Vitamin D, a fat-soluble vitamin, is necessary for calcium absorption in the body, bone growth and remodeling, and modulation of immune and neuromuscular function. It is naturally present in a few foods and added to others to ensure adequate intake. Vitamin D is also obtained through exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that children and adults from birth to age 50 receive 5mcg of vitamin D per day and older adults receive 10 to 15mcg, depending on their age and overall health.
Soft Bones and Skeletal Deformities
Vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In rickets, bone tissue fails to properly mineralize, which leads to soft, fragile bones and skeletal deformities. Osteomalacia causes bone weakening, bone pain and muscle weakness. It may cause little or no symptoms during early stages of deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency also increases the risk of osteoporosis, a condition characterized by fragile bones that affects as many as 25 million adult Americans, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements. Inadequate intake of vitamin D contributes to osteoporosis development by impairing calcium absorption in the body.
High Blood Pressure and Poor Insulin Control
By inhibiting the activity of the renin-angiotensin system in the body, vitamin D helps regulate blood pressure and prevents it from rising unnecessarily. Deficiency is also associated with high blood pressure, or pre-eclampsia, during pregnancy, and it appears to be a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes. The World's Healthiest Foods explains that vitamin D's role in insulin control is not clear, but the vitamin is involved in insulin secretion and activity.
Muscle Pain and Weakness
Too little vitamin D can lead to persistent muscle weakness and pain in both children and adults, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with increased fat accumulation inside muscle tissue, a condition that causes loss of muscle strength and decreased physical performance.
Autoimmune Symptoms
The risk of autoimmune disorders is higher in those with a vitamin D deficiency, reports World's Healthiest Foods. The development of one or more autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, Crohn's disease or rheumatoid arthritis, may indicate low vitamin D levels, especially when multiple autoimmune disorders are present in the same person. Supplementation with vitamin D may improve symptoms.
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