Vitamin D Osteoporosis - Does Vitamin D Deficiency Contribute to Development of Osteoporosis?

What is the vitamin D osteoporosis relationship? Does vitamin D deficiency contribute to the development of osteoporosis? Here are the essential facts…

Vitamin D and Osteoporosis

Vitamin D works like a hormone to maintain the balance of calcium in the blood together with parathyroid hormone.

As the level of calcium declines in the blood, the parathyroid gland secretes PTH. This PTH helps to convert the inactive forms of vitamin D into calcitriol. This calcitriol helps in increasing the calcium levels in the blood.

Similarly, when the level of calcium in the blood becomes too high, calcitriol stimulates the calcium absorption in the bones, which reduces the blood calcium levels.

Vitamin D's Role in the Maintenance of Proper Phosphorus Levels in the Blood

A low level of vitamin D in the blood leads to a condition called hyperparathyroidism. This causes the parathyroid gland to become over active, which results in the PTH levels to rise and a drop in the level of phosphorus the blood.

When there is inadequate phosphorus, the bones are not properly mineralized. This leads to the defects as that that seen in osteomalacia. Besides that, it also causes swelling and bone pain that are sometimes associated with osteomalacia.