What did Vikings eat to prevent scurvy?: An examination of their nutritional ingenuity

October 19, 2025 •

4 min read

While later European sailors succumbed to scurvy on long voyages, Vikings possessed practical wisdom that helped them avoid this debilitating disease. Though they lacked modern nutritional science, their diet and sailing practices provided the necessary vitamin C to answer the question: What did Vikings eat to prevent scurvy?.

Quick Summary

The Viking diet provided a surprisingly effective defense against scurvy, incorporating fresh and organ meats, foraged berries, fermented dairy and vegetables, and wild plants. Their shorter coastal voyages also reduced the long-term risk of vitamin C deficiency.

Key Points

Fresh and Organ Meats: Vikings consumed raw or lightly cooked organ meats, like liver, which contain enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy.
Foraged Berries and Wild Plants: They relied on vitamin C-rich wild edibles such as cloudberries, scurvy grass, and wild garlic, which were foraged and preserved for winter and voyages.
Fermented Foods: The Viking diet included fermented dairy products preserved in sour whey and possibly fermented cabbage, which helped retain essential vitamins.
Shorter Voyages: Many Viking raids and trade routes were shorter and closer to shore compared to later expeditions, allowing for regular replenishment of fresh food.
Utilizing Local Resources: Their preventative measures were based on empirical folk knowledge rather than modern scientific understanding, demonstrating resourcefulness within their environment.
Dietary Diversity: Vikings ate a varied diet of proteins, grains, vegetables, and preserved foods, which provided a more balanced nutritional profile than the monotonous diets of many later sailors.

The Viking age, spanning from roughly 793 to 1066 AD, was defined by exploration and raiding across vast sea lanes. Unlike the ill-fated expeditions of later centuries where scurvy was rampant, Vikings appear to have largely avoided this vitamin C deficiency disease. Their success was not due to some miraculous cure but rather a pragmatic and diverse diet that inadvertently provided the essential nutrient. The answer to what did Vikings eat to prevent scurvy lies in their use of every available food source, from wild plants to the organs of animals they hunted and ate.

The Role of Fresh and Organ Meats

Contrary to the modern association of vitamin C with citrus fruits, fresh animal meat and organs can provide sufficient amounts of the nutrient, especially on a diet with limited carbohydrates. Vikings had a protein-heavy diet derived from a variety of sources, and they were experts at utilizing every part of a hunted animal to prevent waste.

Vitamin C Sources from Meat

Raw and lightly cooked organ meats: The liver, brains, and adrenal glands of animals contain significant vitamin C, and Vikings often consumed these parts fresh to prevent spoilage. The Inuit people's similar practice confirms that fresh meat can be a viable source of the vitamin.
Freshly killed game and fish: On land, or when they made landfall during coastal voyages, Vikings had access to fresh meat and fish. This frequent replenishment of their food stores prevented the prolonged dependency on salted, dried, or smoked meats that contributed to scurvy in later eras.

Foraged Berries and Wild Greens

The Nordic landscape, while harsh, offered a bounty of wild plants and berries rich in vitamin C during the summer and autumn. Vikings were adept at foraging and preserving these wild edibles for winter months and voyages.

Key Plant-Based Sources

Cloudberries: These amber-colored berries, native to northern regions, were a potent source of vitamin C. Vikings likely preserved them, possibly in barrels, to be consumed on voyages and during the lean winter season.
Scurvy Grass: The name says it all. This plant (Cochlearia officinalis) was known for its medicinal qualities and was eaten by the Sami and Norse peoples to treat and prevent scurvy. The leaves were often consumed raw to preserve the vitamin content.
Cabbage and Wild Garlic: Alongside berries and wild greens, cultivated and wild vegetables like cabbage and wild garlic likely supplemented the Viking diet, offering further protection against nutrient deficiencies.

The Power of Fermentation

Fermentation was a cornerstone of Viking food preservation, and it had the added benefit of retaining or even enhancing certain nutrients, including vitamin C. This process allowed them to store foods for extended periods, especially during long sea journeys.

Fermented Foods and Their Benefits

Fermented Dairy: Large vats found in Viking house sites suggest the preservation of dairy products in sour whey. The lactic acid prevented spoilage while providing essential nutrients. Milk itself also contains vitamin C, particularly important for younger members of the community.
Fermented Cabbage: While a staple of later German sailors as sauerkraut, the practice of fermenting cabbage likely predates the Viking era and was a known method for preserving nutrients. Fermented cabbage could have been a valuable resource during colder months.

A Comparison of Viking and Later Sailor Diets

The stark contrast between Viking dietary practices and those of later age-of-exploration sailors reveals why one group thrived while the other suffered from widespread disease. The difference in voyage length and food types is particularly telling.


Feature	Viking Sailor Diet	Later Age of Sail Diet
Primary Vitamin C Sources	Fresh and raw organ meats, foraged berries, fermented foods (dairy, cabbage)	Minimal fresh food; relies on processed and salted items
Food Preservation	Fermentation (sour whey, possibly cabbage), salting, and drying.	Heavy reliance on salting, smoking, and baking (e.g., hardtack).
Availability of Fresh Food	Frequent coastal raids and trade routes allowed for regular access to fresh meat, fish, and foraged plants.	Extended deep-sea voyages made fresh food supply impossible for months or years.
Dietary Diversity	High-protein diet supplemented with wild vegetables, grains, and fermented products.	Primarily relied on preserved, carbohydrate-heavy staples like hardtack, dried peas, and salted pork.
Voyage Duration	Often shorter raids and coastal trade, limiting prolonged vitamin C deprivation.	Extended journeys across oceans, increasing risk of scurvy over time.

The Pragmatism of the Viking Diet

The Viking approach was based on practical observation and a deep understanding of their environment, not theoretical science. Their shorter, more frequent voyages, combined with a diet rich in fresh and organ meats, fermented foods, and foraged plants, provided a robust defense against scurvy. They knew which foods offered sustenance and health, even if they couldn't explain the underlying biochemistry. This folk knowledge was a powerful tool that saved their lives and enabled their legendary explorations. While later sailors faced massive casualties from scurvy, the Vikings' nutritional foresight proved a critical factor in their success at sea.

For more insight into historical nutritional practices, consider exploring resources from the National Institutes of Health, which often details studies on traditional diets and their health implications.

Conclusion

The question of what did Vikings eat to prevent scurvy reveals a sophisticated understanding of their local ecology and a resourceful approach to food. Their diverse diet of fresh meats and organs, along with preserved berries and fermented vegetables, provided the necessary vitamin C. The shorter nature of many of their voyages also played a crucial role, allowing for the periodic replenishment of fresh foods. Ultimately, the Vikings' practical knowledge of nutrition, however unscientific, gave them a significant advantage over other seafarers in the fight against this deadly disease.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, Vikings did not possess a scientific understanding of vitamin C. Their practices were based on generations of empirical folk knowledge that certain plants and foods had curative or preventative properties against scurvy, or "skyrbjúgr".

Cloudberries (Rubus chamaemorus) and black crowberries were notable sources of vitamin C. Vikings collected and preserved these wild berries, often carrying them in barrels on their ships.

Fresh and lightly cooked animal products, especially organ meats like liver, contain trace amounts of vitamin C. While insufficient for a high-carb diet, these amounts can prevent scurvy on a diet that is primarily meat and fat-based, a discovery paralleled by the Inuit.

Fermentation was a key preservation technique. They used sour whey to preserve meat and dairy products in large vats. While direct evidence is limited, they also likely fermented vegetables like cabbage to retain nutrients for storage and travel.

While less prevalent than among later long-haul sailors, some instances of scurvy did occur, especially in more isolated settlements like Greenland. However, their varied and fresh-food-supplemented diet significantly mitigated the risk.

Scurvy grass (Cochlearia officinalis) is a wild plant rich in vitamin C. It was traditionally used in northern regions as a remedy against scurvy. Vikings likely ate its leaves, which prevented symptoms like loose teeth.

Yes, sagas and archaeological evidence indicate that Vikings sometimes brought livestock with them on longer voyages and to new settlements. Fresh milk from these animals, along with fresh meat, provided additional vitamin C.