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From: rwh@aesat.UUCP (Russ Herman)
Newsgroups: net.med
Subject: Re: Re: How much Vitamin C is too much?
Message-ID: <516@aesat.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Dec-85 21:18:58 EST
Article-I.D.: aesat.516
Posted: Fri Dec 13 21:18:58 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Dec-85 02:13:03 EST
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> 	Which kidney problems?  The newspaper articles I have
> read said that mega doses of C can cause kidney stones
> in some people.  The reason is that the C causes the people
> to pass cholestorol which builds up in the kidneys.
> 					Don Steiny
> 					scc!steiny

Kidney stones are NOT cholesterol. Two types can occur without obvious
causes: calcium salts and uric acid, which comprise 75% of all stones.
The other two are a magnesium salt and cystine. The latter is an
amino acid, and the tendency to form these is part of a genetic defect.

The reason that megadose Vitamin C is implicated in kidney stones is,
simply, that it acidifies the urine. This decreases the solubility
of uric acid, which often serves as a nucleating agent for crystals
of the other types as well.

It's *gallstones* that are composed of cholesterol.
-- 
  ______			Russ Herman
 /      \			{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!aesat!rwh
@( ?  ? )@			
 (  ||  )			The opinions above are strictly personal, and 
 ( \__/ )			do not reflect those of my employer (or even
  \____/			possibly myself an hour from now.)