What Vitamin Isn't in Meat? The Surprising Deficiency Explained

January 9, 2026 •

4 min read

Most animals synthesize their own ascorbic acid, but humans have lost this ability due to a genetic mutation. This critical difference explains why the essential nutrient absent from meat, particularly cooked muscle meat, is vitamin C. Understanding this deficiency is key to maintaining a balanced diet and preventing associated health problems.

Quick Summary

Meat is a poor source of vitamin C, a nutrient humans cannot produce and must obtain from their diet. This deficiency is most pronounced in cooked muscle meat, although small amounts exist in raw or organ meats. The absence of vitamin C requires alternative dietary sources to prevent health issues like scurvy.

Key Points

Vitamin C is Not in Meat: Unlike most mammals, humans do not produce their own vitamin C, and it is largely absent from cooked muscle meat.
Cooking Destroys Vitamin C: The small traces of vitamin C found in raw or organ meats are highly heat-sensitive and are destroyed during the cooking process.
Plant Foods are Primary Sources: Fruits and vegetables are the richest and most reliable dietary sources of vitamin C, including citrus, bell peppers, and leafy greens.
Vitamin C is Vital for Health: This nutrient is a potent antioxidant, aids in collagen synthesis for connective tissues, and is crucial for immune system function.
Deficiency Can Cause Scurvy: A prolonged and severe lack of vitamin C leads to scurvy, characterized by fatigue, bleeding gums, and poor wound healing.
Balanced Diet is Essential: Relying solely on meat, particularly cooked meat, risks significant nutrient deficiencies; a varied diet incorporating both plant and animal foods is recommended for comprehensive nutrition.

Understanding the Vitamin C Deficiency in Meat

Unlike most other mammals, humans cannot synthesize their own vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant crucial for many bodily functions. While meat is a powerhouse of other nutrients like protein, iron, and vitamin B12, it conspicuously lacks vitamin C in quantities sufficient for human needs. This is especially true for the muscle meat that is most commonly consumed, with heat-based cooking methods further destroying what little of the vitamin might be present.

The absence of vitamin C has significant implications for dietary choices, particularly for those on restrictive, meat-only diets. While early sailors were aware of scurvy, the deficiency disease caused by a lack of vitamin C, the average modern diet rich in fruits and vegetables prevents this condition from being a common concern for most people. However, those who eliminate plant-based foods risk severe health consequences if they do not supplement properly or seek out specific animal-based sources.

Why Meat Contains Negligible Vitamin C

The primary reason for the lack of vitamin C in meat is physiological. Most animals that are part of the food chain, such as cattle and poultry, produce their own vitamin C in their livers. This means the vitamin is primarily used for the animal's own metabolic processes and is not stored in significant amounts within the muscle tissue that we typically consume as meat. The small traces that do exist are highly unstable and degrade rapidly with exposure to heat, light, and oxygen, which means cooking effectively eliminates it.

Raw vs. Cooked Meat Vitamin C Content

Some advocates of all-meat diets suggest that consuming raw or very rare meat can provide adequate vitamin C. While raw muscle meat and certain organ meats like liver and kidneys contain small, bioavailable amounts of vitamin C, this is not a practical or safe solution for most people. There are significant health risks associated with consuming raw meat due to bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella. Furthermore, for the vast majority of consumers who cook their meat thoroughly, this trace amount of vitamin C is completely destroyed.

How to Get Your Vitamin C

For most people, a balanced diet is the simplest and most effective way to obtain vitamin C. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources, and a few servings can easily meet daily requirements.

Fruits with high Vitamin C content:

Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, grapefruit)
Kiwi
Strawberries and other berries
Papaya
Cantaloupe

Vegetables with high Vitamin C content:

Bell peppers (especially red and yellow)
Broccoli and Brussels sprouts
Cauliflower
Kale and spinach
Potatoes

The Importance of Vitamin C for Overall Health

Vitamin C is not just a nutrient to prevent scurvy. It plays a wide-ranging and critical role in maintaining bodily health. It is a powerful antioxidant, protecting cells from damage caused by free radicals. It is also essential for the synthesis of collagen, a vital protein for healthy skin, bones, tendons, and blood vessels. The immune system also relies heavily on vitamin C to function correctly. A deficiency can lead to a weakened immune system, slower wound healing, and connective tissue problems.

Comparison of Nutrient Sources: Animal vs. Plant


Nutrient	Primary Animal Sources	Primary Plant Sources	Key Differences
Vitamin C	Trace amounts in raw liver/organs. Negligible in cooked muscle meat.	Citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, berries, leafy greens.	Abundant in plants, almost non-existent in common cooked meat; necessary for human diet.
Vitamin B12	Red meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs.	Only fortified cereals and supplements; not naturally occurring.	Crucial for vegans/vegetarians to supplement, easily available in animal products.
Heme Iron	Red meat, especially beef.	Non-heme iron in legumes, spinach, seeds.	Heme iron from meat is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron from plants.
Dietary Fiber	None.	Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes.	Absent in meat, essential for digestive health and microbiome diversity.

Conclusion

When asking what vitamin isn't in meat?, the answer is unequivocally vitamin C. While meat offers a dense source of protein and several other essential nutrients, it cannot be relied upon for this crucial micronutrient. This knowledge underscores the importance of a balanced and varied diet that incorporates a wide array of plant-based foods, or, in the case of restrictive diets, careful supplementation. The human body's inability to produce vitamin C means dietary intake from reliable sources is non-negotiable for preventing deficiency and supporting overall health. Relying solely on meat, especially if cooked, is a recipe for nutritional inadequacy and a weakened system. For optimal wellness, combining animal products with a rich variety of plant-based foods is the most sustainable and beneficial approach.

Visit the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements for comprehensive information on Vitamin C and other nutrients.

Frequently Asked Questions

The primary vitamin missing from meat, especially cooked muscle meat, is vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Humans cannot produce this vitamin and must get it from their diet.

Most animals synthesize their own vitamin C internally from glucose within their livers, so they do not need to consume it in their diet. Humans, along with a few other species like guinea pigs, have lost this ability due to a genetic mutation.

Raw meat and animal organs, particularly liver and kidney, contain trace amounts of vitamin C. However, this is not a practical or safe source due to the risk of bacterial contamination.

The best food sources of vitamin C are fruits and vegetables. Excellent examples include citrus fruits, bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, and kiwi.

A severe vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy, a disease with symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, bleeding gums, and impaired wound healing. A less severe deficiency can still weaken the immune system and affect connective tissue health.

Yes, it is possible to develop scurvy on a strict, long-term carnivore diet that excludes plant-based foods, especially if consuming only cooked muscle meat. The small amounts of vitamin C in raw animal products are often insufficient and unreliable.

Yes, vitamin C is a water-soluble and heat-sensitive vitamin. Cooking methods involving high heat and long exposure to water, like boiling, can significantly reduce its content in food.