vitamin deficiency disease

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A flowchart illustrates the progression of vitamin deficiency, starting with a series of animals becoming paler to represent declining vitamin levels, leading to cellular dysfunction, then organ illness, and potentially death, with arrows showing stages and possible symptoms or effects.

vitamin deficiency disease

pathology

Also known as: avitaminosis, hypovitaminosis

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July 14, 2026

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A flowchart illustrates the progression of vitamin deficiency, starting with a series of animals becoming paler to represent declining vitamin levels, leading to cellular dysfunction, then organ illness, and potentially death, with arrows showing stages and possible symptoms or effects. — vitamin deficiency Flow of events resulting from vitamin deficiency in animals.

Vitamin deficiency diseases, also known as hypovitaminosis, occur when the body doesn't get enough of a specific vitamin. The severity of the disease depends on how deficient the vitamin intake is.12

Pathology of Vitamin Deficiency

Symptoms can be specific, like night blindness caused by a lack of vitamin A, or more general, such as loss of appetite or failure to grow. In some cases, the effects of a deficiency can be irreversible, especially if tissues like the cornea, nerve tissue, or bone have been damaged.12

Vitamin deficiencies can be primary, meaning the diet is insufficient, or secondary. Secondary deficiencies can happen even with adequate dietary intake if a person has a pre-existing condition that interferes with vitamin absorption, such as intestinal malabsorption or chronic alcoholism. Malnutrition, which includes vitamin deficiencies, can also result from fasting, eating disorders, or chronic illnesses.134

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nutritional disease
Vitamins
Although deficiency diseases have been described in laboratory animals and humans deprived of single vitamins, in human experience multiple deficiencies are usually present simultaneously. The eight B-complex vitamins function in coordination in numerous enzyme systems and metabolic pathways; thus, a deficiency of one may…
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Although deficiency diseases have been described in laboratory animals and humans deprived of single vitamins, in human experience multiple deficiencies are usually present simultaneously. The eight B-complex vitamins function in coordination in numerous enzyme systems and metabolic pathways; thus, a deficiency of one may…
Read More

human disease
Diseases of nutritional deficiency
Avitaminosis (vitamin lack) may be encountered when there are increased losses of vitamins such as occur with chronic severe diarrhea or excessive sweating or when there are increased requirements for vitamins during periods of rapid growth, especially during childhood and pregnancy. Fever and the endocrine…
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Avitaminosis (vitamin lack) may be encountered when there are increased losses of vitamins such as occur with chronic severe diarrhea or excessive sweating or when there are increased requirements for vitamins during periods of rapid growth, especially during childhood and pregnancy. Fever and the endocrine…
Read More

history of medicine
Vitamins
…diet with foods containing particular vitamins, deficiency diseases such as rickets (due to deficiency of vitamin D) and scurvy (due to lack of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid) practically disappeared from Western countries, while deficiency diseases such as beriberi (caused by lack of
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…diet with foods containing particular vitamins, deficiency diseases such as rickets (due to deficiency of vitamin D) and scurvy (due to lack of vitamin C, or ascorbic acid) practically disappeared from Western countries, while deficiency diseases such as beriberi (caused by lack of
Read More

memory disorder
Korsakoff syndrome
…is characterized by vitamin B₁ deficiency, sometimes also occurs in patients affected by metastatic cancer, HIV/AIDS, or chronic nutrient malabsorption. The main psychological feature is irregularity in recent memory, sometimes so severe as to produce “moment-to-moment” consciousness; such people can store new information only for a few seconds and report…
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…is characterized by vitamin B₁ deficiency, sometimes also occurs in patients affected by metastatic cancer, HIV/AIDS, or chronic nutrient malabsorption. The main psychological feature is irregularity in recent memory, sometimes so severe as to produce “moment-to-moment” consciousness; such people can store new information only for a few seconds and report…
Read More

nervous system disease
Deficiency states
Vitamin A deficiency primarily affects the retinas and skin, but components of the vitamin B group are essential for normal development and functioning of the nervous system. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (common in alcoholics) results from a thiamine (vitamin B₁) deficiency and consists of eye…
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Vitamin A deficiency primarily affects the retinas and skin, but components of the vitamin B group are essential for normal development and functioning of the nervous system. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (common in alcoholics) results from a thiamine (vitamin B₁) deficiency and consists of eye…
Read More

nutritional disease
Vitamin D
…sources of vitamin D, a deficiency of the vitamin can occur when exposure to sunlight is limited. Lack of vitamin D in children causes rickets, a disease characterized by inadequate mineralization of bone, growth retardation, and skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. The adult form of rickets, known as osteomalacia,
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…sources of vitamin D, a deficiency of the vitamin can occur when exposure to sunlight is limited. Lack of vitamin D in children causes rickets, a disease characterized by inadequate mineralization of bone, growth retardation, and skeletal deformities such as bowed legs. The adult form of rickets, known as osteomalacia,
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vitamin
Results of deficiencies
Inadequate intake of a specific vitamin results in a characteristic deficiency disease (hypovitaminosis), the severity of which depends upon the degree of vitamin deprivation. Symptoms may be specific (e.g., functional night blindness of vitamin A deficiency) or nonspecific (e.g., loss of appetite, failure to…
Read More
Inadequate intake of a specific vitamin results in a characteristic deficiency disease (hypovitaminosis), the severity of which depends upon the degree of vitamin deprivation. Symptoms may be specific (e.g., functional night blindness of vitamin A deficiency) or nonspecific (e.g., loss of appetite, failure to…
Read More

nutrition
Vitamins
Vitamin requirements are specific for each organism, and their deficiency may cause disease. Vitamin deficiencies in young animals usually result in growth failure, various symptoms whose nature depends on the vitamin, and eventual death.
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Vitamin requirements are specific for each organism, and their deficiency may cause disease. Vitamin deficiencies in young animals usually result in growth failure, various symptoms whose nature depends on the vitamin, and eventual death.
Read More