a specific combination regimen (HAT therapy) which includes intravenous vitamin C 1.5-2 grams with hydrocortisone 50 mg every 6 hours and thiamine 200 mg every 12 hours. While some retrospective research has found HAT therapy to be beneficial in sepsis (100315,102980), high quality, prospective clinical research has not confirmed these findings (105447,106620,109956). Several meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and small clinical studies in patients with sepsis or septic shock show that intravenous vitamin C, either alone, as a component of HAT therapy, or in combination with thiamine, does not reduce short- or long-term mortality, ICU or hospital length of stay, kidney injury, or duration of mechanical ventilation, but modestly improves duration of vasopressor use and procalcitonin clearance, when compared with placebo or standard care. These analyses also show mixed results with respect to improvement in sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scores within 72 hours (105447,106620,106935,108073,109460,111298,111300,111301,111642,112479). Most studies included in the analyses administered HAT therapy for 2-10 days and compared it with normal saline control or with hydrocortisone alone (102129,102998,104027,104028,104032,105446). Although some subgroup analyses suggests that intravenous vitamin C alone in patients with sepsis may improve short-term mortality (106620,111298), other meta-analyses have not shown this benefit in subgroup analyses (111300). In addition, meta-analyses have identified significant publication bias (111298,111300). Long-term follow up from a study in patients with sepsis-induced respiratory and/or cardiovascular dysfunction shows that receiving HAT therapy does not improve cognitive, psychological, or functional status after 6 months and, for some domains, HAT therapy was worse when compared with placebo (111299). Studies evaluating intravenous vitamin C, either alone, as a component of HAT therapy, or in combination with thiamine, in mixed critically ill populations have also shown mixed findings. One such large meta-analysis of 27 randomized controlled trials and 21 observational studies shows that intravenous vitamin C reduces in-hospital mortality by 19% and ICU stay by about 1 day, but does not have a significant effect on hospital stay, mortality at 1 month, ICU mortality, or kidney injury, when compared with placebo or standard care. Also, effects on in-hospital mortality were no longer significant when data from randomized controlled trials were considered alone (106933). Other meta-analyses including 15-16 randomized controlled trials show that intravenous vitamin C, alone or as a component of HAT therapy, does not reduce overall, ICU, or in-hospital mortality when compared with control (106934,109957). A subgroup analysis in one of these analyses suggests that intravenous vitamin C as monotherapy, or in doses of at least 10 grams daily, may improve overall mortality (106934). Vitamin C also does not appear to benefit complications from sepsis, such as vasoplegic shock. A small clinical study in adults in the ICU with vasoplegic shock mostly secondary to sepsis and requiring moderate vasopressor support shows that administering intravenous vitamin C as sodium ascorbate 1.5 grams every 6 hours for 5 days or until cessation of vasoactive therapy does not reduce the duration of vasopressors, vasopressor dose, hospital or ICU length of stay, or mortality outcomes when compared with placebo (112475).

INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE

• Atrophic acne scars. It is unclear if applying topical vitamin C after microblading improves atrophic acne scars. Details: A clinical study in adults with mild to severe atrophic acne scarring shows that applying a serum containing vitamin C 17% to the face after a once-monthly home microblade treatment for 4 months improves the appearance of acne scars at month 5 when compared with baseline (108086). Although this study enrolled a control group that used topical insulin in place of vitamin C, no between-group statistical comparisons were conducted, limiting the validity of this study.
• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Most clinical research shows that taking the antioxidants vitamin C 500 mg, vitamin E 400 IU, and beta-carotene 15 mg daily, with or without elemental zinc 80 mg, reduces the risk of visual acuity loss by 23% to 27% and reduces the risk of progression to advanced AMD at 5 years by 25% to 32% in patients at high risk for developing advanced AMD (7303,7304,11326,90069). The antioxidant plus zinc combination seems to reduce the risk of progression to advanced AMD in these patients more than taking the antioxidants without zinc (7303,90069). There is not enough evidence to know if taking the antioxidants or antioxidants plus zinc prevents progression to advanced AMD in patients with early stage AMD (7303,7304). The effect of vitamin C intake on developing AMD is unclear. Some population studies have found no association between dietary or supplemental vitamin C intake on risk of developing AMD (14007,14257). In one population study, vitamin C intake was associated with increased odds of developing age-related maculopathy (9823); however, in another population study, intake of vitamin C along with other antioxidants and zinc was associated with a reduced risk of AMD (14257). More evidence is needed to determine what role, if any, vitamin C intake has on the risk of developing AMD.
• Aging skin. Topical vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Clinical research in females aged 30-65 years shows that applying a specific liquid (Antioxidant and Collagen Booster Serum, Max Biocare Pty Ltd.) containing vitamin C 20%, red raspberry leaf cell culture extract 0.0005%, and vitamin E 1% to the face nightly for 8 weeks, in addition to regular facial skin products, improves skin color, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, and appearance of wrinkles when compared with regular facial skin products alone (102355).
• Albuminuria. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical study shows that taking vitamin C 1250 mg plus vitamin E 680 IU daily for 4 weeks can reduce the excretion of albumin by about 19% when compared with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes (10434).
• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever). It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in patients with hay fever. Details: Epidemiological research has found that higher vitamin C plasma levels are not associated with a decreased risk of allergic rhinitis (15200). However, clinical research shows that some forms of vitamin C might help. In one small clinical study, intranasal vitamin C administered three times daily for 2 weeks reduces nasal secretions, nasal blockage, and edema in up to 74% of patients with perennial allergic rhinitis (15201). Another small clinical study in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis shows that taking a single oral dose of vitamin C 2 grams reduces bronchial responsiveness to histamine at one hour after ingestion (15202). However, in another small study in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis taking vitamin C orally in doses up to 4 grams daily for 3 days does not appear to suppress cutaneous or nasal response to histamine when compared to placebo (15203).
• Alzheimer disease. It is unclear if dietary vitamin C helps to prevent this condition. Details: Most epidemiological research has found that dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with a 17% reduced risk of developing Alzheimer disease (4636,9824,10131,13165,90082).
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease). It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent ALS. Details: Observational research has found that increased dietary or supplemental intake of vitamin C is not associated with risk of developing ALS (90412).
• Anthracycline cardiotoxicity. Although there is interest in using oral vitamin C for anthracycline-induced cardiac toxicity, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vitamin C for this condition.
• Aspirin-associated gastric damage. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent gastric damage caused by aspirin. Details: Some clinical research shows that vitamin C 480 mg might prevent gastric damage associated with taking aspirin 400 mg by decreasing blood loss and preventing decreased gastric blood flow (10357). However, a small clinical study in healthy patients shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg as ascorbic acid with aspirin 600 mg actually increases gastrointestinal permeability to a greater extent than either ingredient taken alone (98781).
• Athletic performance. It is unclear if oral vitamin C improves athletic performance. Details: Although some small preliminary clinical studies suggest that vitamin C might improve certain biomarkers during exercise (82922), a meta-analysis of small clinical trials in older and younger adults shows that taking vitamin C 500-1000 mg daily, with or without vitamin E, does not improve endurance, lean mass, or muscle strength when compared with placebo (102973). A more recent, small clinical study in recreationally trained males shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg and vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) 235 mg daily for 10 weeks while participating in a resistance training program does not improve measures of muscle strength when compared with placebo (109959).
• Atopic disease. It is unclear if dietary vitamin C helps to prevent atopic disease. Details: Population research has found that higher intake of vitamin C is not associated with a reduced risk of eczema, wheeze, IgE-mediated food allergy, or allergic sensitization (90098).
• Attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Small clinical studies suggest that high-dose oral vitamin C may not improve symptoms in patients with ADHD. Details: Some research suggests that taking megadose vitamins, including vitamin C, does not improve ADHD symptoms (9957,9958,9959). However, other preliminary clinical research shows that taking 25 mg of vitamin C in combination with flaxseed oil providing alpha-linolenic acid 200 mg twice daily might improve measures of attention, impulsivity, restlessness, and self-control in children with ADHD when compared with baseline (14443). It is not clear if these effects are due to vitamin C, flaxseed oil, or the combination.
• Autism spectrum disorder. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Details: One small clinical study shows that taking vitamin C 8 grams per 70 kg daily for 10 weeks modestly reduces autism symptom severity in school children when compared with placebo (83604).
• Bleeding. It is unclear if intravenous vitamin C can reduce bleeding after total abdominal hysterectomy. Details: A small clinical study in patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy shows that administration of intravenous vitamin C 1 gram the night before surgery and 1 gram during surgery reduces postoperative hemorrhage volume by around 40 mL when compared with placebo (109465).
• Brain tumor. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent brain tumors. Details: Population research has found that vitamin C intake is associated with a 14% reduced risk of glioma. This risk reduction was more prevalent in America compared to other geographic locations (98782).
• Breast cancer. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent breast cancer, its recurrence, or breast cancer-related mortality. Details: Some epidemiological research has found that dietary vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer (1444,10823,10824). However, other epidemiological research has found no association with dietary or supplemental vitamin C (10825,10826,108080). One cohort study found no association between breast cancer risk and total, dietary, or supplemental vitamin C, regardless of dose, treatment duration, or formulation (single ingredient or combination product). Additionally, hormone and menopausal status did not appear to impact risk. Vitamin C intake might be associated with a reduced risk in individuals with a family history of breast cancer in first-degree relatives (108080). In patients with breast cancer, supplemental or dietary intake of vitamin C might be associated with a reduced risk of mortality. A meta-analysis of results from population research shows that vitamin C supplementation following breast cancer diagnosis is associated with a 15% lower risk of breast cancer-related mortality when compared with no supplementation (90416). A large, observational study in patients with breast cancer undergoing radiation therapy has found that vitamin C supplementation does not reduce the risk of breast cancer recurrence over a period of 5 years when compared with no supplementation. Although the vitamin C group had notably less aggressive tumor types, recurrence-free survival was similar in both vitamin C and control groups (108082). The validity of these findings is limited due to unknown doses of vitamin C and the inclusion of various breast cancer subtypes.
• Burns. Small studies suggest that intravenous vitamin C may modestly improve symptoms in patients with severe burns. Details: A small clinical study in patients with severe burns shows that administering vitamin C intravenously (IV) 66 mg/kg hourly over 24 hours, as part of fluid resuscitation using lactated ringer solution, reduces wound edema and the volume of fluid needed when compared with fluid resuscitation alone (83145). A retrospective review of adults hospitalized with severe burns has found that those who receive a continuous IV infusion of at least 10 grams of vitamin C within 2 days of admission have an in-hospital mortality rate of 46%, compared with 58% for those who do not receive vitamin C (102128).
• Cancer. It is unclear if oral or intravenous vitamin C helps to prevent cancer or cancer-related mortality. Details: Some population research has found that DIETARY intake of vitamin C is linked with a lower risk of cancer and cancer-related mortality (3910,5878,10819,109779). However, clinical research shows that taking vitamin C SUPPLEMENTS does not reduce the risk for cancer (10819,14109,34580,90097). In people with cancer, although some clinical research has shown that taking high-dose vitamin C supplements can improve survival rates (9809,96704), other clinical research has not shown this benefit (4842,4843). In 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that it would allow a qualified health claim stating that some scientific evidence suggests that antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin C, may reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer. However, the FDA has determined that there is little scientific evidence supporting this claim (102334). Preliminary clinical research has also evaluated vitamin C supplements in patients with cancer. High-dose oral vitamin C, 10 grams daily, in patients with advanced cancer does not seem to improve survival or decrease disease progression (4842,4843,106617). However, preliminary clinical research suggests high doses of vitamin C, given intravenously, might have a beneficial effect on some outcomes, including survival rate in some patients with cancer (9809,96704,106617). However, there is no benefit to other patients studied in the case reports and this has not been tested in well-designed clinical trials (9809,96704).
• Carpal tunnel syndrome. Vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A clinical study in adults with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome shows that taking a combination product containing vitamins C, E, B1, B2, B6, and B12, alpha-lipoic acid, acetyl-L-carnitine, phosphatidylserine, and turmeric twice daily for 60 days reduces symptom severity and pain but does not improve measures of hand and wrist function when compared with control (111702). The validity of these effects is limited by a lack of blinding. The study may also be inadequately powered to detect a difference between groups. Additionally, it is unclear if the effects are due to vitamin C, other ingredients, or the combination.
• Cataracts. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent cataracts. Details: Population research has found that people with the highest total intake of vitamin C have about a 19% reduced risk of developing cataracts when compared with those with the lowest total intake. The greatest benefit is observed for nuclear cataracts (96711). A separate study found that higher supplemental intake of vitamin C for 10 years is associated with a 60% reduction in the incidence of nuclear and cortical cataracts (4208). Other population research has found that the highest blood levels of vitamin C are associated with a 33% reduced odds of developing age-related cataract, but any benefit seems to be limited to Asian populations (90944). One prospective clinical study shows that taking vitamin C plus vitamin E and beta-carotene does not prevent the development or progression of age-related loss of vision due to cataracts in well-nourished people taking the supplement for an average of 6.3 years (7304).
• Cervical cancer. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent cervical cancer. Details: Observational research has found that higher vitamin C intake is associated with a 33% to 42% reduced odds of cervical neoplasm. Increasing vitamin C intake by 50 mg daily is associated with an 8% reduced odds of cervical neoplasm (34609,98771).
• Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Although there is interest in using oral vitamin C for CFS, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vitamin C for this condition.
• Colistin-induced nephrotoxicity. It is unclear if intravenous vitamin C helps to prevent nephrotoxicity from colistin. Details: A small clinical study shows that intravenous administration of vitamin C 2 grams every 12 hours along with colistin for around 9-10 days does not prevent nephrotoxicity when compared with colistin therapy alone (99839). However, this study was limited by a lack of statistical power to detect differences between the study groups.
• Contrast induced nephropathy. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN). Details: Some clinical research shows that taking vitamin C before and after coronary angiography reduces the risk of developing CIN by 33% to 55% when compared with placebo in patients with renal dysfunction (12234,90421). However, other clinical evidence published since 2012 suggests that vitamin C given orally and/or intravenously before and after angiography does not reduce the risk of CIN compared with control in high-risk patients with chronic renal insufficiency or diabetes (91232,91236,90410,90425). Reasons for the discrepancies are not entirely clear. However, it is possible that the lack of significant benefit from vitamin C in the latter studies results from the fact that incidences of CIN have become less common than in the past due to avoidance of dehydration, use of smaller catheters, and use of contrast agents with reduced nephrotoxicity (90429).
• Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. It is unclear if intravenous vitamin C helps to improve patient outcomes after CABG surgery. Details: A small clinical study shows that giving vitamin C 5 grams intravenously (IV) before anesthesia induction and 5 grams in the cardioplegia solution used during surgery shortens the length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) by about 8 hours (102127). However, some limited research suggests that IV vitamin C does not resolve cardiac surgery complications. A small clinical study in patients with vasoplegia after receiving CABG and other cardiac surgeries shows that receiving IV vitamin C 1.5 grams every 6 hours after being admitted to the ICU does not improve vasoplegia when compared with control (102981).
• Delirium. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Observational research in adults with septic shock has found that receiving intravenous thiamine 400 mg daily with vitamin C 6 grams daily, both in divided doses, is not associated with reduced delirium when compared with control (103001).
• Dental plaque. It is unclear if vitamin C in a chewing gum helps to reduce dental plaque formation. Details: A small clinical study in patients with calculus shows that chewing 10 pieces of gum, each containing 60 mg of vitamin C, daily for 3 months reduces the formation of dental calculus, visible plaque, and the number of bleeding sites when compared not chewing gum (83303). The validity of this finding is limited by a lack of placebo group.
• Depression. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial for the treatment or prevention of depression. Details: A small clinical study in children and adolescents shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg orally twice daily in combination with fluoxetine 10-20 mg daily for 6 months reduces most symptoms of major depressive disorder when compared with taking fluoxetine alone (90404). However, a small clinical study in adults shows that taking vitamin C up to 1000 mg daily for 2 months does not improve the response rate or decrease symptoms of depression in adults also taking citalopram when compared with citalopram alone (96708). Reasons for these conflicting results may relate to the age of the patients, study duration, or differences in antidepressant medication being taken. One clinical guideline also provisionally recommends against the use of oral vitamin C to treat patients with depression based on low-quality evidence (110318). Some research has also evaluated vitamin C intake for the prevention of depression. A secondary analysis of pre- and peri-menopausal adults enrolled in the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) program suggests that vitamin C intake is inversely associated with depressive symptoms. This association persisted regardless of age, race, physical activity, body mass index, antidepressant use or menopausal status (108083). The validity of these findings is limited due to the secondary nature of this study; additionally, follow-up time is unclear.
• Diabetes. It is unclear if oral vitamin C prevents diabetes. Some low-quality research suggests that vitamin C might improve glycemic control in patients with diabetes. Details: Population research has not found a link between dietary vitamin C and the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (14004). However, low certainty clinical research has found some benefit of taking vitamin C supplements for glycemic control. Two meta-analyses of several small, heterogeneous clinical studies in patients with type 2 diabetes show that taking vitamin C 200-3000 mg daily for 2-48 weeks reduces fasting blood glucose by approximately 11 mg/dL (112478) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) by an average of 0.5% when compared with placebo, standard treatment, or no treatment (105461,112478). Subgroup analyses suggest that durations of supplementation longer than 12 weeks show greater glycemic benefit, and although one meta-analysis suggests there is no dose-response relationship (105461), another meta-analysis suggests that doses of vitamin C 1000 mg and higher are most beneficial for improving glycemic indices (112478). Some research has evaluated the effects of vitamin C supplementation on the lipid profile in patients with diabetes, with mixed findings. One meta-analysis of 17 small clinical studies shows that taking vitamin C 200-3000 mg daily for 2 to 48 weeks improves levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol, but not low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. Subgroup analysis suggests that study durations of at least 12 weeks show greater benefit (106621). However, two other meta-analyses in patients with diabetes, one of 16 small heterogenous clinical studies and one of 11 small clinical studies, show no clinically important improvement in lipid levels after vitamin C supplementation (105461,105464).
• Dry mouth. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with vitamin E; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical trial in patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer shows that taking vitamin E 100 IU and vitamin C 500 mg twice daily for an average of 3 months improves dry mouth when compared to baseline (99080). The validity of these results is limited by the lack of comparison with a control group.
• Endometrial cancer. Increased dietary vitamin C has been linked to reduced risk of endometrial cancer. Details: Population research has found that intake of vitamin C from dietary sources is associated with a slightly decreased risk of endometrial cancer when compared with control. However, this benefit is not observed when results from a prospective cohort study are assessed (34578).
• Endometriosis. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with vitamin E; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical study in patients with endometriosis and pelvic pain shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg and vitamin E 800 IU daily for 8 weeks improves dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, and chronic pelvic pain scores when compared with placebo. Vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation also reduces some biochemical markers of oxidative stress when compared with placebo (106622).
• Endoscopy-associated adverse effects. It is unclear if a topical vitamin C spray reduces mucosal irritation in patients undergoing Lugol chromoendoscopy. Details: A small clinical trial in patients receiving a Lugol chromoendoscopy shows that spraying a vitamin C 2% solution after the application of the Lugol iodine 2% solution reduces the severity of mucosal irritation, heartburn, and pain when compared with using a normal saline spray after the Lugol iodine 2% solution (104030).
• Esophageal cancer. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Population research has found that higher dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with reduced odds of esophageal adenocarcinoma. A 50 gram increase in dietary vitamin C intake is associated with a 13% reduced odds of esophageal cancer (34551,98770). However, a meta-analysis of clinical research shows that taking a vitamin C supplement in combination with beta-carotene and vitamin E does not reduce the risk of esophageal cancer (34581).
• Exercise-induced asthma. Small clinical studies suggest that oral vitamin C may modestly improve symptoms in patients with exercise-induced asthma. Details: A meta-analysis of the available clinical research shows that vitamin C supplementation might reduce exercise-induced breathlessness when compared with placebo or control. However, the available research is of poor quality, and no clear conclusions can be drawn regarding its benefits for exercise-induced asthma (90409).
• Exercise-induced muscle damage. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in exercise-induced muscle damage. Details: A small clinical study in healthy females shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg before moderate intensity cycling does not prevent muscle damage when compared with placebo (99837). Another small clinical study in endurance-trained runners shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg and vitamin E (as alpha-tocopherol) 235 mg 2 hours prior to an exercise protocol does not reduce delayed onset muscle soreness or improve other markers of exercise-induced muscle damage when compared with placebo (109961).
• Gallbladder disease. It is unclear if oral vitamin C reduces the risk of gallbladder disease. Details: Cross-sectional epidemiological evidence has found that vitamin C supplementation and increased vitamin C serum levels are associated with a decreased risk of developing gallbladder disease in females, but not males (5877).
• Gastric cancer. It is unclear if dietary or supplemental vitamin C reduces the risk of gastric cancer. Details: Most population research has not found an association between DIETARY intake of vitamin C and gastric cancer risk (9194,10822,10819,90083). Also, clinical research shows that taking vitamin C supplements in combination with other antioxidants does not reduce the risk of gastric cancer or precancerous gastric lesions (14447,34581,90085). However, some research suggests that it might be associated with a reduced risk for specific forms of gastric cancer (9838,90083). One clinical study shows that taking vitamin C orally 500 mg daily for 6 months after eradication of Helicobacter pylori infection decreases the incidence of precancerous changes in stomach tissue when compared with no treatment (10359). Also, other clinical research shows that taking vitamin C orally 1 gram daily helps promote the regression of precancerous gastric lesions in people at high risk for gastric cancer (2579). In 2009, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that it would allow a qualified health claim stating that vitamin C supplements may reduce the risk of gastric cancer. However, the FDA has concluded that it is highly uncertain that vitamin C supplements actually reduce the risk of gastric cancer (102332).
• Gastritis. There is limited evidence on the oral use of vitamin C in omeprazole-induced corpus gastritis. Details: A small clinical study shows that taking vitamin C orally 1200 mg daily along with omeprazole decreases corpus gastritis associated with omeprazole therapy in patients with H. pylori infection (10360).
• Gout. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent or manage gout. Details: Population research in men has found that taking vitamin C 500-1500 mg daily from the diet and/or supplements is associated with up to a 34% reduced risk of gout when compared with less than 250 mg daily (16755). Also, men who ingest over 500 mg of vitamin C daily from the diet and supplements have serum uric acid levels that are slightly lower than men who consume less than 90 mg daily (16820). However, taking supplemental vitamin C 500 mg daily for 8 weeks does not seem to lower serum uric acid levels in patients who already have gout (90423).
• Hearing loss. There is limited evidence on the intravenous use of vitamin C in idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. It is unclear if dietary vitamin C intake can affect the risk of hearing loss. Details: A small clinical study in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss shows that receiving intravenous high-dose vitamin C 200 mg/kg daily in combination with steroid therapy for 10 days, followed by oral vitamin C 2000 mg daily for 30 days, increases recovery rate two-fold and modestly improves hearing threshold levels when compared with receiving steroid therapy only (90417). In addition, population research in females has found that high dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with a 22% increased risk of developing self-reported hearing loss over a 22-year period when compared with low intake (109807).
• Heart transplant complications. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical trial shows that a combination of vitamin C 500 mg and vitamin E 400 IU, taken twice daily for 1 year starting within the first 2 years after cardiac transplant, reduced the progression of vasculopathy as measured by intravascular ultrasonography (IVUS) when compared with placebo. This suggests that the combination may help slow the progression of CAV (82826).
• Hepatitis C. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in patients with hepatitis C. Details: A small clinical study in patients with confirmed hepatitis C shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg daily with conventional therapy (sofosbuvir plus daclatasvir) for 4 weeks improves serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, and albumin when compared with conventional therapy alone (109463).
• HIV/AIDS. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small, low-quality study in men with HIV shows that taking vitamin C 250 mg daily in combination with vitamin A, beta-carotene, vitamin E, selenium, and coenzyme Q10 does not improve viral load, although it seems to improve markers of oxidative stress when compared to baseline. However, a 1000 mg dose of vitamin C, as well as higher doses of the other antioxidants, do not seem to provide any additional effect (9830).
• HIV transmission. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A clinical study in HIV-positive mothers shows that taking vitamin B, vitamin C, and vitamin E daily during pregnancy and while breast-feeding for 20 weeks seems to reduce child mortality and HIV transmission through breast milk when compared with taking vitamin A (9801).
• Hyperphosphatemia. Intravenous vitamin C might be beneficial for reducing phosphate levels in patients with end-stage renal disease. Details: A small clinical study in hemodialysis patients with elevated phosphorus levels suggests that administering vitamin C 500 mg intravenously three times weekly for 8 weeks reduces phosphorus levels about seven-fold when compared with placebo (90414).
• Idiopathic interstitial pneumonia. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical study in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a form of idiopathic interstitial pneumonia, shows that taking a combination of vitamin C 250 mg every other day, vitamin D 50,000 IU daily, and vitamin E 200 IU daily for 12 weeks improves some, but not all, measures of lung function and reduces markers of inflammation and oxidative stress when compared to baseline (109464). The validity of these findings is limited by a lack of placebo control group.
• Infertility. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in anovulatory females. Details: A very small clinical study suggests that taking vitamin C 400-1000 mg daily might improve fertility, resulting in ovulation and pregnancy in some anovulatory females, when compared with baseline (14018). The validity of these findings is limited by the small study size and lack of a comparator group.
• Male infertility. It is unclear if oral or intravenous vitamin C is beneficial in males with infertility. Details: A meta-analysis of three small, low-quality clinical trials in males with infertility shows that taking vitamin C up to 1000 mg daily for up to 12 weeks can improve sperm count, motility, and vitality, but does not seem to increase semen volume or sperm concentration, when compared with control (109461). It is unclear if vitamin C can increase pregnancy rates, as these studies did not assess this outcome. A retrospective study in males with or without varicocele-related infertility has found that taking a specific combination product containing vitamin C 90 mg, zinc 10 mg, L-carnitine fumarate 1725 mg, acetyl-L-carnitine 500 mg, coenzyme Q10 20 mg, folic acid 0.2 mg, selenium 0.05 mg, and vitamin B12 0.015 mg (Proxeed Plus, Sigma-Tau) orally twice daily for 6 months improves sperm count, sperm concentration, and sperm motility when compared with baseline. Improvement in semen parameters were greatest in subjects with more severe varicoceles. The validity of this study is limited by the lack of a comparator group (111296).
• Mastalgia. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical trial in patients with mastalgia shows that taking a combination of vitamin C 100 mg, vitamin B12, and gamma-linolenic acid daily for 12 weeks does not improve the proportion of patients with minimal or no pain when compared with placebo (111059).
• Melasma. It is unclear if topical vitamin C is beneficial in patients with melasma. Details: A small clinical study in patients with bilateral symmetrically distributed facial melasma shows that topical application of 0.5 mL of vitamin C (Cosmotech, Alpha Medical Cosmotech) following dermapen microneedling every 2 weeks for 6 weeks is similarly effective to tranexamic acid for improving melasma severity and pigmented, but not vascular, findings on dermoscopic examination (106939).
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial in patients with NAFLD. Details: A clinical study in patients with NAFLD shows that taking vitamin C 250 mg, 1000 mg, or 2000 mg daily for 12 weeks improves some biochemical markers of liver health and glucose metabolism when compared with baseline. However, the improvement from baseline was similar between groups (106942).
• Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Preliminary clinical research suggests vitamin C in combination with vitamin E might improve hepatic fibrosis in patients with NASH. However, it does not seem to decrease liver inflammation (14005).
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. It is unclear if oral vitamin C reduces the risk of developing diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Details: In one population study, higher dietary or supplemental intake of vitamin C was associated with a reduced risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, when compared with lower intake in postmenopausal adults (90945).
• Oral cancer. It is unclear if oral vitamin C reduces the risk of developing oral cancer. Details: Population research has found that higher dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with a reduced risk of oral cancer (10821). However, clinical research has not shown benefit with oral vitamin C supplements. A small clinical trial in Japanese adults with oral leukoplakia shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg and beta-carotene 10 mg daily for 12 months does not reduce the development of oral cancer over 5 years when compared with vitamin C 50 mg daily (91384).
• Oral leukoplakia. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical trial in Japanese adults with oral leukoplakia shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg and beta-carotene 10 mg daily for 12 months does not improve leukoplakia symptoms or reduce the development of oral cancer over 5 years when compared with vitamin C 50 mg daily (91384).
• Osteoarthritis. It is unclear if dietary vitamin C reduces the risk of developing osteoarthritis. Details: Observational research has found that increased vitamin C from dietary sources is associated with a reduced risk of cartilage loss and disease progression in people with osteoarthritis (5881).
• Osteoporosis. It is unclear if dietary vitamin C improves bone density or reduces fracture risk in patients at risk for osteoporosis. Details: Some cross-sectional observational research in postmenopausal patients without a history of smoking or estrogen use has found that higher serum vitamin C levels are associated with lower bone mineral density (9828). However, other observational research in a larger population of adults at risk for osteoporosis has found that higher dietary vitamin C intake is not associated with fracture risk (104415).
• Ovarian cancer. Dietary vitamin C might not affect the risk of ovarian cancer. Details: Epidemiological research has found that dietary vitamin C intake is not linked with ovarian cancer risk (9193,102977).
• Pancreatitis. It is unclear if intravenous vitamin C is beneficial in patients with acute pancreatitis. Details: A small meta-analysis of clinical studies in patients with acute pancreatitis shows that intravenous vitamin C does not improve the odds of developing organ failure when compared with placebo or no intervention. Intravenous vitamin C seems to reduce hospital stay, but not in-hospital mortality (106941).
• Parkinson disease. Dietary vitamin C might not affect the risk of developing this condition. Details: Observational research has found that moderate or high dietary intake of vitamin C is not associated with a reduced risk of Parkinson disease (83316).
• Periodontitis. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. It is also unclear if dietary vitamin C reduces the risk of periodontitis. Details: A small clinical study in patients with moderate or advanced periodontitis shows that taking a supplement containing vitamin C 100 mg, alpha-lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10, cranberry extract, grapeseed extract, selenium, vitamin E, and zinc twice daily for 8 weeks in addition to standard nonsurgical therapy does not improve periodontal indices including bleeding on probing, gingival recession, plaque index, or inflammation, among others, when compared with placebo (111708). It is unclear if these effects are due to vitamin C, other ingredients, or the combination. There is also interest in whether dietary vitamin C intake impacts the risk of periodontitis. Observational research in US adults has found that individuals with dietary intake of vitamin C in the third quartile, but not the second or fourth quartiles, have lower odds of periodontitis when compared with vitamin C intake in the lowest quartile. Furthermore, the investigators identified a non-linear relationship between vitamin C intake and periodontitis risk, suggesting that individuals with intakes either much lower or much higher than 158 mg daily are at increased risk of developing periodontitis (109958).
• Peripheral arterial disease (PAD). It is unclear if dietary vitamin C helps to reduce the risk of developing PAD. Details: In females, epidemiological evidence has found that dietary intake of vitamin C of 142 mg daily or greater is associated with a 36% reduced risk of PAD when compared with lower intake levels of less than 80 mg daily (10130).
• Physical performance. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to improve physical performance and muscle strength in older people. Details: Population research has found that higher intake of dietary vitamin C is associated with improved physical performance and muscle strength in elderly people (14006). In contrast, a small clinical study in elderly men undergoing strength training shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg and vitamin E 258IU daily for 12 weeks does not increase strength, and might even attenuate increases in muscle mass, when compared with strength training alone (96701).
• Pneumonia. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to prevent pneumonia. Details: A meta-analysis of two small, low-quality clinical studies in children shows that vitamin C does not seem to reduce the occurrence of pneumonia when compared to control (104033).
• Postoperative recovery. It is unclear if oral or intravenous vitamin C improves postoperative recovery. Details: Meta-analyses of clinical research show that oral or intravenous vitamin C can shorten the duration of hospitalization after cardiac surgery when compared with control (91233,96703). However, other research shows no decrease in intensive care or hospital stay with vitamin C supplementation (96705). A meta-analysis of 37 clinical trials in adults undergoing low- to high-risk noncardiac surgery (i.e., orthopedic, abdominal, gynecologic, or kidney transplantation), shows that receiving perioperative vitamin C, either orally or intravenously, does not improve duration of hospitalization or overall mortality when compared with control (108087). There's also some limited evidence that vitamin C might reduce postoperative pulmonary complications such as lung infection, pleural effusion, and pneumothorax. A small clinical trial in low-risk cardiac surgery patients shows that receiving intravenous vitamin C 1 gram 10 minutes after anesthesia might slightly reduce the rate of postoperative pulmonary complications when compared with receiving a saline injection (104034).
• Premature rupture of membranes (PROM). Oral vitamin C seems to reduce the risk of PROM in some patients; however, the addition of oral vitamin E seems to negate any benefit. Details: A meta-analysis of clinical research shows that taking vitamin C alone decreases the risk of both term and preterm PROM by 45% and 34%, respectively, when compared with placebo or control (96707). Also, a more recent clinical study in patients with a history of PROM shows that taking vitamin C 100 mg daily, starting at 14 weeks' gestation, increases the gestational age at recurrent PROM by around 1 week and increases the gestational age at birth by around 1.3 weeks when compared with placebo (109960). Taking vitamin C in combination with vitamin E, however, does not seem to reduce the risk of term or preterm PROM; some research suggests that it might even increase the risk of non-preterm PROM (83472,96707). However, other research shows that taking vitamin C 1000 mg plus vitamin E 400 IU daily, beginning at 24 to 34 weeks gestation and continuing until delivery, may help increase the latency period until delivery by 5 days and increase gestational age at delivery by almost 1 week when compared with placebo in patients with preterm PROM (90078).
• Pressure ulcers. It is unclear if oral vitamin C, when used alone or in combination with other ingredients, can improve the healing of pressure ulcers. Details: A small clinical study in institutionalized patients with pressure ulcers shows that taking vitamin C 500 mg twice daily for 12 weeks does not improve wound closure or increase healing rates when compared with vitamin C 10 mg twice daily (83617). Oral vitamin C has also been evaluated in combination with other ingredients for the treatment of grade II-IV pressure ulcers. Two small clinical studies in hospitalized patients with pressure ulcers shows that administering an oral nutritional supplement enriched with vitamin C, L-arginine, and zinc improves ulcer healing when compared with a standard diet (31953,87173). Also, clinical research in patients living in long-term care facilities shows that taking an oral nutritional supplement enriched in protein, vitamin C, L-arginine, and zinc daily for 9 weeks reduces ulcer area and decreases oozing when compared to baseline (32045). The validity of this finding is limited by the lack of a comparator group.
• Radiation proctopathy. Oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with vitamin E; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: A small clinical study in patients with chronic radiation proctitis shows that vitamin C 500 mg plus vitamin E 400 IU three times daily might improve symptoms when compared with baseline (9825). The validity of these findings is limited by the lack of a comparator group.
• Renal cell carcinoma. It is unclear if increased dietary intake of vitamin C helps to reduce the risk of renal cell carcinoma. Details: Population research has found that increased dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with a 12% reduced risk of renal cell carcinoma (98779).
• Respiratory tract infections. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial for preventing respiratory tract infections or reducing the duration of these infections. Details: A meta-analysis of clinical research in children and adults shows that, when compared with placebo, oral vitamin C supplementation reduces the average number of symptomatic days per individual, but does not reduce the average symptom days per respiratory episode. Also, vitamin C intake does not reduce the incidence or severity of respiratory disease or improve recovery in hospitalized patients with respiratory tract infections (108077). The validity of this trial is limited by the high heterogeneity of included studies, which evaluated various vitamin C regimens, ranging from 100 mg to 8 grams daily, as preventive therapy or as an adjuvant to active treatment. A clinical study in children aged 3-10 years shows that taking vitamin C 50 mg in combination with a specific product (Lab4) containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis daily for 6 months reduces the incidence of cough and sore throat by 16% and 20%, respectively, when compared with placebo. However, it did not improve total symptoms, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, or sneezing. Also, aside from a 33% reduction in the average number of days with a sore throat, daily supplementation does not reduce the duration of individual symptoms or total symptoms (106943). It is unclear if these effects are due to vitamin C, the probiotics, or the combination.
• Restless legs syndrome (RLS). It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to reduce symptoms of stress. Details: A small clinical study in hemodialysis patients with RLS shows that taking vitamin C 200 mg daily, alone or in combination with vitamin E 400 mg, for 8 weeks reduces the severity of RLS when compared with placebo (90093). More research is needed to determine if vitamin C is beneficial in treating RLS that is not associated with hemodialysis.
• Sunburn. Topical and oral vitamin C has only been evaluated in combination with other ingredients; its effect when used alone is unclear. Details: Taking vitamin C orally in combination with vitamin E seems to prevent ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced erythema (sunburn) (4715,4716). Vitamin C in combination with high dose oral RRR-alpha-tocopherol (natural vitamin E) seems to protect against skin inflammation after exposure to UV radiation (4715). Also, applying topical vitamin C in combination with topical vitamin E and melatonin seems to provide modest photoprotective effects when used prior to UV exposure. However, it has no effect when used during or after UV exposure (4713,4714).
• Stress. It is unclear if oral vitamin C helps to reduce symptoms of stress. Details: A small clinical study in healthy adults shows that taking vitamin C 3000 mg daily for 14 days modestly reduces blood pressure and subjective stress response to psychological stress when compared with placebo (10353).
• Stroke. Observational research has found that although taking vitamin C supplements does not seem to be beneficial, eating more vitamin C-rich food is linked with reduced risk of stroke. Details: Lower plasma levels of vitamin C have been associated with increased stroke risk (90408). Additionally, population research has found that higher dietary intake of vitamin C is associated with a 8% to 19% reduction in stroke risk when compared to lower intake (90408,109779). This reduction appears to be dose-dependent, with each 100 mg/day increase in dietary vitamin C intake associated with about a 17% reduction (90408). However, taking vitamin C supplements has not been found to be associated with reduced stroke risk (1449,90408).
• Tetanus. It is unclear if intravenous vitamin C helps to reduce symptoms of tetanus. Details: A low quality clinical trial in children and young adults with tetanus shows that intravenous vitamin C 1 gram daily along with conventional treatment reduces fatality when compared to control (21539).
• Tooth extraction. It is unclear if oral vitamin C is beneficial for reducing pain or improving healing after tooth extraction. Details: A small clinical study in healthy patients aged 14-41 years who are undergoing bilateral premolar extraction shows that taking vitamin C 200 mg three times daily, beginning immediately after extraction and continued for 10 days, improves pain on days 1-3, and may reduce mesio-distal wound size between days 1 and 7, when compared with placebo, but not when compared with vitamin C 500 mg three times daily. A dose of 500 mg three times daily did not improve pain scores or extraction wound healing when compared with placebo (108084). The validity of this trial is limited by the short duration of treatment; additionally, this study did not report baseline vitamin C levels.
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs). Although there is interest in using oral vitamin C for UTIs, there is insufficient reliable information about the clinical effects of vitamin C for this condition.
• Vascular dementia. It is unclear if oral vitamin C reduces the risk of vascular dementia. Details: Population research has found that supplemental intake of vitamin C and vitamin E is associated with a reduced risk of vascular dementia in Japanese-American men (4636). However, when cases in which dementia was diagnosed prior to the study are excluded from data analysis, intake of vitamin C and vitamin E is not associated with a reduced risk of vascular dementia in these patients (9824).
• Wound healing. It is unclear if oral vitamin C improves the healing of chronic foot ulcers. It is also unclear if intravenous vitamin C improves healing of surgical wounds after total abdominal hysterectomy. Details: A very small clinical study in adults with chronic foot ulcers shows that taking slow-release vitamin C 500 mg daily for 8 weeks seems to result in a median of 100% ulcer healing, compared with a median of 14% ulcer healing in patients taking glucosamine 1000 mg daily (105456). This finding is limited due to the small and heterogeneous patient population, which included patients with diabetes, vascular disease, and/or vitamin C deficiency. Another small clinical study in patients undergoing total abdominal hysterectomy shows that administration of intravenous vitamin C 1 gram the night before surgery and 1 gram during surgery does not reduce the rate of surgical site infection or wound dehiscence when compared with placebo (109465). However, this study may not have been adequately powered to detect differences between groups. More evidence is needed to rate vitamin C for these uses.

(Read more about VITAMIN C)

POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately, short-term. Collagen peptides have been used with apparent safety at doses up to 10 grams daily for up to 6 months and in doses up to 40 grams daily for up to 4 weeks (97632,97635,101615,101621,104638,104643,104644,104647,101622,110667). PREGNANCY &

LACTATION:
Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.

(Read more about COLLAGEN PEPTIDES)

LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately. Supplements standardized to contain hyaluronic acid 70%, in an 80 mg daily dose, have been used daily for up to 3 months with no reports of adverse effects (55742,91779). ...when used topically and appropriately. Hyaluronic acid, in a gel or impregnated gauze, has been safely applied to the skin in clinical trials (7889,7892,104389,108627,108640). ...when eye drop preparations containing up to 0.3% hyaluronic acid are used multiple times per day for up to 3 months (97885,97894,97895,110555).

PREGNANCY:
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of hyaluronic acid; avoid using.

LACTATION:
There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of hyaluronic acid. It is not known if hyaluronic acid is excreted in breast milk (7890); avoid using.

(Read more about HYALURONIC ACID)

LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately. Sodium is safe in amounts that do not exceed the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) intake level of 2.3 grams daily (100310). Higher doses can be safely used therapeutically with appropriate medical monitoring (26226,26227).

POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally in high doses. Tell patients to avoid exceeding the CDRR intake level of 2.3 grams daily (100310). Higher intake can cause hypertension and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (26229,98176,98177,98178,98181,98183,98184,100310,109395,109396,109398,109399). There is insufficient reliable information available about the safety of sodium when used topically.

CHILDREN: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally and appropriately (26229,100310). Sodium is safe in amounts that do not exceed the CDRR intake level of 1.2 grams daily for children 1 to 3 years, 1.5 grams daily for children 4 to 8 years, 1.8 grams daily for children 9 to 13 years, and 2.3 grams daily for adolescents (100310).

CHILDREN: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally in high doses. Tell patients to avoid prolonged use of doses exceeding the CDRR intake level of 1.2 grams daily for children 1 to 3 years, 1.5 grams daily for children 4 to 8 years, 1.8 grams daily for children 9 to 13 years, and 2.3 grams daily for adolescents (100310). Higher intake can cause hypertension (26229).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally and appropriately. Sodium is safe in amounts that do not exceed the CDRR intake level of 2.3 grams daily (100310).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally in higher doses. Higher intake can cause hypertension (100310). Also, both the highest and the lowest pre-pregnancy sodium quintile intakes are associated with an increased risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including gestational hypertension and pre-eclampsia, and the delivery of small for gestational age (SGA) infants when compared to the middle intake quintile (106264).

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LIKELY SAFE ...when used orally, topically, intramuscularly, or intravenously and appropriately. Vitamin C is safe when taken orally in doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL). Tell patients not to exceed the UL of 2000 mg daily (1959,4713,4714,4844). ...when used intravenously or intramuscularly and appropriately. Injectable vitamin C is an FDA-approved prescription product (15).

POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally in excessive doses. Doses greater than the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 2000 mg daily can significantly increase the risk of adverse effects such as osmotic diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset (4844).

CHILDREN: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally and appropriately (4844,10352,14443).

CHILDREN: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally in excessive amounts. Tell patients not to use doses above the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 400 mg daily for children ages 1 to 3 years, 650 mg daily for children 4 to 8 years, 1200 mg daily for children 9 to 13 years, and 1800 mg daily for adolescents 14 to 18 years. Higher doses can cause osmotic diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset (4844).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: LIKELY SAFE
when used orally and appropriately (4844).

PREGNANCY AND LACTATION: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally in excessive doses. Tell patients over age 19 not to use doses exceeding the UL of 2000 mg daily when pregnant or breast-feeding and for those 14-18 years of age not to use doses exceeding 1800 mg daily when pregnant or breast-feeding. Higher doses can cause osmotic diarrhea and gastrointestinal upset. Large doses of vitamin C during pregnancy can also cause newborn scurvy (4844); avoid using.

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ANTIHYPERTENSIVE DRUGS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = A Theoretically, a high intake of dietary sodium might reduce the effectiveness of antihypertensive drugs.  Details High intake of dietary sodium can increase systolic and diastolic blood pressure (26222). Also, high intake of sodium may necessitate increased use of antihypertensive medications to achieve blood pressure control in some patients, such as those with chronic kidney disease (26223).

CORTICOSTEROIDS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Concomitant use of mineralocorticoids and some glucocorticoids with sodium supplements might increase the risk of hypernatremia.  Details Mineralocorticoids and some glucocorticoids (corticosteroids) cause sodium retention. This effect is dose-related and depends on mineralocorticoid potency. It is most common with hydrocortisone, cortisone, and fludrocortisone, followed by prednisone and prednisolone (4425).

LITHIUM Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B Altering dietary intake of sodium might alter the levels and clinical effects of lithium.  Details High sodium intake can reduce plasma concentrations of lithium by increasing lithium excretion (26225). Reducing sodium intake can significantly increase plasma concentrations of lithium and cause lithium toxicity in patients being treated with lithium carbonate (26224,26225). Stabilizing sodium intake is shown to reduce the percentage of patients with lithium level fluctuations above 0.8 mEq/L (112909). Patients taking lithium should avoid significant alterations in their dietary intake of sodium.

SODIUM-CONTAINING DRUGS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Concomitant use of sodium-containing drugs with additional sodium from dietary or supplemental sources may increase the risk of hypernatremia and long-term sodium-related complications.  Details The Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) intake level of 2.3 grams of sodium daily indicates the intake at which it is believed that chronic disease risk increases for the apparently healthy population (100310). Some medications contain high quantities of sodium. When used in conjunction with sodium supplements or high-sodium diets, the CDRR may be exceeded. Additionally, concomitant use may increase the risk for hypernatremia; this risk is highest in the elderly and people with other risk factors for electrolyte disturbances.

TOLVAPTAN (Samsca) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = C Theoretically, concomitant use of tolvaptan with sodium might increase the risk of hypernatremia.  Details Tolvaptan is a vasopressin receptor 2 antagonist that is used to increase sodium levels in patients with hyponatremia (29406). Patients taking tolvaptan should use caution with the use of sodium salts such as sodium chloride.

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ACETAMINOPHEN (Tylenol, others) Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Insignificant •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B High-dose vitamin C might slightly prolong the clearance of acetaminophen.  Details A small pharmacokinetic study in healthy volunteers shows that taking high-dose vitamin C (3 grams) 1.5 hours after taking acetaminophen 1 gram slightly increases the apparent half-life of acetaminophen from around 2.3 hours to 3.1 hours. Ascorbic acid competitively inhibits sulfate conjugation of acetaminophen. However, to compensate, elimination of acetaminophen glucuronide and unconjugated acetaminophen increases (6451). This effect is not likely to be clinically significant.

ALKYLATING AGENTS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = High •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, antioxidant effects of vitamin C might reduce the effectiveness of alkylating agents.  Details The use of antioxidants like vitamin C during chemotherapy is controversial. There is concern that antioxidants could reduce the activity of chemotherapy drugs that generate free radicals, such as cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, carmustine, busulfan, and thiotepa (391). In contrast, some researchers theorize that antioxidants might make chemotherapy more effective by reducing oxidative stress that could interfere with apoptosis (cell death) of cancer cells (14012,14013). More evidence is needed to determine what effect, if any, antioxidants such as vitamin C have on chemotherapy.

ALUMINUM Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Mild •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B Vitamin C can increase the amount of aluminum absorbed from aluminum compounds.  Details Research in animals and humans shows that vitamin C increases aluminum absorption, theoretically by chelating aluminum and keeping it in solution where it is available for absorption (10549,10550,10551,21556). In people with normal renal function, urinary excretion of aluminum will likely increase, making aluminum retention and toxicity unlikely (10549). Patients with renal failure who take aluminum-containing compounds such as phosphate binders should avoid vitamin C supplements in doses above the recommended dietary allowances.

ANTITUMOR ANTIBIOTICS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = High •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, the antioxidant effects of vitamin C might reduce the effectiveness of antitumor antibiotics.  Details The use of antioxidants like vitamin C during chemotherapy is controversial. There is concern that antioxidants could reduce the activity of chemotherapy drugs which generate free radicals, such as doxorubicin (391). In contrast, some researchers theorize that antioxidants might make chemotherapy more effective by reducing oxidative stress that could interfere with apoptosis (cell death) of cancer cells (14012,14013). More evidence is needed to determine what effects, if any, antioxidants such as vitamin C have on chemotherapy.

ASPIRIN Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Insignificant •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Acidification of the urine by vitamin C might increase aspirin levels.  Details It has been suggested that acidification of the urine by vitamin C could increase reabsorption of salicylates by the renal tubules, and increase plasma salicylate levels (3046). However, short-term use of up to 6 grams daily of vitamin C does not seem to affect urinary pH or salicylate excretion (10588,10589), suggesting this interaction is not clinically significant.

CHOLINE MAGNESIUM TRISALICYLATE (Trilisate) Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Insignificant •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Acidification of the urine by vitamin C might increase choline magnesium trisalicylate levels.  Details It has been suggested that acidification of the urine by vitamin C could increase reabsorption of salicylates by the renal tubules, and increase plasma salicylate levels (3046,4531). However, short-term use of up to 6 grams daily of vitamin C does not seem to affect urinary pH or salicylate excretion (10588,10589), suggesting this interaction probably is not clinically significant.

ESTROGENS Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B Vitamin C might increase blood levels of estrogens.  Details Increases in plasma estrogen levels of up to 55% occur under some circumstances when vitamin C is taken concurrently with oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy, including topical products (129,130,11161). It is suggested that vitamin C prevents oxidation of estrogen in the tissues, regenerates oxidized estrogen, and reduces sulfate conjugation of estrogen in the gut wall (129,11161). When tissue levels of vitamin C are high, these processes are already maximized and supplemental vitamin C does not have any effect on estrogen levels. Increases in plasma estrogen levels may occur when patients who are deficient in vitamin C take supplements (11161). Monitor these patients for estrogen-related side effects.

FLUPHENAZINE (Prolixin) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D Theoretically, vitamin C might decrease levels of fluphenazine.  Details In one patient there was a clinically significant decrease in fluphenazine levels when vitamin C (500 mg twice daily) was started (11017). The mechanism is not known, and there is no further data to confirm this interaction.

INDINAVIR (Crixivan) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Mild •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B Vitamin C can modestly reduce indinavir levels.  Details One pharmacokinetic study shows that taking vitamin C 1 gram orally once daily along with indinavir 800 mg orally three times daily reduces the area under the concentration-time curve of indinavir by 14%. The mechanism of this interaction is unknown, but it is unlikely to be clinically significant in most patients. The effect of higher doses of vitamin C on indinavir levels is unknown (11300,93578).

LEVOTHYROXINE (Synthroid, others) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Probable •  Level of Evidence = B Vitamin C can increase levothyroxine absorption.  Details Two clinical studies in adults with poorly controlled hypothyroidism show that swallowing levothyroxine with a glass of water containing vitamin C 500-1000 mg in solution reduces thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and increases thyroxine (T4) levels when compared with taking levothyroxine alone. This suggests that vitamin C increases the oral absorption of levothyroxine, possibly due to a reduction in pH (102978).

NIACIN Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Mild •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = A Vitamin C might decrease the beneficial effects of niacin on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.  Details A combination of niacin and simvastatin (Zocor) effectively raises HDL cholesterol levels in patients with coronary disease and low HDL levels. Clinical research shows that taking a combination of antioxidants (vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and selenium) along with niacin and simvastatin (Zocor) attenuates this rise in HDL, specifically the HDL-2 and apolipoprotein A1 fractions, by more than 50% in patients with coronary disease (7388,11537). It is not known whether this adverse effect is due to a single antioxidant such as vitamin C, or to the combination. It also is not known whether it will occur in other patient populations.

SALSALATE (Disalcid) Interaction Rating = Minor Be watchful with this combination. Severity = Insignificant •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = B Acidification of the urine by vitamin C might increase salsalate levels.  Details It has been suggested that acidification of the urine by vitamin C could increase reabsorption of salicylates by the renal tubules, and increase plasma salicylate levels (3046). However, short-term use of up to 6 grams/day vitamin C does not seem to affect urinary pH or salicylate excretion (10588,10589), suggesting this interaction probably is not clinically significant.

WARFARIN (Coumadin) Interaction Rating = Moderate Be cautious with this combination. Severity = Moderate •  Occurrence = Possible •  Level of Evidence = D High-dose vitamin C might reduce the levels and effectiveness of warfarin.  Details Vitamin C in high doses may cause diarrhea and possibly reduce warfarin absorption (11566). There are reports of two people who took up to 16 grams daily of vitamin C and had a reduction in prothrombin time (9804,9806). Lower doses of 5-10 grams daily can also reduce warfarin absorption. In many cases, this does not seem to be clinically significant (9805,9806,11566,11567). However, a case of warfarin resistance has been reported for a patient who took vitamin C 500 mg twice daily. Cessation of vitamin C supplementation resulted in a rapid increase in international normalized ratio (INR) (90942). Tell patients taking warfarin to avoid taking vitamin C in excessively high doses (greater than 10 grams daily). Lower doses may be safe, but the anticoagulation activity of warfarin should be monitored. Patients who are stabilized on warfarin while taking vitamin C should avoid adjusting vitamin C dosage to prevent the possibility of warfarin resistance.

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General ...Orally, collagen peptides seem to be well tolerated.

Dermatologic ...Orally, a case of a mild skin rash has been reported for a patient who used a specific collagen peptide-containing product (BioCell Collagen) (28680).

Gastrointestinal ...Orally, collagen peptides may cause nausea, dyspepsia, diarrhea, and flatulence, but these adverse effects are rare (101622,104639).

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General ...Orally and topically, hyaluronic acid appears to be well tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Topically: Eczema, erythema, itching, wound hemorrhage, wound infection (e.g., erysipelas).

Dermatologic ...The use of needle-free devices to inject hyaluronic acid for cosmetic purposes has been reported to cause serious injury, and in some cases permanent harm, to the skin, lips, and eyes (108613).
Topically, hyaluronic acid application has been reported to cause eczema, erythema, itching, wound hemorrhage, and wound infection (e.g., erysipelas) (108628,108640).

Ocular/Otic ...Ocular pain has been reported rarely in patients using eye drops containing up to 0. 3% hyaluronic acid (97885).

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General ...Orally, sodium is well tolerated when used in moderation at intakes up to the Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) intake level. Topically, a thorough evaluation of safety outcomes has not been conducted.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: Worsened cardiovascular disease, hypertension, kidney disease.

Cardiovascular ...Orally, intake of sodium above the CDRR intake level can exacerbate hypertension and hypertension-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) (26229,98176,100310,106263). A meta-analysis of observational research has found a linear association between increased sodium intake and increased hypertension risk (109398). Observational research has also found an association between increased sodium salt intake and increased risk of CVD, mortality, and cardiovascular mortality (98177,98178,98181,98183,98184,109395,109396,109399). However, the existing research is unable to confirm a causal relationship between sodium intake and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality; high-quality, prospective research is needed to clarify this relationship (100312). As there is no known benefit with increased salt intake that would outweigh the potential increased risk of CVD, advise patients to limit salt intake to no more than the CDRR intake level (100310).
A reduction in sodium intake can lower systolic blood pressure by a small amount in most individuals, and diastolic blood pressure in patients with hypertension (100310,100311,106261). However, post hoc analysis of a small crossover clinical study in White patients suggests that 24-hour blood pressure variability is not affected by high-salt intake compared with low-salt intake (112910). Additionally, the available research is insufficient to confirm that a further reduction in sodium intake below the CDRR intake level will lower the risk for chronic disease (100310,100311). A meta-analysis of clinical research shows that reducing sodium intake increases levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, but not low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, by a small amount (106261).
It is unclear whether there are safety concerns when sodium is consumed in amounts lower than the adequate intake (AI) levels. Some observational research has found that the lowest levels of sodium intake might be associated with increased risk of death and cardiovascular events (98181,98183). However, this finding has been criticized because some of the studies used inaccurate measures of sodium intake, such as the Kawasaki formula (98177,98178,101259). Some observational research has found that sodium intake based on a single 24-hour urinary measurement is inversely correlated with all-cause mortality (106260). The National Academies Consensus Study Report states that there is insufficient evidence from observational studies to conclude that there are harmful effects from low sodium intake (100310).

Endocrine ...Orally, a meta-analysis of observational research has found that higher sodium intake is associated with an average increase in body mass index (BMI) of 1. 24 kg/m2 and an approximate 5 cm increase in waist circumference (98182). It has been hypothesized that the increase in BMI is related to an increased thirst, resulting in an increased intake of sugary beverages and/or consumption of foods that are high in salt and also high in fat and energy (98182). One large observational study has found that the highest sodium intake is not associated with overweight or obesity when compared to the lowest intake in adolescents aged 12-19 years when intake of energy and sugar-sweetened beverages are considered (106265). However, in children aged 6-11 years, usual sodium intake is positively associated with increased weight and central obesity independently of the intake of energy and/or sugar-sweetened beverages (106265).

Gastrointestinal ...In one case report, severe gastritis and a deep antral ulcer occurred in a patient who consumed 16 grams of sodium chloride in one sitting (25759). Chronic use of high to moderately high amounts of sodium chloride has been associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer (29405).

Musculoskeletal ...Observational research has found that low sodium levels can increase the risk for osteoporosis. One study has found that low plasma sodium levels are associated with an increased risk for osteoporosis. Low levels, which are typically caused by certain disease states or chronic medications, are associated with a more than 2-fold increased odds for osteoporosis and bone fractures (101260).
Conversely, in healthy males on forced bed rest, a high intake of sodium chloride (7.7 mEq/kg daily) seems to exacerbate disuse-induced bone and muscle loss (25760,25761).

Oncologic ...Population research has found that high or moderately high intake of sodium chloride is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer when compared with low sodium chloride intake (29405). Other population research in patients with gastric cancer has found that a high intake of sodium is associated with an approximate 65% increased risk of gastric cancer mortality when compared with a low intake. When zinc intake is taken into consideration, the increased risk of mortality only occurred in those with low zinc intake, but the risk was increased to approximately 2-fold in this sub-population (109400).

Pulmonary/Respiratory ...In patients with hypertension, population research has found that sodium excretion is modestly and positively associated with having moderate or severe obstructive sleep apnea. This association was not found in normotensive patients (106262).

Renal ...Increased sodium intake has been associated with impaired kidney function in healthy adults. This effect seems to be independent of blood pressure. Observational research has found that a high salt intake over approximately 5 years is associated with a 29% increased risk of developing impaired kidney function when compared with a lower salt intake. In this study, high salt intake was about 2-fold higher than low salt intake (101261).

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General ...Orally, intravenously, and topically, vitamin C is well-tolerated.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Abdominal cramps, esophagitis, heartburn, headache, osmotic diarrhea, nausea, vomiting. Kidney stones have been reported in those prone to kidney stones. Adverse effects are more likely to occur at doses above the tolerable upper intake level of 2 grams daily.
Topically: Irritation and tingling.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: There have been rare case reports of carotid inner wall thickening after large doses of vitamin C.
Intravenously: There have been case reports of hyperoxalosis and oxalate nephropathy following high-dose infusions of vitamin C.

Cardiovascular ...Evidence from population research has found that high doses of supplemental vitamin C might not be safe for some people. In postmenopausal adults with diabetes, supplemental vitamin C intake in doses greater than 300 mg per day is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality. However, dietary intake of vitamin C is not associated with this risk. Also, vitamin C intake is not associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular mortality in patients without diabetes (12498).
Oral supplementation with vitamin C has also been associated with an increased rate of carotid inner wall thickening in men. There is preliminary evidence that supplemental intake of vitamin C 500 mg daily for 18 months can cause a 2.5-fold increased rate of carotid inner wall thickening in non-smoking men and a 5-fold increased rate in men who smoked. The men in this study were 40-60 years old (1355). This effect was not associated with vitamin C from dietary sources (1355).
There is also some concern that vitamin C may increase the risk of hypertension in some patients. A meta-analysis of clinical research suggests that, in pregnant patients at risk of pre-eclampsia, oral intake of vitamin C along with vitamin E increases the risk of gestational hypertension (83450). Other clinical research shows that oral intake of vitamin C along with grape seed polyphenols can increase both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients (13162).

Dental ...Orally, vitamin C, particularly chewable tablets, has been associated with dental erosion (83484).

Dermatologic ...Topically, vitamin C might cause tingling or irritation at the site of application (6166). A liquid containing vitamin C 20%, red raspberry leaf cell culture extract 0.0005%, and vitamin E 1% (Antioxidant and Collagen Booster Serum, Max Biocare Pty Ltd.) has been reported to cause mild tingling and skin tightness (102355). It is unclear if these effects are due to vitamin C, the other ingredients, or the combination.

Gastrointestinal ...Orally, the adverse effects of vitamin C are dose-related and include nausea, vomiting, esophagitis, heartburn, abdominal cramps, gastrointestinal obstruction, and diarrhea. Doses greater than the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 2000 mg per day can increase the risk of adverse effects such as osmotic diarrhea and severe gastrointestinal upset (3042,4844,96707,104450). Mineral forms of vitamin C, such as calcium ascorbate (Ester-C), seem to cause fewer gastrointestinal adverse effects than regular vitamin C (83358). In a case report, high dose intravenous vitamin C was associated with increased thirst (96709).

Genitourinary ...Orally, vitamin C may cause precipitation of urate, oxalate, or cysteine stones or drugs in the urinary tract (10356). Hyperoxaluria, hyperuricosuria, hematuria, and crystalluria have occurred in people taking 1 gram or more per day (3042,90943). Supplemental vitamin C over 250 mg daily has been associated with higher risk for kidney stones in males. There was no clear association found in females, but the analysis might not have been adequately powered to evaluate this outcome (104029). In people with a history of oxalate kidney stones, supplemental vitamin C 1 gram per day appears to increase kidney stone risk by 40% (12653). A case of hematuria, high urine oxalate excretion, and the presence of a ureteral stone has been reported for a 9-year-old male who had taken about 3 grams of vitamin C daily since 3 years of age. The condition resolved with cessation of vitamin C intake (90936).

Hematologic ...Prolonged use of large amounts of vitamin C can result in increased metabolism of vitamin C; subsequent reduction in vitamin C intake may precipitate the development of scurvy (15). In one case, a patient with septic shock and a large intraperitoneal hematoma developed moderate hemolysis and increased methemoglobin 12 hours after a high-dose vitamin C infusion. The patient received a blood transfusion and the hemolysis resolved spontaneously over 48 hours (112479).

Neurologic/CNS ...Orally, the adverse effects of vitamin C are dose-related and include fatigue, headache, insomnia, and sleepiness (3042,4844,83475,83476).

Renal ...Hyperoxalosis and oxalate nephropathy have been reported following high-dose infusions of vitamin C. Hyperoxalosis and acute kidney failure contributed to the death of a 76-year-old patient with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the lung who received 10 courses of intravenous infusions containing vitamins, including vitamin C and other supplements over a period of 1 month. Dosages of vitamin C were not specified but were presumed to be high-dose (106618). In another case, a 34-year-old patient with a history of kidney transplant and cerebral palsy was found unresponsive during outpatient treatment for a respiratory tract infection. The patient was intubated for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, initiated on vasopressors, hydrocortisone, and antibacterial therapy, and received 16 doses of vitamin C 1.5 grams. Serum creatinine level peaked at greater than 3 times baseline and the patient required hemodialysis for oliguria and uncontrolled acidosis. Kidney biopsy revealed oxalate nephropathy with concomitant drug-induced interstitial nephritis (106625). In another case, a 41-year-old patient with a history of kidney transplant presented with fever, nausea, and decreased urine output 4 days after receiving intravenous vitamin C 7 grams for urothelial carcinoma. Serum creatinine levels increased from 1.7 mg/dL to 7.3 mg/dL over those 4 days, and hemodialysis was initiated 3 days after admission due to anuria. Renal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of acute oxalate nephropathy (109962).

Other ...Intravenously, hypernatremia and falsely elevated ketone levels is reported in a patient with septic shock and chronic kidney disease after a high-dose vitamin C infusion. The hypernatremia resolved over 24 hours after cessation of the infusion (112479).

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