Vitamin D Supplements - What Are the Public Health Recommendations for Daily Intake of Vitamin D?

What is the adequate level of vitamin D supplements to lead a healthy and disease free life? Here are the essential facts.

The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is the minimum dosage that is required by a healthy individual per day, to remain free of any diseases that might occur due to the deficiency of the nutrient.

However in therapeutic use, the dosage of vitamin D supplements is considerably increased. At the same time, it should be kept in mind that overdose of might lead to vitamin D toxicity and vitamin D side effects.

The RDA of vitamin D for men and women is 400 IU.

Public Health Recommendations for Daily Intake of Vitamin D

In the year 1997, the following adequate intake levels (AI) for vitamin D were established by the National Academy of Sciences --

• For infants and children: 200 IU or 5 mcg
• For teenagers: 200 IU or 5 mcg
• For adults up to the age of 50 years: 200 IU or 5 mcg
• For adults in the age group of 51 to 70 years: 400 IU or 10 mcg
• For adults above the age group of 70 years: 600 IU or 15 mcg
• For pregnant women and lactating mothers: 200 IU or 5 mcg

Many advanced studies and research reports indicate that much greater levels of vitamin D might be essential for people in these specific groups --

• people residing in northern geographical areas such as the Pacific Northwest or New England in the US.
• people suffering from obesity.
• persons who have very little exposure to sunlight due to indoor jobs.
• those who use sunscreen on their skin on a regular basis.
• people having a naturally darker skin.

Those individuals that fall in the above category require at least 25 mcg or 1000 IU of vitamin D per day - an amount that is significantly higher than the normal 200 to 600 IU levels for an average person.