Adequate daily intake of vitamin D is 5 mcg up to age 50, 10 mcg from 51 to 70 and 15 mcg over age 70, notes the Office of Dietary Supplements. Synthesis of vitamin D is triggered in the skin via sun exposure. Primary dietary sources include dairy products and seafood. Those with milk allergies, vegans, breastfed infants, the elderly, people with dark pigmentation or limited sun exposure, the obese, and people with fat malabsorption disorders or inflammatory bowel diseases are most at risk for vitamin D deficiencies.
Softening Bones
Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption. When the body is deficient in this nutrient, calcium is removed from the bones to supplement the body's blood calcium levels, resulting in weakening bones, as the Linus Pauling Institute explains.
In children, this symptom of vitamin D deficiency is called rickets. Other indicators of rickets include skeletal deformities, impaired growth, susceptibility to bone fractures, tooth-related problems and bone and muscle pain, according to MayoClinic.com. Rickets is diagnosed with a physical examination, blood tests and x-rays. Treatment is typically accomplished simply by remedying the vitamin D deficiency with increased sun exposure, consumption of foods containing vitamin D and/or supplementation. When deficiencies themselves have underlying medical causes, these too require treatment.
In adults, this softening and weakening of the bones is called osteomalacia. Other symptoms are aching bones, particularly in the legs, pelvis and lower spine, atrophying muscles and muscle weakness, notes MayoClinic.com. Blood and urine tests, x-rays and bone biopsies are used to check for osteomalacia. Treatment is generally the same in adults as it is in children with rickets.
Muscular Problems
Vitamin D plays a role in the maintenance of muscle composition and in preventing excessive fat accumulation around the muscles, notes The World's Healthiest Foods website of the George Mateljan Foundation. Hence, a vitamin D deficiency can cause muscle pain and weakness, as well as diminishing muscle tone.
Other Signs and Symptoms
Vitamin D is essential to the workings of the immune system, states the Linus Pauling Institute. Inadequate levels of vitamin D can lead to increased susceptibility to illness due to a weakened immune system. Development of autoimmune disorders may indicate a vitamin D deficiency as well, adds the George Mateljan Foundation.
Cognitive and mood problems, such as disrupted thought patterns and depression, are signs sometimes seen with vitamin D deficiencies. In addition, children may present with inhibited growth patterns and severe asthma, according to the George Mateljan Foundation.
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