supplementation
supplementation — noun
1. the practice of giving patients pills or liquid products that contain vitamins,
the practice of giving patients pills or liquid products that contain vitamins, minerals, or other nutrients normally obtained from food, used when someone is underweight or cannot eat enough to stay healthy.
After her surgery, Rania needed protein supplementation to help her wounds heal properly.
supplementation + of + nutrient type (protein)
Doctors often prescribe vitamin D supplementation for older adults who rarely go outside.
supplementation prescribed for specific health needs
The clinic offers iron supplementation at no cost to pregnant patients with low blood counts.
Long-term tube feeding or oral supplementation may be necessary for those who cannot swallow safely.
A nutritionist recommended calcium supplementation for Nikhil after his bone density test showed low levels.
- fortification
specifically refers to adding nutrients to staple foods (e.g., fortified flour); more common in public-health contexts
- enrichment
focuses on improving nutritional value; often used for processed foods like enriched bread or rice
- depletion
the opposite process — losing or using up nutrients from the body or soil
文法句型
supplementation + of + nutrient
用法筆記
Frequently appears in medical and nutritional contexts. The specific nutrient is usually named after 'of' — for example, 'supplementation of vitamin B12' or 'iron supplementation.'
常見錯誤
2. when extra material, resources, or information is added to something to improve
when extra material, resources, or information is added to something to improve it or make it more complete or effective.
The course provides handout supplementation to the main textbook for students who want deeper explanations.
supplementation + to + target (the main textbook)
Government grants offer financial supplementation to small businesses recovering from economic losses.
Farmers use soil supplementation to restore minerals that disappear after many growing seasons.
The school district's grant supplementation paid for new computers in three rural libraries.
Income supplementation programmes help low-wage workers cover basic living costs such as rent and food.
- augmentation
focuses on making something larger; slightly more technical
- enhancement
focuses on improving quality rather than filling a gap
- addition
more general and less formal; can be used in everyday contexts
- reduction
the opposite action — taking away rather than adding
- subtraction
removing part of something; more concrete and less formal
文法句型
supplementation + of + thing added + to + target
用法筆記
Typical objects are abstract or systems-oriented (income, diet, education, a budget). Unlike sense 1, this sense does not involve medical nutrients — the supplement can be money, information, materials, or structural additions.