Prednisone is a medication that helps treat many conditions, but it can sometimes cause side effects. Nutranize Zone is a unique product designed to help people counteract those side effects. One of its key ingredients is vitamin C. Let’s learn how vitamin C works and how it could benefit someone on prednisone.

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What is Vitamin C?

Written by: Dr. Megan Milne & Emily Mannan

Vitamin C is a special nutrient that our bodies need to stay healthy. It is commonly found in fruits like oranges, strawberries, and kiwis. Our bodies cannot produce vitamin C on their own, so we must get it from the food we eat or through supplements.

How Does Vitamin C Work?

Vitamin C is known for its antioxidant properties, which means it helps protect our cells from damage caused by harmful substances called free radicals. These free radicals can show up in our bodies due to various factors such as pollution, smoking, or even certain medications like prednisone.

You need vitamin C in order to form blood vessels, cartilage, muscle and collagen in bones. Vitamin C is also vital to your body’s healing process including growth and repair of tissues. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb and store iron which is essential in making hemoglobin and helping carry oxygen throughout your body.

How does Prednisone Affect Vitamin C?

Prednisone can cause vitamin C depletion in the body by increasing the excretion of vitamin C through urine and reducing its absorption from the diet. This occurs because prednisone affects the way the body processes and metabolizes vitamin C. This can lead to a deficiency in vitamin C, which may have several effects on your health.

What are the symptoms of Vitamin C Deficiency?

Some of the symptoms of Vitamin C deficiency (also known as scurvy) include;

• Easy bruising
• Dry, splitting hair and nails
• Slow-healing wounds
• Bleeding, inflamed, swollen gums
• Rough, dry, irritated skin
• Inexplicable weight gain
• Frequent nosebleed

Vitamin C deficiency can weaken the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections and illnesses. It can also impair wound healing and collagen production, leading to delayed healing and potentially affecting the health of the skin, joints, and connective tissues. Vitamin C deficiency may increase the risk of oxidative damage and inflammation in the body.

Which Prednisone Side Effects are Related to Vitamin C?

Prednisone is a powerful medication that can have some side effects, including weakened immune system, thinning skin, and slower wound healing. Vitamin C can play a vital role in reducing these effects and supporting overall health. Here’s how:

How Can Vitamin C Help Someone on Prednisone?

1. Boosting Immune System

One of the key side effects of prednisone is weakening the immune system, making it harder for the body to fight off infections. Vitamin C is known to enhance immune function, which may help strengthen your defenses against illnesses.

2. Wound Healing

Prednisone can slow down the healing process for cuts, bruises, or other injuries. Vitamin C plays a crucial role in collagen production, a protein that helps build and repair skin, tissues, and blood vessels. By consuming enough vitamin C, you may help speed up the healing process and improve wound recovery.

3. Protecting Skin Health

Prednisone may cause thinning of the skin, making it more prone to bruising and damage. Prednisone can also cause flushing and red cheeks. Other symptoms of vitamin C deficiency like hair loss can be worsened by prednisone Vitamin C can promote the production of collagen, which can help maintain skin strength and elasticity, and promote healthy hair. Vitamin C can also help reduce redness on skin.

4. Supporting Bones

Prednisone can cause bone loss, which may be related to the loss of collagen from low vitamin C. Replenishing vitamin C may support bone health by building the bone structure.

5. Supporting Blood Sugar

Prednisone can sometimes cause an increase in blood sugar levels, especially in individuals who already have diabetes or are at risk for developing it. Vitamin C has been studied for its potential to help regulate blood sugar levels by improving insulin sensitivity. Insulin is a hormone that helps control blood sugar.

Which other medications can deplete us of this vital nutrient?

Prednisone lowers vitamin C levels especially if you are taking other medications that can also deplete vitamin C.

Other medications that deplete vitamin C include:

• Aspirin: research shows that aspirin prevents critical immune system blood cells from absorbing optimal amounts of Vitamin C.
• Proton Pump Inhibitors: esomeprazole, lansoprazole, omeprazole, pantoprazole, rabeprazole. Proton pump inhibitors lower stomach acid, and the process lowers the concentration of Vitamin C in gastric juices where it is normally actively secreted.
• Estrogen and Oral Contraceptives: estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, levonorgestrel, norethindrone. Some research suggests that oral contraceptives containing estrogen increase Vitamin C metabolism, thus decreasing the levels of Vitamin C in platelets and some white blood cells.
• Loop Diuretics: Bumetanide, Ethacrynic acid, Furosemide, Torsemide. As diuretics work by increasing urine production, therefore they can increase excretion of the water-soluble nutrients your body can’t store.

Which Drugs Interact with Vitamin C?

If you are being treated with any of the following medications, they may have a drug interaction with vitamin C:

1. Aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Both aspirin and NSAIDs can lower the amount of vitamin C in the body because they cause more of the vitamin to be lost in urine. In addition, high doses of vitamin C can cause more of these drugs to stay in the body, raising the levels in your blood.

2. Acetaminophen (Tylenol)

High doses of vitamin C may lower the amount of acetaminophen passed in urine, which could cause the levels of this drug in your blood to rise.

3. Aluminum-containing antacids

Vitamin C can increase the amount of aluminum your body absorbs, which could cause the side effects of these medications to be worse. Aluminum-containing antacids include Maalox and Gaviscon.

4. Oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Vitamin C can cause a rise in estrogen levels when taken with these drugs. Oral estrogens can also decrease the effects of vitamin C in the body.

5. Tetracycline

Some evidence suggests that taking vitamin C with the antibiotic tetracycline may increase the levels of this medication. It may also decrease the effects of vitamin C in the body. Other antibiotics in the same family include minocycline (Minocin) and doxycycline (Vibramycin).

How Can Nutranize Zone Help?

Nutranize Zone, with its inclusion of vitamin C, offers a convenient way to ensure you’re getting enough of this essential nutrient. By taking Nutranize Zone while on prednisone, you can help support your immune system, promote wound healing, and maintain healthy skin, hair, and bones.

How to Eat More Vitamin C?

For vitamin C, fruits and vegetables are the best sources. You can eat a range of foods, such as the following, to obtain the recommended quantities of vitamin C. Vitamin C-rich foods include red and green peppers, kiwi fruit, and citrus fruits (such as oranges and grapefruit) and their juices.

Other foods that are high in vitamin C include tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, melons, avocado, guava, papaya, mangoes, oranges, pineapple, kiwi and baked potatoes.

Cooking and extended storage can both lower a food’s vitamin C level. Microwaving or steaming could reduce cooking losses. Luckily, a lot of the greatest vitamin C-containing foods, such fruits and vegetables, are best consumed uncooked.

By including adequate amounts of vitamin C in your diet or through supplements like Nutranize Zone, you may potentially support better blood sugar control while on prednisone.

Conclusion:

Vitamin C is a powerful nutrient that can help counteract some of the side effects caused by prednisone. By replenishing the vitamin C lost by taking prednisone and consuming adequate amounts of vitamin C through Nutranize Zone or vitamin C-rich foods, individuals on prednisone can potentially support their immune system, assist in wound healing, and maintain healthier skin. Always consult with your healthcare provider before starting any new supplement or making significant changes to your diet.

References:

1. McRae, MP. Vitamin C supplementation lowers serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides: a meta-analysis of 13 randomized controlled trials. J Chiropr Med 2008;7(2):48-58. PMID: 19674720; PMCID: PMC2682928; DOI: 10.1016/j.jcme.2008.01.002.
2. Deved V, Poyah P, James MT, et al. Effect of topical vitamin C on postoperative carbon dioxide laser resurfacing erythema. Am J Kidney Dis. 2009 Dec;54(6):1089-97. PMID: 19783342; DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2009.06.040.
3. Alster TS, West TB. Dermatol Surg. 1998 Mar;24(3):331-4. PMID: 9537007.
4. Buist RA. Drug-Nutrient Interactions–An Overview. Int Clin Nutr Rev. 1984;4(3):114-121.
5. McRae, MP. J Chiropr Med 2008;7(2):48-58. PMID: 19674720; PMCID: PMC2682928; DOI: 10.1016/j.jcme.2008.01.002.
6. Deved V, Poyah P, James MT, et al. Am J Kidney Dis. 2009 Dec;54(6):1089-97. PMID: 19783342; DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2009.06.040.
7. Alster TS, West TB. Dermatol Surg. 1998 Mar;24(3):331-4. PMID: 9537007.
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2682928/
9. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899346708000281
10. https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(09)00988-3/fulltext
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9537007/

For further reading:

1. 75+ Scientific Articles and Nutranize Zone Ingredients
2. 9+ Nutrients Depleted by Prednisone