Vitamin C

Can vitamin C cause kidney stones?

Updated 3 Nov 2026

Short answer

In men it may. In 40,536 US men followed for about 11 years, supplements of 1,000 mg a day or more went with a 19% higher risk; in 156,735 women there was no link.[1] A 2019 review of 4 studies found the same pattern.[2] The clearest risk is in people who already have high oxalate in their urine.[3]

Sources (3)

  1. Total, Dietary, and Supplemental Vitamin C Intake and Risk of Incident Kidney Stones. Ferraro PM, Curhan GC, Gambaro G, Taylor EN Am J Kidney Dis, 2016. PMID 26463139
  2. Ascorbic Acid Supplements and Kidney Stones Incidence Among Men and Women: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Jiang K, Tang K, Liu H, Xu H, Ye Z, Chen Z Urol J, 2019. PMID 30178451
  3. Vitamin C: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. ods.od.nih.gov

More about vitamin c

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For education; not medical advice. Talk to a doctor before you start, stop or change a supplement.