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    Ingredient guide · Ingredient reference

    High-dose vitamin C in sepsis: the LOVIT trial found a worse composite outcome

    In adults with sepsis receiving vasopressors in intensive care, intravenous vitamin C increased the combined risk of death or persistent organ dysfunction at day 28.

    Read the evidence ↓

    Supplement Science Insights Editorial Team

    Published September 23, 2026

    The primary endpoint combined death and organ dysfunction

    The placebo-controlled LOVIT trial randomized 872 adults with sepsis who needed vasopressor support. Vitamin C or matched placebo was infused repeatedly for up to 96 hours. [1]

    Death or persistent organ dysfunction at day 28 occurred in 44.5% of analyzed vitamin C recipients and 38.5% of controls. The risk ratio was 1.21, with a confidence interval excluding no difference. [1]

    Report the composite without overstating its components

    Death alone was numerically more frequent with vitamin C, but its confidence interval included no difference. The statistically significant finding concerned the combined primary endpoint. [1]

    The Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation funded the trial; detailed conflicts were not established from the abstract. These results concern critically ill adults and an intravenous regimen, not ordinary dietary vitamin C. They do not support adding high-dose infusions as a general sepsis treatment based on antioxidant reasoning. [1]

    Name the outcome that reached significance

    Imagine a combined death-or-organ-dysfunction outcome differs between groups. Reporting that as a separately proven increase in each component would misstate the analysis.

    Evidence summary — High-dose vitamin C in sepsis
    DetailInterpretation
    872 randomizedLarge clinical trial
    Day-28 compositeHigher risk with vitamin C
    Food intakeNot the tested exposure
    High-dose vitamin C in sepsis: the LOVIT trial found a worse composite outcome — original article outline diagram
    Original editorial diagram of this article’s sections; no product photograph or clinical finding is depicted.

    Sources for this article

    1. Intravenous Vitamin C in Adults with Sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit - PubMed
      Source consulted: 2026-09-19. This is a reference resource, not a claim that we conducted the studies or tested a product.