Vitamin D is needed for absorption of dietary calcium and so calcium deficiency may be linked with rickets in children . This may be related to repeated pregnancy with lengthy breast feeding. Osteoporosis can be due to calcium deficiency. This involves loss of calcium from the bones and reduced bone density. This causes bones to be brittle and liable to fracture.
Bone loss occurs with age in all individuals.
This usually occurs after 35-40 years and involves the shrinking of the skeleton. Bone loss is greatest in women following the menopause. This is due to reduced levels of the hormone, oestrogen. Postmenopausal women are particularly at risk from osteoporosis. Some research has indicated vegetarian women are at less risk of osteoporosis than omnivorous women.