Okuzeka
Nutrition & Dietetics vocabulary · Vitamins and Minerals

Deficiency

Meaning in nutrition & dietetics, with examples

/dɪˈfɪʃənsi/nounCore term

In nutrition & dietetics, deficiency means: A lack of a nutrient in the body that is serious enough to affect health or cause specific signs, such as anemia caused by too little iron.

In Turkish: eksiklik, yetersizlik

How it is used

Used with the name of a nutrient before it: iron deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, B12 deficiency. Doctors and dietitians 'diagnose', 'correct', 'treat' or 'prevent' a deficiency. The adjective is 'deficient', as in 'deficient in vitamin D'. 'Insufficiency' is sometimes used for a milder lack.

Example sentences

  1. Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide.

  2. Long-term vegans who don't use fortified foods may become deficient in vitamin B12.

Common collocations

  • iron deficiency
  • vitamin D deficiency
  • nutrient deficiency
  • correct a deficiency
  • deficient in
  • micronutrientA vitamin or mineral that the body needs only in very small amounts, measured in milligrams or micrograms, but which is essential for health.
  • supplementA product such as a tablet, capsule, powder or drink that adds nutrients or other substances to the diet, for example vitamin D drops, iron tablets or protein powder.
  • ironA mineral that the body uses to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. It occurs as heme iron in animal foods and non-heme iron in plant foods.
  • malnutritionA condition caused by a diet that does not match the body's needs. It usually means undernutrition, but in global health it also covers overweight, obesity and micronutrient deficiencies.
  • vitamin DA fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium and keep bones healthy. The skin makes it in sunlight, and small amounts come from oily fish, eggs and fortified foods.

More terms: Vitamins and Minerals

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.