- Consuming multivitamins is not necessary on the Carnivore Diet.
- Most vitamins, including Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K, can be obtained from animal-based sources.
- After consulting a healthcare professional, specific individuals, such as pregnant women, older adults, and professional athletes, may need multivitamins.
- Thorne Basic Nutrients, Pure Encapsulations One Multivitamin, Ancestral Supplements, MegaFood, and Optimum Nutrition are among good and high-quality multivitamin brands.
What Vitamins Do You Need on a Carnivore Diet?
Focusing on animal-based foods, like meat, fish, poultry, and eggs, the Carnivore Diet can provide the body with the most essential nutrients, including vitamins
- A,
- D,
- E,
- B12,
- K, and
- C.
You can meet your nutritional needs on the Carnivore Diet by knowing which animal-based foods provide each vitamin.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is important for maintaining healthy vision, immune function, and skin health [1].
The recommended vitamin A intake for adults 19 years and older is 900 mcg for men (3000 IU) and 700 mcg for women (2333 IU) [2].
You can get the following amounts of vitamin A from 100 grams of the animal-based foods below [3].
- Cod Liver Oil: 100000 IU
- Turkey Liver: 26901 IU
- Duck Liver (Foie Gras): 19973 IU
- Beef Liver: 17997 IU
- Pork Liver: 17997 IU
- Lamb Liver: 12483 IU
- Chicken Liver: 11100 IU
- Butter: 2499 IU
- Egg Yolk: 1442 IU
- Fish Roe (Caviar): 303 IU
Vitamin D
This vitamin is vital in maintaining bone health and immune function [4]. It is primarily obtained from sun exposure and dietary sources such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and organ meats.
The daily intake of this vitamin is 15 mcg (600 IU), and vitamin D deficiency can cause bone disorders and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease [5] [6].
100 grams of the animal-based foods below provide the following amounts of vitamin D [7].
- Cod Liver Oil: 10000 IU
- Mackerel: 1006 IU
- Rainbow Trout: 635 IU
- Sockeye Salmon: 526 IU
- Egg Yolk: 218 IU
- Herring: 214 IU
- Sardines: 193 IU
- Halibut: 190 IU
- Tuna: 82 IU
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is an antioxidant that can protect cells from oxidative damage and support immune function [8].
Your body needs about 15 mg of this vitamin daily, which you can get from the following animal sources [9].
- Crayfish: 2.85 mg
- Egg Yolk: 2.58 mg
- Rainbow Trout: 2.15 mg
- Shrimp: 1.68 mg
- Salmon: 1.02 mg
- Lobster: 1 mg
Learn More: Do You Need Boron on a Carnivore Diet? Everything You Should Know
Vitamin B12
This vitamin is crucial for maintaining healthy nerve function, red blood cell formation, and DNA synthesis [10].
The daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms, and its deficiency can cause neurological disorders and anemia [11].
Some animal-based foods like egg yolk and beef liver are good sources of vitamin B12 [12]. But many other animal-based foods also contain vitamin B12, including
- Beef Liver: 18.7 mcg
- Mackerel: 12 mcg
- Sardines: 8.94 mcg
- Trout: 4.3 mcg
- Swiss Cheese: 3.3 mcg
- Salmon: 3.2 mcg
- Beef: 2.6 mcg
- Tuna: 2.2 mcg
- Egg Yolk: 2 mcg
Vitamin K
This vitamin is essential for blood clotting and bone health [13]. The recommended daily amount of vitamin K is 1 mcg, and its deficiency can lead to bleeding disorders and bone fractures [14] [15].
Many animal-based foods contain vitamin K, which you can see in the following list [16].
- Pork Liver: 7.8 mcg
- Butter: 7 mcg
- Beef Liver: 3.1 mcg
- Egg Yolk: 0.7 mcg
- Fish Roe: 0.2 mcg
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, which supports skin health and wound healing [17]. The recommended daily intake of this vitamin is 75 mg for women and 90 mg for men, and you can get it by consuming the following animal-based foods [18].
- Pork Liver: 23.6 mg
- Clams: 22.1 mg
- Chicken Liver: 17.9 mg
- Fish Roe: 16.4 mg
- Lamb Liver: 4 mg
- Salmon: 3.9 mg
- Oysters: 3.8 mg
- Beef Liver: 1.9 mg
Animal-based foods can provide most of these essential vitamins. But if you have a vitamin deficiency, multivitamins can help you.
Learn More: 10 Most Important Carnivore Diet Supplements