While reading and researching for myself I consistently came across a question on why carnivore diets and dieters don't end up with scurvy. What astonished me is that I didn't find good explanations. This led me down a rabbit hole I hope will provide you a better picture of why and how a carnivore diet provides you Vitamin C without supplementation.
The carnivore diet is a highly restrictive diet that consists entirely of animal-based foods, including meat, fish, eggs, and animal fats. Proponents of the carnivore diet claim that human health can thrive on an exclusively animal-sourced food intake, which eliminates all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, and grains.
One of the most common concerns raised about the carnivore diet revolves around vitamin C intake and the potential risk of scurvy. As this diet consists entirely of animal-based foods, many wonder how practitioners avoid vitamin C deficiency. To understand this, we need to explore the fascinating relationship between vitamin C and dehydroascorbic acid (DHAA), its oxidized form.
"The story of scurvy is not just about vitamin C deficiency - it's about understanding how our bodies can obtain essential nutrients from unexpected sources." - Dr. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, Arctic Explorer who lived on an all-meat diet for extensive periods
