How to Do a Vitamin C Flush

Co-authored by Jason Piken

Last Updated: February 28, 2023 References

Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins for your body. You can get Vitamin C through your diet by eating foods like oranges, red peppers, kale, broccoli, and strawberries. You can also do a flush by buying powdered Vitamin C and mixing it into water (or other drinks), which advocates believe can help with issues like stress, illnesses, and hormonal imbalances. Before you attempt a flush, take precautions and speak to your doctor about any risks and potential benefits. The Vitamin C flush is not safe for everyone and should be done with caution. If you decide to proceed, set up and complete the flush over two to three hours. If you experience any complications while performing the flush, speak to your doctor right away.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Taking the Proper Precautions

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Speak to your doctor if you have IBS or haemochromatosis. If you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome or an iron deficiency condition like haemochromatosis, talk to your doctor before you do the Vitamin C flush. These conditions can get worse if you do the flush without speaking to your doctor first. They may recommend a specific dosage of Vitamin C based on your condition.^{[1]
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2
The Mayo-clinic recommends and upper limit of 2000mg a day of Vitamin C and states that higher doses might cause kidney stones in some people and digestive issues.^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} They also state that "too much dietary vitamin C is unlikely to be harmful"^{[3]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source}
- In 1986 a report was published of a woman who had kidney stones and also was taking vitamin C. There were also a number of other factors that could have caused it. It appears that all references to vitamin C causing kidney stones refer back to this report, in combination to a study that showed that oxalate blood levels reached saturation during vitamin C use, but this does not necessarily translate to greater likelihood of kidney stones, as those patients taking vitamin C did not exhibit symptoms of kidney stones, and it is believed kidney stone precipitate is a function of misappropriated oxalate rather than oversaturation.^{[4]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- More recent studies all indicate that large doses of vitamin C do not cause stones even in extreme doses only possible with intravenous use, even where the blood concentration is up to 100x higher (7mmol/L) than normal (70umol/L).^{[6]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- Vitamin C is essential to kidney function and can play an important role in kidney repair.^{[7]
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
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- According to some sources doses of Vitamin C higher than 2,000mg a day can cause cramps, dizziness, diarrhea, fatigue, headache, heartburn, and gut issues. If you are worried about these symptoms, talk to your doctor before taking Vitamin C.
- If you are pregnant or breast feeding, use caution when taking Vitamin C. Speak to your doctor to confirm if it is safe for you and your baby before taking it.
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3
Talk to your doctor if you vomit or have diarrhea during the flush. If you get very ill and vomit or have diarrhea when you start the Vitamin C flush, you may have an allergy or intolerance to Vitamin C powder. Stop the flush and speak to your doctor right away.^{[9]
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- If you have a general unwell feeling or lightheadedness that does not go away after one hour while doing the flush, stop the flush and consult your doctor.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Setting Up and Starting the Flush

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Look for buffered Vitamin C. Pure Vitamin C powder can be hard on your stomach and cause issues like heartburn and inflammation. Try getting the buffered version, which contains buffer minerals like calcium, magnesium, and zinc. It is gentler on your stomach and your digestive system.^{[10]
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- Get buffered Vitamin C online or at your local health food store.
2
Try sodium ascorbate powder. Another option is to use sodium ascorbate powder, which contains Vitamin C and sodium hydrogen carbonate. The sodium will help to regulate your water intake and make the Vitamin C easier to digest.^{[11]
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- Look for ascorbic acid online or at your local health food store.
3
Have lots of filtered water on hand. You will need to dissolve the Vitamin C powder into filtered or purified water to drink it. You should then drink lots of water during the flush to help move the Vitamin C through your body and encourage bowel movements.^{[12]
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- You will need to have at least five to six glasses of water during the flush. You can then drink five to six glasses of water as you ease off of the flush.
4
Do not plan any major engagements during the flush. The Vitamin C flush will usually take about two to six hours, depending on how long it takes the Vitamin C to go through your body. Try not to plan any outings during this time, as you need ready access to the bathroom as well as to the Vitamin C powder and fresh water.^{[13]
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5
Start the flush first thing in the morning. Begin the Vitamin C flush soon after you wake up in the morning. Do it before you eat any food. This will allow your body to absorb the Vitamin C.^{[14]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Completing the Flush

1
Take 1,000mg of Vitamin C in water every hour. Dissolve 1,000mg of powdered Vitamin C (buffered or ascorbic acid) in a half glass of filtered water. Mix it with a spoon and sip it down.^{[15]
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- If you do not like the taste of Vitamin C powder, you can have it in fruit juice with no artificial sweeteners.
2
Repeat until you have a bowel movement with watery stool. Drink 1,000mg of Vitamin C powder in half a glass of water every hour. Do this for one to two hours, or until you need to go to the bathroom. Check your stool to see if it is watery. This is a sign that you have flushed your body using the Vitamin C powder.^{[16]
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- It may take your body a few hours to flush and for you to have a bowel movement. Be patient. You should need to go to the bathroom within two to four hours of starting the flush.
3
Record your intake of Vitamin C during the flush. Make sure you note the time of your doses during the flush. You should also write down the dosage of Vitamin C that you had every hour. This will help you keep track of your intake and ensure you do not take too much Vitamin C at once.^{[17]
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- You should also write down when you had a bowel movement with watery stools. This will help you get a sense of how much Vitamin C you need to consume for the flush, especially if you plan to do the flush again.
4
Have liquid foods during the flush. The Vitamin C flush works best if you abstain from large, solid foods. Try having liquid food that is easy on your stomach, like soup or broth. Do this for the two to four hours of the flush. Once the flush is done, ease yourself onto more solid foods.^{[18]
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- Have lots of water during the flush to help move the Vitamin C through your body.
- Add solid foods like rice, quinoa, and cooked vegetables to your diet after you are done with the flush. After one to two days, have more solid proteins like fish, tofu, beef, and chicken.
5
Reduce your intake of Vitamin C gradually. Once your body has been flushed out, take a little less Vitamin C every day for four to five days. Have 1000mg less per a day. Reduce your intake every day until you are only taking 1000mg of Vitamin C a day.^{[19]
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- Reducing your Vitamin C intake gradually will ensure your body has time to adjust to the change and that your bowel movements are not negatively affected by the flush.
- You may still notice some water in your stool as you reduce your Vitamin C intake. By the time you reach 1000mg a day of Vitamin C, you should have normal-looking stool.
6
Do a flush every four months, or when you start to feel ill. If you have chronic flu or cold symptoms, try doing a Vitamin C flush every four months. Follow the dosage you used the first time you did the flush for the best results.^{[20]
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- You can also take 50-100mg of Vitamin C a day regularly to help maintain good health. Have it first thing in the morning before you eat.