Understanding the Science: Why Don't People on Carnivore Get Scurvy?

October 20, 2025 •

3 min read

While historical sailors famously developed scurvy on voyages with preserved food, people on modern carnivore diets typically avoid this fate. A closer look at metabolism, nutrient sources, and efficiency reveals the compelling reasons Why don't people on Carnivore get scurvy?.

Quick Summary

Despite eliminating plant-based vitamin C sources, carnivore diet adherents typically avoid scurvy due to reduced metabolic needs for the vitamin. This is possible through the absence of carbohydrate competition, the bioavailability of vitamin C in fresh meat and organs, and the body's production of its own endogenous antioxidants.

Key Points

Reduced Vitamin C Need: The absence of carbohydrates reduces the body's need for vitamin C by reducing competition with glucose.
Organ Meats Provide Vitamin C: Animal organs like liver, spleen, and kidney contain bioavailable vitamin C.
Endogenous Antioxidants: The body can upregulate its production of antioxidants like glutathione and uric acid.
Historical Precedent: Indigenous populations who ate primarily meat did not get scurvy due to consuming fresh animal products.
Freshness is Critical: Vitamin C in meat is reduced by heat and processing.
Efficient Absorption: Vitamin C from animal products is efficiently used in a low-glucose state.
Minimal Intake is Sufficient: The required amount of vitamin C on a carnivore diet is lower than the standard RDA.

The Scurvy Myth: Separating Fact from Fiction

For centuries, scurvy was a dreaded affliction, primarily associated with long sea voyages where fresh produce was scarce. This historical context often leads to the assumption that an all-meat diet inevitably causes scurvy due to a lack of vitamin C. However, this view doesn't account for differences between historical diets and modern carnivore eating patterns.

Sailors' diets often consisted of preserved and salted meats, which contain almost no vitamin C, along with high-carbohydrate, low-nutrient foods. In contrast, groups like the Inuit, who traditionally consumed diets high in animal products, did not suffer from scurvy, as they ate fresh, raw meat and organ meats, which provided sufficient vitamin C. Modern carnivore dieters benefit from similar principles, supported by metabolic understanding.

The Metabolic Shift: Why Less Is More

The Glucose-Ascorbate Antagonism Theory

A key factor in why carnivore dieters don't get scurvy is the metabolic change that occurs with reduced carbohydrate intake. Vitamin C and glucose compete for the same transport pathways into cells.

With a standard, high-carbohydrate diet, high blood sugar leads to significant competition for these transporters. A larger intake of vitamin C is needed to ensure adequate cellular uptake.
On a carnivore or very low-carb diet, minimal glucose means less competition, allowing vitamin C from meat to be absorbed and used much more efficiently. This significantly lowers the daily amount needed to prevent scurvy.

Endogenous Antioxidant Upregulation

The body also adapts to a low-carbohydrate environment by increasing its production of internal antioxidants like glutathione and uric acid. {Link: ScienceDirect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040618218311698}.

Nutrient-Dense Sources in the Carnivore Diet

While muscle meat has only trace vitamin C, many carnivore diet advocates include organ meats and seafood, which are much richer sources. Beef liver and spleen offer notable amounts of vitamin C, and fish roe is another source. These can provide enough vitamin C to prevent deficiency. Even fresh muscle meat contains a small, usable amount of vitamin C.

The Role of Freshness and Preparation

The freshness and preparation of meat are crucial. Vitamin C in meat is reduced by heat and processing like salting or canning. This explains why sailors eating preserved food developed scurvy, unlike those with access to fresh animal products.

Comparative Analysis: Carnivore vs. Standard Diet

The following table highlights the key differences in vitamin C dynamics between a standard, high-carb diet and a carnivore diet.


Feature	Standard (High-Carb) Diet	Carnivore (Low-Carb) Diet
Dietary Sources	Primarily fruits and vegetables.	Organ meats, seafood, and fresh muscle meat.
Glucose-Ascorbate Competition	High. Elevated blood glucose inhibits vitamin C absorption.	Minimal. Low blood glucose allows for efficient vitamin C absorption.
Vitamin C Requirement	Higher (RDA approx. 75-90mg) to overcome competition.	Lower (Some thrive on 10-20mg per day), as intake is used more effectively.
Internal Antioxidant Production	Standard.	Upregulated (e.g., glutathione, uric acid) to compensate.
Risk of Scurvy	Low with adequate intake, but higher with poor nutrition or preserved foods.	Very low with proper organ meat intake; historical evidence suggests minimal risk with fresh meat.

Conclusion: Scurvy Is Not a Carnivore Concern

Contrary to common belief, a meat-only diet, when approached correctly, does not typically lead to scurvy. Reduced carbohydrate intake on a carnivore diet significantly lowers the body's vitamin C requirement by eliminating the competition with glucose for cellular uptake. Sufficient vitamin C from nutrient-dense fresh organ meats and the body's increased production of endogenous antioxidants also provides protection. Populations historically thriving on animal-based diets with fresh animal products further support that scurvy is not a concern for those following a carnivore diet.

For additional insights into the historical context of scurvy and diet, you can refer to {Link: ScienceDirect https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1040618218311698}.

Frequently Asked Questions

Eliminating carbohydrates reduces the competition for cellular transport, allowing vitamin C to be absorbed and utilized more efficiently.

While raw or lightly cooked meat retains more vitamin C, cooked organ meats can still provide sufficient amounts.

Sailors ate preserved meat lacking vitamin C, while historical carnivore populations ate fresh animal products with bioavailable vitamin C.

Organ meats like beef spleen and liver, and fish roe, are the richest sources.

Humans cannot produce vitamin C, but on a low-carb diet, the body can increase production of other antioxidants like glutathione and uric acid.

The RDA is based on a standard diet; the actual requirement is lower on a carnivore diet due to reduced glucose competition.

This theory describes how glucose and vitamin C compete for cell entry, meaning high blood sugar inhibits vitamin C absorption.