Vitamin C

Evidence by condition

Each grade reflects the research for Vitamin C and that condition specifically.

• C

  Common cold

  Does not prevent colds in the general population; regular intake shortens duration by ~8%.

  2 citation s

  • Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold
    Systematic review 2013 · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD000980.pub4
  • Common Cold
    MedlinePlus · accessed 2026-06-21
• D

  Gout

  Lowers serum urate only trivially and does not treat established gout; higher intake may modestly lower the risk of developing gout. The 2020 ACR guideline recommends against adding it for gout.

  4 citation s

  • Clinically insignificant effect of supplemental vitamin C on serum urate in patients with gout: a pilot randomized controlled trial
    Randomized trial 2013 · n=40 · Arthritis & Rheumatism · PMID 23495093 · DOI 10.1002/art.37925
  • Vitamin C intake and the risk of gout in men: a prospective study
    Cohort study 2009 · n=46,994 · Archives of Internal Medicine · PMID 19273781 · DOI 10.1001/archinternmed.2008.606
  • Vitamin C — Health Professional Fact Sheet
    NIH ODS · accessed 2026-06-21
  • 2020 ACR Guideline for the Management of Gout
    other · 2020 · accessed 2026-06-21