New research suggests that the use of vitamin C supplements may help stave off gout in men. A report in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that vitamin C intake of at least 1500 milligrams per day reduces the odds of gout by 45 percent compared with an intake of less than 250 milligrams per day. Prior research has shown an inverse link between vitamin C and uric acid levels in the blood, but whether higher concentrations of the vitamin reduces the risk of gout was unclear, according to lead author Dr. Hyon K. Choi, from the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and associates. The findings come from a study of 46,994 men who were followed from 1986 to 2006 as part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. None of the subjects had a history of gout when the study began. Vitamin C intake was assessed with validated questionnaires every 4 years and gout was determined using American College of Rheumatology criteri...