What Carnivore Food Has Vitamin C? Unveiling the Surprising Sources

December 11, 2025 •

3 min read

Over a century ago, the Arctic explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson lived exclusively on a carnivorous diet for months alongside the Inuit, with no instances of scurvy. This surprising historical account challenges the common assumption that vitamin C is only available from plant-based foods, a misconception that is often raised when discussing all-meat diets.

Quick Summary

Organ meats, such as beef liver and spleen, and seafood like fish roe contain bioavailable vitamin C, though in smaller amounts than plant foods. A low-carb intake reduces the body's need for this nutrient, as glucose and vitamin C compete for absorption. Sourcing fresh, unprocessed animal products is key to ensuring adequate intake on an all-meat diet.

Key Points

Organ meats are rich in vitamin C: Foods like beef liver, spleen, kidney, and brain contain bioavailable vitamin C, with spleen being a particularly potent source.
Lower carb intake reduces vitamin C needs: On a low-carbohydrate carnivore diet, the body requires less vitamin C because glucose and vitamin C compete for cellular absorption.
Freshness and preparation matter: Vitamin C degrades with heat and over time. Consuming fresh, lightly cooked, or raw (with proper safety precautions) animal products maximizes vitamin C intake.
Muscle meat contains trace amounts: Even fresh, raw muscle meat contains small quantities of vitamin C, which is often omitted from standard nutritional data.
Seafood is a viable source: Oysters and fish roe (caviar) also provide vitamin C, along with other key nutrients like Omega-3s, making them excellent additions to a carnivore diet.
Scurvy is rare on a carnivore diet: Despite common concerns, followers of a diverse carnivore diet rarely experience scurvy due to the combination of lower metabolic need and dietary intake from animal sources.

Challenging the Mainstream: The Carnivore and Vitamin C

For years, mainstream dietary advice has suggested that eliminating fruits and vegetables would inevitably lead to vitamin C deficiency and scurvy. This is because standard nutrient databases often incorrectly list muscle meat as containing zero vitamin C, an assumption that overlooks the bioavailable trace amounts found in fresh, raw animal flesh. The misconception also ignores the unique metabolic advantage of a low-carbohydrate, all-meat diet. When glucose intake is low, the body's need for vitamin C decreases, because the two molecules compete for the same absorption pathways in the body. This means a carnivore dieter can thrive on a fraction of the vitamin C intake typically recommended for someone on a standard, high-carb Western diet.

Organ Meats: A Concentrated Vitamin C Source

While muscle meat contains a small but significant amount of vitamin C, organ meats are the most potent and reliable source for carnivores. Incorporating even small amounts of these nutrient-dense foods can make a considerable difference to your micronutrient intake without compromising your dietary principles.

Beef Liver: Often called nature's multivitamin, beef liver is a powerhouse of nutrients, including a small but crucial amount of vitamin C. Per 100 grams, raw beef liver contains around 1.3 to 4 mg of vitamin C.
Beef Spleen: A lesser-known but even more concentrated source, beef spleen can offer significantly more vitamin C than liver, with estimates as high as 50 mg per 100 grams in raw form.
Kidney: Both beef and lamb kidney are also solid sources of vitamin C, offering more than liver in some cases and contributing to a well-rounded carnivore diet.
Brain: Another source of this vitamin is beef brain, which offers approximately 10.7 mg of vitamin C per 100g.

Freshness and Preparation: A Critical Consideration

The way animal products are handled and prepared is crucial to preserving their vitamin C content. Freshness is key, as vitamin C is a delicate nutrient that degrades over time and with exposure to heat.

Raw vs. Cooked: Vitamin C is highly sensitive to heat, and cooking meat, especially at high temperatures, can destroy a significant portion of its content. While eating fresh, raw animal foods carries risks and requires careful sourcing, consuming meat cooked medium-rare or rare will preserve more vitamin C than cooking it well-done.
Freezing: Freezing meat can also degrade vitamin C over time. Opting for fresh, never-frozen organ meats is the best way to maximize your intake. If freezing is necessary, use it as soon as possible after thawing.
Pemmican: This traditional ancestral food, made from dried meat and rendered fat, is an excellent survival option but has negligible vitamin C content due to the drying and heating process.

Seafood Sources of Vitamin C

Beyond organ meats from land animals, various types of seafood provide valuable vitamin C, along with other essential nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids.

Fish Roe: Also known as caviar, fish roe is an underappreciated source of vitamin C. Salmon roe provides around 4.5 mg per 100 grams, adding both flavor and nutrients.
Oysters: These shellfish are not only a great source of minerals like zinc but also offer around 12 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams.

Organ Meats vs. Muscle Meat: Vitamin C Comparison


Food (100g Raw)	Vitamin C Content (mg)	Notes
Beef Spleen	~50 mg	The most potent organ meat source.
Beef Brain	10.7 mg	Excellent source, often overlooked.
Beef Kidney	~9.4 mg	Solid source, although taste may be challenging for some.
Oysters	~12 mg	Rich in other minerals like zinc.
Beef Liver	1.3 - 4 mg	A popular and accessible organ meat.
Grass-Fed Beef Muscle	~2.56 mg	Found in fresh, raw muscle meat, decreases with cooking.

Conclusion: Meeting Your Needs on an All-Meat Diet

For individuals on a strict carnivore diet, the notion that vitamin C deficiency is inevitable is a misconception rooted in conventional nutritional understanding. The combination of reduced metabolic demand due to low carbohydrate intake and the presence of vitamin C in organ meats, seafood, and even fresh muscle meat means that scurvy is not a significant risk for those consuming a varied, high-quality animal-based diet. Prioritizing fresh, unprocessed organ meats like liver and spleen, along with seafood like oysters and fish roe, is the most effective strategy for ensuring adequate vitamin C intake. While supplements are an option, they are often unnecessary for those following a well-formulated, whole-animal approach. As with any significant dietary change, it is always wise to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure all nutritional needs are met.

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Frequently Asked Questions

While fresh muscle meat contains trace amounts of vitamin C, it is not a concentrated source. Most carnivore dieters get sufficient amounts by including organ meats like liver and spleen in their diet, as their body's needs for vitamin C are also lower due to the absence of carbohydrates.

The amount needed is much lower than the standard Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for the general population. Many carnivore dieters reportedly thrive on as little as 10-20 mg per day, mainly sourced from organ meats and fresh meat.

Yes, vitamin C is a heat-sensitive nutrient, and cooking meat at high temperatures will decrease its concentration. To preserve as much vitamin C as possible, consider eating meat rare or medium-rare, or focus on raw organ meats, ensuring they are sourced safely.

For most individuals who regularly consume nutrient-dense organ meats and seafood, supplementation is not necessary. The reduced carbohydrate load on the body lowers the demand for vitamin C. However, if organ meats are not regularly consumed, a supplement may be considered.

Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency, which can lead to scurvy, are rare but can include fatigue, slow wound healing, bleeding gums, and easy bruising. If these symptoms appear, it is a sign that vitamin C intake from food sources should be increased.

The sailors who developed scurvy often subsisted on preserved, cooked meat and high-carbohydrate gruel. The high carb load increased their body's need for vitamin C, while the food preparation destroyed what little was available. Carnivores on fresh, high-quality animal products have lower vitamin C needs and access to bioavailable sources, even if in small quantities.

Yes, beyond liver and spleen, less common organ meats like beef brain and seafood options such as oysters and fish roe provide additional vitamin C. These can be valuable additions to a varied carnivore meal plan.