A beneficial nutrient and powerful antioxidant, vitamin C comes from a wide variety of food sources. Foods rich in vitamin C include bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, lemons, kiwifruit, tomatoes and oranges. Although these foods are generally considered a healthy and important part of your daily diet, eating too much vitamin C could indirectly cause a concerning symptom of hematuria.
Hematuria
Hematuria is the medical term for blood in the urine. According to the Cleveland Clinic, roughly 1 million red blood cells pass into the urine on a normal day. But when higher amounts of these red blood cells pass into the urine, it becomes a medical concern. The two categories of the condition include gross hematuria -- which is visible -- and microscopic hematuria -- which is often asymptomatic and goes unnoticed by the patient. With gross hematuria, the urine typically appears pink, bright red or dark red.
Link to Vitamin C
The simple ingestion of vitamin C -- whether through foods or supplements -- does not necessarily cause hematuria. However, ingesting too much vitamin C can indirectly cause the problem. Although consuming too much vitamin C typically is not dangerous, it can increase your risk of developing kidney stones. As these hard stones travel through the urinary tract, they often scrape the inside walls and cause bleeding. Since this blood has nowhere else to go, it leaves the body through the urine.
Additional Causes
Hematuria can be caused by a wide variety of factors -- some are quite serious, while others are relatively insignificant. Among the less serious causes, an episode of intense exercise or rigorous physical activity can cause hematuria for up to 24 hours. Certain medications, such as aspirin, penicillin and heparin, can also cause visible blood in the urine. More serious causes of hematuria include urinary tract infections, kidney infections, kidney disease, enlarged prostate and certain types of cancer.
Special Note
It's also important to note that ingestion of high amounts of vitamin C can actually result in a false-negative result when testing the urine for hematuria. A false-negative result means that a urine sample that is actually positive for red blood cells comes back from the lab with a negative result. This can be dangerous because it can delay treatment for hematuria and any underlying conditions that exist.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: Hematuria
- Lahey Clinic; Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid); Mary Calvagna, MS; July 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Hematuria
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Hematuria (Blood in the Urine); September 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Hematuria
- U.S. National Library of Medicine: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
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