The Claim

Excessive vitamin C intake (≥2–3 g daily) in patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease overwhelms renal oxalate excretion capacity, resulting in moderately elevated urinary oxalate levels (e.g., 45 mg/24h) and calcium oxalate crystal deposition in renal tissue.

Source: A case report of renal oxalosis and secondary hyperoxaluria due to chronic high vitamin C consumption

What the research says

Supports is higher

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Supports
30score
Challenges
0score

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How it works
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In people with chronic kidney disease, taking high doses of vitamin C (2–3 grams or more per day) leads to increased oxalate in the urine and the formation of calcium oxalate crystals in the kidneys.

See the scientific wording

In patients with pre-existing chronic kidney disease, excessive vitamin C intake (≥2–3 g daily) may overwhelm renal oxalate excretion capacity, leading to moderately elevated urinary oxalate levels (e.g., 45 mg/24h) and contributing to renal tissue injury characterized by calcium oxalate crystal deposition.

Why this might work

When a person takes large amounts of vitamin C, the body breaks it down into a compound called oxalate. The kidneys normally remove oxalate from the blood and send it out in urine. But if the kidneys are already damaged, they cannot remove oxalate fast enough. This causes oxalate to build up in the urine, where it binds to calcium and forms hard crystals that stick to kidney tissue and cause damage.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: A case report of renal oxalosis and secondary hyperoxaluria due to chronic high vitamin C consumption

    A man with weak kidneys took a lot of vitamin C pills every day, and his kidneys started filling up with harmful crystals. When he stopped taking the pills, his kidneys got better. This shows that too much vitamin C can hurt kidneys that are already weak.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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