Read the following article to know if ascorbic acid is good or bad in a urine test. Ascorbic acid (vitamin C) is a water-soluble vitamin, meaning it dissolves in water. Unlike fat-soluble vitamins, water-soluble vitamins are not stored in the body. Vitamin C is transported to your tissues through body fluids and the rest is excreted in the urine. Taking supplements in high doses may lead to kidney stones. Excess ascorbic acid is excreted from the body as oxalate, a waste product. Oxalate is normally excreted in the urine. However, under certain conditions, oxalate may bind to minerals and form crystals that can lead to the formation of kidney stones. Excessive intake of vitamin C can increase the amount of oxalate in the urine, thus increasing the risk of kidney stones. One study found that adults who took a 1000 mg vitamin C supplement twice daily for 6 days had a 20% increase in excreted oxalate content. High vitamin C intake is not only associated with higher levels of urinary oxalate, but also with kidney stones, especially if you take more than 2000 mg. There have also been reports of kidney failure in people who have taken more than 2000 mg per day. However, in healthy people these problems are very rare.
Routine urinalysis is a cost-effective, non-invasive test used as an indicator of health or disease for metabolic and renal disorders, infections, drug abuse, pregnancy, and nutrition. Urine chemistry can be performed in a variety of ways, from manually reading a urine test strip to using semi-automated analyzers to loading a sample onto a urinalysis analyzer. There is one thing in common in all methods: urine chemical reagent strip. While urinalysis is still a regular laboratory test, today the focus is more on automating the urine microscope to reduce manual and subjective microscopic work. Many people help analyze urinary chemistry as a screening tool that can help diagnose some common diseases such as urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney or liver disease, or diabetes. It is important to focus on urinary chemistry and to better understand routine test interventions. Urine chemistry test strips have different settings depending on the type of use. The most common tests include bilirubin, urobilinogen, glucose, ketones, protein, blood, nitrite, leukocyte esterase, and pH. In addition, some manufacturers include urine chemical reagent pads for specific gravity, ascorbic acid, microalbumin, creatinine, and dyes. While urinary chemistry tests are common, it is important to understand the reliability of the test and its limitations to ensure the accuracy of the test and to identify the factors that can produce incorrect results. Manufacturers have improved urinary chemistry analysis by incorporating additional tests to easily identify common interferences. Ascorbic acid, found in various foods and supplements, causes common interference with urinary chemotherapy reagent pads. When a urine sample contains large amounts of ascorbic acid, blood, glucose, nitrite, and bilirubin reagent pads may not respond well. This interferes especially with low blood pressure measurements. Physicians should ask if the patient is taking ascorbic acid (vitamin C) when collecting a urine sample Applications of ascorbic acid.
Many people try to boost their immune system, taking vitamin C or similar vitamin C substances during the winter months or when traveling by plane. Not all tape manufacturers have ascorbic acid detection pads, as ascorbic acid is not commonly reported. When the sample test is positive for ascorbic acid, the lab may provide a note to the physician with results that indicate possible interferences. Positive ascorbic acid can pose a high risk to a patient’s immunity by losing positive blood in the urine. Ascorbic acid (AA) is a potent antioxidant that can cause false-negative results for assays detected by the peroxidase reaction. It is eliminated by simple first-order kinetics with urination. Bioavailability is complete after a single dose of 200 mg. At doses of 500 mg and above, bioavailability is reduced, which increases the amount of ascorbic acid excreted in the urine. Urinary excretion is diagnosed even after a single dose of 100 mg and especially after taking more doses. Ascorbic acid is positive in most patients who take higher doses of vitamin C during the flu and cold season. Therefore, positive clinical consequences of AA in urine should be investigated. Today, manufacturers claim that test strips are completely resistant to AA interference. However, AA interference is still an important issue in urinalysis.