Walk into any supplement store and they'll sell you 15 products for carnivore. Organ complex. Collagen peptides. Vitamin C. Probiotics. Omega-3s.

Here's what you actually need.

The 3 Supplements Worth Taking

On a properly executed carnivore diet, you're getting nearly everything from food. But three gaps exist:

1. Magnesium
2. Electrolytes (sodium/potassium)
3. Vitamin D (if deficient)

That's it. Everything else is either already abundant in meat or unnecessary for human health.

Magnesium: The Adaptation Supplement

Meat contains some magnesium, but not enough to hit optimal levels. Most people need 400-500mg daily.

Why you need it:

  • Muscle recovery and protein synthesis
  • Sleep quality (magnesium regulates GABA)
  • Energy production (ATP requires magnesium)
  • Prevents cramping during adaptation

What to buy: Magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate. Avoid magnesium oxide (poorly absorbed).

Dose: 400mg daily, taken at night to support sleep.

Cost: $12-18 for a 2-3 month supply.

This is the single highest-ROI supplement on carnivore. Better sleep and recovery for $6 per month.

Electrolytes: Sodium and Potassium

Carnivore is diuretic. You excrete more water and sodium, especially in the first 4-8 weeks.

Low sodium = fatigue, weakness, brain fog, cramping. This isn't keto flu. It's electrolyte depletion.

Sodium target: 5-7g daily.

You're not getting this from unsalted meat. You need to add salt deliberately.

How to hit your sodium target:

  • Salt your meals aggressively (1-2 tsp per meal)
  • Drink salted water (1/2 tsp in 16 oz water, 2-3x daily)
  • Use electrolyte powder if you prefer convenience

Potassium target: 3-4g daily.

Meat provides potassium naturally. Beef has 300-400mg per 4 oz serving. If you're eating 2 lbs of meat daily, you're getting 2400-3200mg from food alone.

You don't need to supplement potassium if you're eating enough meat. Only add it if you're experiencing persistent cramping despite adequate sodium.

Cost breakdown:

  • Table salt: $2 for 6 months
  • Electrolyte powder (LMNT, Redmond Re-Lyte): $35-45 for 30 servings

The cheapest option is plain salt. The convenient option is electrolyte powder.

Vitamin D: Test Before Supplementing

Vitamin D comes from sun exposure, not food. Carnivore doesn't change this.

Beef liver contains some vitamin D (~50 IU per oz), but nowhere near the 1000-2000 IU daily target for deficient individuals.

When to supplement:

  • You live in a northern latitude (limited winter sun)
  • You work indoors and don't get daily sun exposure
  • Blood test shows deficiency (below 30 ng/mL)

When NOT to supplement:

  • You get 15-30 minutes of direct sun exposure daily
  • You live in a sunny climate year-round
  • Blood test shows adequate levels (40-60 ng/mL)

Dose if supplementing: 2000-4000 IU daily (D3, not D2).

Cost: $10-15 for a 6-month supply.

Don't guess. Test your levels before supplementing. Vitamin D toxicity is rare but possible with chronic over-supplementation.

What About These Common Supplements?

Organ supplements (liver, heart, kidney capsules):
If you're eating fresh organs weekly, you don't need these. If you're not eating organs and refuse to start, fine—take desiccated organ capsules. But fresh liver is cheaper and more bioavailable.

Collagen peptides:
You're already getting collagen from connective tissue in meat. Eating skin, cartilage, and bone broth provides the same amino acids (glycine, proline). Supplementing collagen is redundant unless you're exclusively eating lean muscle meat.

Omega-3 fish oil:
Meat provides omega-3s (especially grass-fed beef and fatty fish). The omega-6:omega-3 ratio matters more than absolute omega-3 intake. On carnivore, you've eliminated seed oils, which immediately fixes your ratio. Fish oil supplementation is unnecessary unless you're eating zero fatty fish.

Vitamin C:
Meat contains enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Fresh meat has 10-30mg per lb. Your requirement drops on carnivore because vitamin C and glucose compete for the same cellular receptors. Low glucose = lower vitamin C needs. Sailors got scurvy because they ate hardtack and salted pork (no fresh meat). You're fine.

Probiotics:
Your gut microbiome adapts to carnivore within 3-6 months. Supplementing probiotics doesn't meaningfully alter this process. Save your money.

For more context on managing inflammation and recovery, understanding autoimmune remission can provide insight into how carnivore affects your immune system.

The Cost-Benefit Analysis

Let's compare the supplement bill for a typical "health-conscious" omnivore diet vs carnivore.

Standard omnivore supplement stack:

  • Multivitamin: $20/month
  • Protein powder: $40/month
  • Fish oil: $25/month
  • Vitamin D: $5/month
  • Probiotics: $30/month
  • Greens powder: $50/month

Total: $170/month

Carnivore supplement stack:

  • Magnesium: $6/month
  • Electrolytes: $15/month (or $1/month for plain salt)
  • Vitamin D (if deficient): $2/month

Total: $23/month (or $9/month with plain salt)

That's $147-161 saved monthly. Over a year, that's $1764-1932.

The supplement industry doesn't want you to realize how much you're already getting from meat.

When to Test Blood Levels

Guessing at supplementation is inefficient. Test these markers 3-6 months into carnivore:

  • Vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D)
  • Magnesium (RBC magnesium, not serum)
  • Iron panel (ferritin, serum iron, TIBC)
  • B12 (if you're concerned, though meat is loaded with it)

If levels are optimal, you're doing it right. If something's low, adjust.

Blood work removes the guesswork. You're not supplementing based on marketing claims—you're supplementing based on your actual physiology.

The Bottom Line

On carnivore, you need:

  • Magnesium: 400mg daily for recovery and sleep
  • Sodium: 5-7g daily to prevent depletion
  • Vitamin D: Only if blood test shows deficiency or you get no sun

Everything else is optional or redundant.

The supplement industry built a $50 billion empire convincing you that food isn't enough. On carnivore, food is enough.

Save your money. Buy better meat instead.