Kidney stones are often treated with citric acid as potassium citrate. However, consuming foods high in this natural acid — like citrus fruits — can offer similar kidney-stone-preventing benefits ( 3, 24). Summary Sweis IE, Cressey BC. Potential role of the common food additive manufactured citric acid in eliciting significant inflammatory reactions contributing to serious disease states: a series of four case reports. Toxicology Reports. 2018;5:808-812. doi:10.1016/j.toxrep.2018.08.002 The citric acid listed in the ingredients of foods and supplements is manufactured — not what’s naturally found in citrus fruits ( 4). No scientific studies exist investigating the safety of manufactured citric acid when consumed in large amounts for long periods. Cairns TC, Nai C, Meyer V. How a fungus shapes biotechnology: 100 years of Aspergillus niger research. Fungal Biology and Biotechnology. 2018;5(1):13. doi:10.1186/s40694-018-0054-5

This is because producing this additive from citrus fruits is too expensive, and the demand far exceeds the supply. Summary Citric acid is commercially sold as a general disinfectant and cleaning agent for removing soap scum, hard water stains, lime, and rust.Citric acid protects against kidney stones by making your urine less favorable for the formation of stones ( 23). It’s also sometimes added to canned fruits and vegetables to protect against botulism, a rare but serious illness caused by the toxin-producing Clostridium botulinum bacterium. Medicines and dietary supplements

Both employees and self-employed workers will pay less in National Insurance from next year, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced in today's Autumn Statement. Martin Lewis: What the Autumn Statement means for you – including wages, benefits, pensions, ISAs, national insurance and more Humans and other organisms derive the majority of their energy from this cycle. Enhances nutrient absorption Similarly, magnesium in the citrate form is absorbed more completely and more bioavailable than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate ( 17, 18, 19). May protect against kidney stones Lambros M, Tran T (Henry), Fei Q, Nicolaou M. Citric acid: a multifunctional pharmaceutical excipient. Pharmaceutics. 2022;14(5):972. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics14050972Manufactured citric acid is generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ( 5). Also known as the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) or Krebs cycle, these chemical reactions in your body help transform food into usable energy ( 11).

Martin Lewis: What the Autumn Statement means for you – including wages, benefits, pensions, ISAs, housing, national insurance and more Autumn Statement: State pension confirmed to rise by 8.5% from April 2024 – while some benefits will go up by 6.7% Citric acid — in the form of potassium citrate — prevents new kidney stone formation and breaks apart those already formed ( 20, 21, 22).It’s viewed as a safer alternative to conventional disinfectant and cleaning products, such as quat and chlorine bleach ( 1). Summary For example, calcium citrate doesn’t require stomach acid for absorption. It also has fewer side effects — such as gas, bloating, or constipation — than another form called calcium carbonate ( 15, 16). Wiria MSS, Tran HM, Nguyen PHB, et al. Relative bioavailability and pharmacokinetic comparison of calcium glucoheptonate with calcium carbonate. Pharmacol Res Perspect. 2020;8(2). doi:10.1002/prp2.589