hypovitaminosis

9.9

A health problem caused by not having enough vitamins in the body

noun
/ˌhaɪpoʊˌvaɪtəˈmɪnoʊsɪs/

Specialized

: hipovitaminosis

Hypovitaminosis D in the aging population is a major cause of impaired bone formation and mineralization (osteoporosis) 65, 66.

Examples

Many children suffer from hypovitaminosis due to a lack of fresh fruits and vegetables in their diet.
To prevent hypovitaminosis, it's important to maintain a balanced diet rich in essential vitamins.
The doctor explained that hypovitaminosis can lead to serious health issues if not addressed in time.

Synonyms

deficiency disease

vshypovitaminosis

Specialized

1 4.1

A disease that happens when you do not have enough vitamins or minerals in your diet

is narrower, referring only to vitamin lack rather than any nutrient

avitaminosis

vshypovitaminosis

Specialized

9.9

An illness from not having enough vitamins

is the same meaning but used as an alternative medical term

Antonyms

hypervitaminosis

Specialized

9.9

Sickness caused by taking too many vitamins, often vitamin A or D

Surface Forms

hypovitaminosis singular

hypovitaminoses plural

Morphology

hypovitaminosis = vitaminosis (semi-transparent) = hypo + vitamin + osis

The immediate base is a specialized medical term, so adding hypo- is structurally clear but not fully guessable for an average learner.

Etymology

Hypovitaminosis comes from three parts: hypo- meaning 'too little', vitamin meaning 'a nutrient', and -osis meaning 'a condition'. So, hypovitaminosis is the condition you get when you have too few vitamins.