Do You Get Vitamin C from Beef? An In-Depth Nutritional Guide

October 29, 2025 •

3 min read

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, beef muscle meat contains zero milligrams of vitamin C. This fact directly addresses the common misconception that one can get adequate vitamin C from beef alone.

Quick Summary

Beef muscle meat contains virtually no vitamin C, though trace amounts exist in some raw organ meats. Cooking destroys what little vitamin C is present in fresh meat. This is why fruits and vegetables are essential for preventing scurvy.

Key Points

No Vitamin C in Cooked Beef: Standard cooked beef muscle meat contains virtually no vitamin C, as the nutrient is absent and destroyed by heat.
Organ Meats Offer Minimal Amounts: Raw beef organ meats like liver, kidney, and spleen contain trace amounts of vitamin C, but these are negligible after cooking.
Ruminants Produce Their Own: Cattle can synthesize their own vitamin C, so they do not store it in their muscle tissue like humans need to obtain it from food.
Plant Sources Are Key: The most reliable and efficient way to get vitamin C is through a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables like citrus, peppers, and broccoli.
Cooking Destroys Vitamin C: Ascorbic acid is a heat-sensitive vitamin, and high temperatures used in cooking meat eliminate what little is present.
Historical Context Misinterpreted: Historic examples of scurvy-free carnivore diets involved eating raw organs, a practice not reflective of modern muscle-meat-heavy consumption.

Why Beef Muscle Meat Lacks Vitamin C

For humans, vitamin C is an essential nutrient that the body cannot produce on its own. We must obtain it from our diet, primarily from fruits and vegetables. In contrast, ruminant animals, like cattle, can synthesize their own vitamin C in their liver. This internal production means that they do not need to concentrate the nutrient in their muscle tissue, which is the part of the animal most commonly consumed by humans. Therefore, steak, ground beef, and other standard cuts are not reliable sources of ascorbic acid.

The Role of Cooking and Nutrient Loss

Beyond the lack of vitamin C in muscle tissue, cooking further eliminates any minimal, residual amounts. Ascorbic acid is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamin. This means it easily dissolves in water and is destroyed by high temperatures. Since most people cook beef before eating it, any small trace of vitamin C that might have existed in the raw state is completely lost during the cooking process. This is a critical factor for anyone trying to rely on meat for their vitamin C intake.

Organ Meats: A Different Story

While muscle meat is a poor source, certain beef organ meats do contain varying amounts of vitamin C. However, these are often consumed far less frequently than muscle cuts. For example, fresh beef liver contains a small amount of vitamin C, but even this is highly susceptible to heat degradation.

Animal-Based Sources of Vitamin C (Raw)

Beef Liver: Contains trace amounts, but is heat-sensitive.
Kidney: Can contain more vitamin C than liver.
Spleen: An even richer source of vitamin C than liver.

Alternative Sources of Vitamin C

Given the unsuitability of beef as a vitamin C source, it's vital to incorporate a variety of other foods into your diet to prevent deficiency. The good news is that abundant and delicious options are available from the plant kingdom. The following list highlights some of the best dietary sources:

Citrus Fruits: Oranges, grapefruits, lemons, and limes are classic, potent sources of vitamin C.
Bell Peppers: Red and green peppers are exceptionally high in vitamin C, with a single red pepper offering more than an orange.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower all provide significant amounts of vitamin C.
Berries: Strawberries, blackcurrants, and kiwifruit are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants.
Potatoes: A medium baked potato contains a notable amount of vitamin C.

Comparison Table: Vitamin C in Beef vs. Plant Sources


Food Item (100g Serving)	Vitamin C Content	Notes
Cooked Beef (Muscle Meat)	0 mg	Vitamin C is absent or destroyed by heat.
Raw Beef Liver	~3-4 mg (varies)	Small amount, highly sensitive to heat.
Oranges (Raw)	~53.2 mg	A standard, excellent source of vitamin C.
Red Bell Pepper (Raw)	~190 mg	One of the highest plant-based sources.
Broccoli (Cooked)	~51 mg	A reliable vegetable source.
Strawberries (Raw)	~58.8 mg	A delicious and easy-to-eat fruit source.

Historical Context: Scurvy and the Carnivore Diet

Historically, sailors on long voyages developed scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, because their diets lacked fresh fruits and vegetables. Yet, some historical accounts, such as arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson’s experience with the Inuit, have shown that scurvy can be avoided on an all-meat diet. This was possible because the Inuit ate the entire animal, including the organs and small amounts of raw, fresh meat, which contain just enough vitamin C to prevent severe deficiency. For those on modern, muscle-meat-heavy diets, this is not a practical solution and does not provide an optimal intake of vitamin C.

Conclusion: Seeking Vitamin C Elsewhere

In summary, the notion that you get vitamin C from beef muscle meat is a myth. Due to the animal’s ability to synthesize its own vitamin C and the heat-sensitive nature of the nutrient, standard cooked beef provides no vitamin C. While organ meats contain trace amounts, they are not a reliable or primary source for most people. For a balanced diet and to meet your daily vitamin C requirements, incorporating a wide array of fruits and vegetables is the most effective and safest strategy.

For more comprehensive information on dietary needs, you can explore the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements website.

Frequently Asked Questions

While some studies have indicated that fresh grass-fed beef may contain slightly more vitamin C than grain-fed beef, the amount is still negligible and insufficient to meet daily human requirements. The vitamin is also destroyed by cooking.

Eating raw beef to obtain vitamin C is not recommended due to the significant risk of bacterial contamination from pathogens like E. coli and Salmonella. The small amount of vitamin C in raw muscle meat does not justify the health risk.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin C varies, but for adults, it's typically around 75-90 mg per day. This amount is easily achieved by eating a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Some of the best and most potent food sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables, including red bell peppers, oranges, kiwi, strawberries, and broccoli.

A deficiency in vitamin C can lead to scurvy, a disease characterized by fatigue, spotty skin, and gum disease. Severe deficiency can be life-threatening if left untreated.

Similar to beef, other cooked muscle meats like pork and chicken contain no usable vitamin C. Any trace amounts that may exist in fresh or raw organ meats are minimal and often destroyed during cooking.

For individuals with a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, supplementing with vitamin C is usually not necessary. However, those with a limited diet or certain medical conditions may need supplements.