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Why Carnivores DON’T need Vitamin CLong-term carnivores don't need vitamin C supplements because their actual requirement for vitamin C is much lower on a very low-carb diet, and fresh animal foods contain enough highly bioavailable vitamin C to cover that reduced need. Lower requirement on low-carb diets* Vitamin C and glucose use some of the same transport mechanisms into cells, so high blood sugar and high dietary carbohydrate can competitively inhibit vitamin C uptake.* When carbohydrate intake is very low and insulin is low (as on a strict carnivore or ketogenic diet, less glucose competes with vitamin C, so a smaller intake can maintain adequate tissue levels.* Historical and clinical data suggest that only about 10 mg/day of vitamin C is needed to prevent scurvy in humans, far below modern RDAs (Recommended Daily Amount) that are based on higher-carbohydrate populationsVitamin C present in meat* Fresh, minimally processed meat, especially from ruminants, contains small but measurable amounts of vitamin C that are more bioavailable than many people assume. * Observational reports and small clinical series following people on all-meat or very meat-heavy carnivore diets show normal serum vitamin C levels and an absence of�scurvy when fresh meat is consumed regularly. * Organ meats and some animal products (liver, kidney, thymus, fish roe) are particularly rich sources and can easily cover the modest requirement on such diets without supplements.Antioxidant and "nutrient-sparing" effects. * On a ketogenic carnivore diet, endogenous antioxidant systems (like glutathione) and NADPH-dependent recycling of vitamin C appear to be upregulated, allowing the body to reuse vitamin C more efficiently. * Meat is rich in carnitine, and some researchers propose that abundant dietary carnitine may reduce the body's need to synthesize carnitine from vitamin C, effectively "sparing" vitamin C for other roles. * Low systemic inflammation and oxidative stress on a well-formulated carnivore diet may further reduce the overall antioxidant burden, again lowering vitamin C demand.Why scurvy is rare in modern carnivores* Classic scurvy historically appeared in people eating months-old preserved meat plus refined carbs and sugar, not those eating fresh meat with adequate energy and protein. * Among contemporary strict carnivore communities eating fresh ruminant meat and often organ meats, there are no documented scurvy cases despite long-term avoidance of plant foods and supplements. * This pattern supports the view that, in the context of low carbohydrate intake and regular fresh meat consumption, supplemental vitamin C is unnecessary for preventing deficiency.