provitamin

noun

pro·​vi·​ta·​min (ˌ)prō-ˈvī-tə-mən How to pronounce provitamin (audio)
: a precursor of a vitamin convertible into the vitamin in an organism

Examples of provitamin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Carrots Like sweet potatoes, carrots are packed with provitamin A carotenoids like beta-carotene. Jillian Kubala, Health, 7 Oct. 2024 Once consumed, provitamin A carotenoids are converted into vitamin A in the body. Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 7 Aug. 2024 This 'provitamin' converts into vitamin A in the body and supports vision and reproductive health. Anthea Levi, Health, 6 Aug. 2024 Essential hair care ingredients infused in the formula—think castor oil, panthenol provitamin B5, and Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1—condition each strand, supporting your current brow health and promoting future growth. Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 18 June 2024 Pineapple ceramides improve the appearance of tone and texture, while provitamin B5 attracts hydration to the skin and keeps it there. Danielle Cohen, Glamour, 10 Apr. 2024 The researchers blocked a gene in tomato plants that normally converts provitamin D3 into cholesterol, which enabled provitamin D3 to accumulate in the ripe tomato fruit. Katie Hunt, CNN, 23 May 2022 Rocheford, a plant geneticist at Purdue, drew the attention of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for his research on variations affecting provitamin A carotenoids — naturally occurring plant pigments that our bodies can convert to vitamin A — in maize. Jim Sullivan, Discover Magazine, 30 Apr. 2015 No doubt this is in part due to the inclusion of panthenol (a provitamin of B5) which acts as a humectant to draw moisture into the hair strand. Good Housekeeping, 13 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of provitamin was in 1927

Dictionary Entries Near provitamin

Cite this Entry

“Provitamin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/provitamin. Accessed 13 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

provitamin

noun
pro·​vi·​ta·​min (ˈ)prō-ˈvīt-ə-mən How to pronounce provitamin (audio)
: a precursor of a vitamin convertible into the vitamin in an organism
ergosterol is a provitamin of vitamin D

More from Merriam-Webster on provitamin

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