The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin essential for helping the body to absorb calcium and balance the amount of calcium and phosphorous in the blood stream. Vitamin D is found in foods such as fish, cheese and fortified milk. Our bodies also synthesize vitamin D in the skin when exposed to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight. Improper diet, metabolic disorders and lack of sun exposure may all contribute to vitamin D deficiency.
Hypocalcemia
The Merck Manual Home Edition explains that low levels of calcium in the blood can result in a condition known as hypocalcemia. Vitamin D regulates blood calcium levels, and a deficiency may contribute to development of hypocalcemia, a condition marked by neurologic symptoms such as confusion, memory loss and hallucinations. Extremely low levels of calcium can cause abnormal heart rhythms and spasms of the skeletal muscles. Numbness and tingling in the hands, feet and face may also be present.
Osteomalacia
Osteomalacia is a condition seen in adults in which bones are soft due to calcium deficiency, says MedLine Plus. Since vitamin D helps the body to absorb calcium, vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the development of osteomalacia. People with this disorder experience bone pain and muscle weakness, and may fracture bones easily.
Rickets
Vitamin D deficiency during childhood development of the skeleton may result in a condition known as rickets, according to the Mayo Clinic. When bones are developing and calcium is not properly absorbed and stored, deformities can occur. Most commonly, the bones of the pelvis, legs and spine are affected, requiring surgery to correct. Children with rickets are more susceptible to bone fractures, have impaired growth and often suffer from dental problems.
Osteoporosis
Long-term deficiency of vitamin D and calcium contributes to the development of osteoporosis, or brittle bones, late in adult life, explains the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. Individuals with osteoporosis have bones that fracture easily. Post-menopausal women are most at risk for developing the disease due to the impact of hormonal changes on metabolic processes that regulate calcium storage in the bones.
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