Vitamin D For Dummies
Book image
Explore Book Buy On Amazon

New recommendations for vitamin D were released by an expert panel in 2010. These recommendations for daily intake of vitamin D are based on the current literature on vitamin D and are set to protect the health of your bones. They're based on the assumption that you get no vitamin D from sun exposure.

2010 Recommendations for Intake of Vitamin D
Age RDA or AI* UL**
Birth to 6 months 400 IU*** 1000 IU
7–12 months 400 IU 1500 IU
1–3 years 600 IU 2500 IU
4–8 years 600 IU 3000 IU
9–70 years 600 IU 4000 IU
More than 70 years 800 IU 4000 IU

*RDA = recommended daily allowance; AI = adequate intake
**UL = upper safe limit for daily intake
***IU = International Units

Some people believe that you may need even more vitamin D than these recommendations; however, the scientific evidence to support these claims is lacking. Still, as long as you stay under the recommended upper safe intake limit, you can choose to take more vitamin D.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Alan L. Rubin, MD has been a physician in private practice for more than 30 years. He is the author of several bestselling health titles, including Diabetes For Dummies, High Blood Pressure For Dummies, and Thyroid For Dummies.

This article can be found in the category: