How Can I Get The Vitamins And Minerals I Need
It is usually better to get the nutrients you need from food, rather than a pill. Thats because nutrient-dense foods contain other things that are good for you, like fiber.
Most older people can get all the nutrients they need from foods. But if you arent sure, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian to find out if you are missing any important vitamins or minerals. He or she may recommend a vitamin or dietary supplement.
If you do need to supplement your diet, look for a supplement that contains the vitamin or mineral you need without a lot of other unnecessary ingredients. Read the label to make sure the dose is not too large. Avoid supplements with mega-doses. Too much of some vitamins and minerals can be harmful, and you might be paying for supplements you dont need. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend brands that fit your needs.
Estimates Of The Prevalence Of Inadequate Intakes Of Vitamin D From Food Must Be Interpreted With Caution
Vitamin D is unique as it can also be synthesized by the body from sunlight . In addition, vitamin D intake from supplements has not been considered in this assessment. While there appears to be a high prevalence of inadequate intakes of vitamin D from dietary sources, available clinical measures do not suggest wide-spread vitamin D deficiency in the Canadian population . Vitamin D status in some sub-populations, however, may warrant further consideration.
Figure 1. Prevalence of inadequacy for nutrients with an Estimated Average Requirement in Canadian adolescents 9-18 years
E Data with a coefficient of variation from 16.6% to 33.3% interpret with caution. F Data with a coefficient of variation greater than 33.3% with a 95% confidence interval not entirely between 0 and 3% suppressed due to extreme sampling variability. < 3 Data with a coefficient of variation greater than 33.3% with a 95% confidence interval entirely between 0 and 3% interpret with caution. * Vitamin D dietary intake data cannot stand alone and consideration must be given to serum 25OHD levels.
Vitamins and Minerals with an Adequate Intake
The median intakes of potassium among adolescents aged 9-18 years fell below the AI of 4500-4700 mg/d therefore no assessment could be made regarding the prevalence of inadequacy of potassium .
< AI â Median intake < AI no assessment can be made regarding the prevalence of inadequacy of this nutrient in this age group.
How Much Vitamin D Do You Need
Despite widespread assertions in the popular and scientific press that many Americans have a vitamin D deficiency, the term “deficiency” isn’t strictly accurate. The official definition of a vitamin deficiency means that specific health problems stem solely from the lack of a specific nutrient. An actual vitamin D deficiency results in bone disease, such as rickets, which is rare in the United States.
On the other hand, lower-than-optimal levels of specific vitamins, including vitamin D, may increase your risk of numerous health problems, even though they are not solely responsible for these problems. “Insufficiency” may be a better term for these lower levels than “vitamin D deficiency”.
So far, the most clearly established benefit of vitamin D is that it helps the body absorb calcium and therefore promotes healthy bones. However, a steady drumbeat of studies beginning in the 1980s started to build a case that low blood levels of D were connected with a variety of chronic health problems, leading to claims by a number of researchers that the RDA for D was way too low. The confusion and controversy surrounding optimal vitamin D intake and blood values prompted the U.S. and Canadian governments to request that the Institute of Medicine review the evidence on vitamin D and calcium and update the DRIs.
To learn more about the vitamins and minerals you need to stay healthy, read , a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School.
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Vitamin D Supplements: What Parents Should Know
Getting enough vitamin D is essential so kids bones can grow strong and their immune systems can ward off illness.
Vitamin D gets into the body through absorption of sunlight and ingestion of food. From April through the end of October, spending just 15 to 30 minutes outside in the middle of the day with hands and face exposed will stimulate the skin to make all the vitamin D your child needs. In fact, on a sunny summer day, a child wearing a bathing suit can generate 10,000 to 20,000 international units of vitamin D after 15 to 30 minutes. In a neat biological trick, a persons body cant overdose on vitamin D created by the sun.
Foods such as salmon, sardines, tuna, cod liver oil, egg yolks and shiitake mushrooms contain a lot of vitamin D. Many kids dont seem to love these vitamin D superfoods, so luckily store-bought milk is often fortified with vitamin D, as are many cereals and even orange juice. Not all dairy products are fortified with vitamin D, however, so make sure to read the labels.
Vitamin D Obesity And Diabetes
Dietary vitamin D is associated with fat percentage and visceral fat in healthy adolescents. Hypovitaminosis D and vitamin D deficiency are very frequent among obese children and adolescents, and are associated with higher PTH concentrations as compared with nonobese subjects., In addition, 25D levels are positively correlated with insulin sensitivity, but negatively correlated to hemoglobin A, which suggests that obese children and adolescents with low vitamin D levels are at increased risk of developing glucose metabolic alterations. It has been calculated that a 25D concentration of 15 ng/mL or less may be the threshold at which vitamin D deficiency confers negative effects on insulin sensitivity.
Negative correlations have been reported between 25D and visceral and subcutaneous fat and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry values for body fat. Reduction of elevated body weight is associated with a decrease in PTH concentrations and an increase in 25D levels. Studies are currently underway to determine the influence of vitamin D on insulin secretion and sensitivity in obese adolescent girls.
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How To Prevent And Treat Vitamin D Deficiency In School Age Children
28/ Identify those at higher risk and look for symptoms and signs.10
No risk factors No investigations needed
Give lifestyle advice** and consider prevention
Risk factors but no symptoms Lifestyle advice** and start prevention.
Risk factors and symptoms or signs Do blood tests and / or X-rays.
Start treatment and consider long term
prevention, at least until the child stops
growing.
- Advising about diet and the use over-the-counter supplements.
30/ ONLY test vitamin D status if someone has symptoms of deficiency or is at high risk.10
Vitamin D Recommendations For Teens May Be Too Low
3 Min Read
NEW YORK – Adolescents can safely take, and may need, vitamin D doses that are up to 10 times what is generally recommended, a small study suggests.
In a trial that followed 340, 10- to 17-year-olds for one year, Lebanese researchers found that vitamin D doses equivalent to 2,000 IU per day were not only safe, but also achieved more-desirable blood levels of the vitamin.
The dose used in the study was 10 times the official adequate intake level set for vitamin D in the United States — 200 IU per day for children and adults younger than 50.
An adequate intake, or AI, is set when health officials believe there is insufficient evidence to lay down a recommended dietary allowance, or RDA.
But some researchers have argued that the 200 IU standard is too low. This year, the American Academy of Pediatrics began recommending that children and teenagers get 400 IU of vitamin D each day.
In the current study, reported in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers looked at whether adolescents can take doses equivalent to 2,000 IU per day without risking side effects — like nausea, vomiting, constipation and weight loss.
Dr. Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan and colleagues at the American University of Beirut first conducted an 8-week safety study in which 25 adolescents were given either a weekly dose of 14,000 IU of vitamin D3 — also known as cholecalciferol — or a placebo.
They found that the high vitamin dose caused no toxic effects.
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What Are The New Dris For Vitamin D
The DRIs for vitamin D are based on maintaining skeletal health and have been set using the assumption that sun exposure is minimal.
The DRIs for vitamin D, which can also be found in the DRI tables, are as follows:
The DRIs for vitamin D| Age group |
|---|
| 4000 IU |
| Adequate Intake rather than Recommended Dietary Allowance. |
The IOM report states that there are no additional health benefits associated with vitamin D intakes above the level of the new RDA.
Total vitamin D intake should remain below the level of the new UL to avoid possible adverse effects. Long-term intakes above the UL increase the risk of adverse health effects.
Why Vitamin D Is An Essential Nutrient Especially In Teens & Kids
Vitamin D is the only vitamin that acts as a hormone, allowing vital nutrients to enter the cells. As a result, vitamin D is essential to your childs bones, brain, heart, teeth, lungs and musculoskeletal structure.
This incredibly crucial vitamin improves bone health by promoting the absorption of calcium and phosphorus, which makes the teeth and bones healthier. It also helps regulate cell growth and fortifies the immune system.
Stephanie Hodges, Registered Dietitian at The Nourished Principles, told Public Goods that other symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include dental deformities, bone pain, impaired growth, an increase in bone fractures and muscle cramps. She cited high screen time and low milk consumption as two major culprits.
Vitamin D is typically added to milk because it allows calcium to strengthen bone cells through absorption. It can also help regulate insulin levels and strengthen your childs immune system.
Because breastmilk contains low levels of vitamin D, its recommended that breastfed babies receive an additional supplement. Formula-fed babies are less likely to need a supplement because vitamin D is typically added to infant formula.
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Vitamin D Supplementation In Infants Children And Adolescents
CATHERINE F. CASEY, MD DAVID C. SLAWSON, MD and LINDSEY R. NEAL, MD, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville, Virginia
Am Fam Physician. 2010 Mar 15 81:745-748.
Vitamin D deficiency in children can have adverse health consequences, such as growth failure and rickets. In 2008, the American Academy of Pediatrics increased its recommended daily intake of vitamin D in infants, children, and adolescents to 400 IU. Infants who are breastfed and children and adolescents who consume less than 1 L of vitamin Dfortified milk per day will likely need supplementation to reach 400 IU of vitamin D per day. This recommendation is based on expert opinion and recent clinical trials measuring biomarkers of vitamin D status. It is also based on the precedent of preventing and treating rickets with 400 IU of vitamin D. In addition to dietary sources, exposure to ultraviolet B sunlight provides children and adults with additional vitamin D. Although the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping infants out of direct sunlight, decreased sunlight exposure may increase children’s risk of vitamin D deficiency. No randomized controlled trials assessing patient-oriented outcomes have been performed on universal vitamin D supplementation. However, vitamin D may reduce the risk of certain infections and chronic diseases. Physicians should help parents choose the appropriate vitamin D supplement for their child.
Kids May Need 10 Times More Vitamin D
Study: Kids Need 2,000 IU of Vitamin D, Not 200 IU Now Recommended
May 28, 2008 — Children and teens need 10 times more than the recommended dose of vitamin D, a clinical trial suggests.
“Our research reveals that vitamin D, at doses equivalent to 2,000 IU a day, is not only safe for adolescents, but it is actually necessary for achieving desirable vitamin D levels,” study leader Ghada El-Hajj Fuleihan, MD, of the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Lebanon, says in a news release.
Kids are advised to get a daily vitamin D dose of 200 IU. That suggestion came from an Institute of Medicine panel that based its recommendation on the amount of vitamin D needed to prevent rickets in infants.
However, more and more vitamin D experts have begun to suggest that children and adults need much more vitamin D than previously recognized.
New evidence strongly supports this opinion. El-Hajj Fuleihan and colleagues enrolled 340 schoolchildren in a one-year study. These 10- to 17-year-old kids attended schools in Beirut, Lebanon.
A third of the kids received an inactive, sham treatment. Another third got the recommended 200 IU/day dose of vitamin D3 . And, after an earlier safety study showed it would not be toxic, the remaining third of the kids got 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D3 — 10 times the recommended dose for adequate daily intake.
Before starting your child on supplements or vitamins, always consult with your pediatrician.
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Micronutrient Needs Of Children Ages 4 To 8 Years
For each micronutrient, the FNB sets an RDA or AI for children ages 4 to 8 years these micronutrient intake recommendations do not differ with gender for this age group. Table 1 lists the RDA for each micronutrient. As mentioned above, the RDA should be used in the planning of diets for individuals. A few select micronutrient requirements for children are discussed below.
Table 1. Dietary Reference Intakes Set by the FNB:RDA for Micronutrients During Childhood, Ages 4 to 8 Years| Micronutrient |
|---|
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Why Wearing Sunscreen Can Affect Vitamin D Absorption
While wearing sunscreen daily is key to help prevent sunburns, premature aging, and skin cancer, this healthy habit can also affect how much vitamin D your skin synthesizes from the sun.
To get your fix, aim to spend 10 to 15 minutes outdoors without sunscreen, Foroutan says. It can help get your levels where they need to be, she says, echoing information from Harvard Health Publishing.
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Can You Have Too Much Vitamin D
If you choose to take vitamin D supplements, 10g a day will be enough for most people.
People who take supplements are advised not to take more than 100g of vitamin D a day, as it could be harmful .
This applies to adults, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, and children aged 11 to 17.
Children aged 1 to 10 shouldn’t have more than 50g a day. Babies under 12 months shouldn’t have more than 25g a day.
Some people have medical conditions that mean they may not be able to take as much vitamin D safely.
If in doubt, you should talk to your doctor. If your doctor has recommended you take a different amount of vitamin D, you should follow their advice.
The amount of vitamin D contained in supplements is sometimes expressed in international units , where 40 IU is equal to 1 microgram of vitamin D.
There’s no risk of your body making too much vitamin D from sun exposure, but always remember to cover up or protect your skin before the time it takes you to start turning red or burn.
Page last reviewed: 31 August 2018 Next review due: 31 August 2021
Where Does Vitamin D Come From
The Sun
Our bodies make vitamin D when our skin is exposed to the sun. It’s hard to get enough vitamin D from the sun, though. Most kids and adults spend lots of time indoors at school and work. When outdoors, it’s important to protect skin to prevent skin cancer and skin damage from too much sun exposure.
Food
Very few foods have vitamin D naturally. The foods with the most are fatty fish , liver, eggs and fish oils. Kids don’t eat these foods a lot. That’s why food companies add vitamin D to milk, yogurt, baby formula, juice, cereal, and other foods.
Adding vitamin D to foods is called “fortifying.” It’s helpful, but it still may not be enough.
Supplements
To get enough vitamin D, children often need to take a multivitamin with vitamin D or a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D is sometimes labeled as vitamin D3.
You can buy vitamin D pills, gummies, chewables, liquids, and sprays in stores without a prescription. Ask your child’s health care provider for advice on choosing the right one.
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Can Children Take 3000
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Vitamin D deficiency is on the rise among children in the United States, reports the American Academy of Pediatrics, and this is a concern. One study published in January 2013 in Pediatrics found that the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in American kids is 21 percent in healthy-weight children and 34 percent in children who are obese. Vitamin D deficiency causes soft, weak bones and stunted growth in children. At the same time, however, too much vitamin D from supplements can cause health problems in children as well. As reported by the Office of Dietary Supplements, the tolerable upper intake levels of vitamin D for children range from 1,000 to 4,000 IU daily, depending on the ages of the children.
When To Give Your Child A Vitamin D Supplement
Children aged 1 to 4 need a vitamin D supplement every day for a few months each year. Give this from Halloween to St Patricks Day .
Babies under 12 months need vitamin D supplements every day if they are:
- breastfed
- have less than 300mls or 10 fluid oz of infant formula a day
You should stop giving your child formula milk when they reach 1 year of age.
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