Name: Vitamin D
Cheif functions in your body: Promotes mineralization of bones (raises blood calcium and phosphorous by increasing absorption in the digestive tract, withdrawing calcium from digestive tract, stimulation retention by kidneys)
Significant sources: Self-synthesis with sunlight, fortified milk, fortified margarine, egg yolk, liver, fatty fish
 Deficiency Symptoms
Common Names: Rickets, osteomalacia
Nervous/Muscular Systems: Rickets: lax muscles resulting in protrusion of abdomen; muscle spasms. Osteomalacia: Involuntary twitching, muscle spasms.
Bones/Teeth: _B_Rickets in Children:_B_ Faulty calcification, resulting in misshaped bones (bowing of legs) and retarded growth; enlargement of ends of bones (knees, wrists); deformitites of ribs; delayed closing of fontanel; resulting in rapid enlargement of head; slow eruption of teeth; malformed decay-prone teeth; _B_Osteomalacia in Adults:_B_ Softening effect: deformities of limbs, spine, thorax, and pelvis; demineralization; pain in pelvis, lower back, and legs; bone fractures
Blood/Circulatory System: Osteomalacia: Decreased calcium and/or phosphorous, increased alkaline phosphatase
Other: Rickets: Abnormally high secretion of parathormone, increased calcium in stools, decreased calcium in urine
Toxicity Symptoms
Common Names: Hypervitaminosis D
Nervous/Muscular Systems: Loss of appetite, headache, weakness, fatigue, exessive thirst, irritability, apathy
Bones/Teeth: Increased calcium withdrawl
Blood/Circulatory System: Increased calcium and phosphorus concentration
Other: Calcification of soft tissues (blood vessels, kidneys, heart, lungs, tissues around joints), Increased excretion of calcium in urine, kidney stones, irreversible renal damage, death
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