Getting plenty of vitamin C in your diet could help ward off gout, the painful joint disease.
The vitamin seems to have the dual action of easing inflammation and lowering uric acid levels, two of the common problems with gout.
In a study involving 47,000 men, researchers found that those who took supplements reduced their risk of developing gout. Those who took up to 1499 mg a day had a 34 per cent lower risk, and those who took more than that had a 45 per cent lower risk, compared to those who didn’t take any supplements.
Taking supplements seemed to offset the usual risks of drinking alcohol and eating a meat-rich diet, although the researchers said the message was not to live irresponsibly and just take a vitamin pill every day.
Vitamin C is also found in fruit, sprouts and peppers.
(Source: Archives of Internal Medicine, 2009; 169: 502-7).