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Live Better—Save More |
August 08 |
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What Supplements Should You Add To Your Diet?
Health professionals and consumers need credible information to make thoughtful decisions about eating a healthful diet and using vitamin and mineral supplements. To help guide those decisions, registered dietitians at the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, the clinical research hospital at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, MD, developed a series of Fact Sheets. These fact sheets provide responsible information about the role of vitamins and minerals in health and disease. Each Fact Sheet in this series received extensive review by recognized experts from the academic and research communities.
The information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is important to seek the advice of a physician about any medical condition or symptom. It is also important to seek the advice of a physician, registered dietitian, pharmacist, or other qualified health professional about the appropriateness of taking dietary supplements and their potential interactions with medications.
Here is a brief synopsis of some of the most popular minerals and vitamins that will help you lead a healthy life. You can read more about each of these supplements and more at ods.od.nih.gov.
Calcium
Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the human body, has several important functions. More than 99% of total body calcium is stored in the bones and teeth where it functions to support their structure. Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, the secretion of hormones and enzymes, and sending messages through the nervous system.
Table 1: Recommended Adequate Intake by the IOM for Calcium
|
Male and
Female
Age |
Calcium
(mg/day) |
Pregnancy
&
Lactation |
|
0 to 6
months |
210 |
N/A |
|
7 to 12
months |
270 |
N/A |
|
1 to 3
years |
500 |
N/A |
|
4 to 8
years |
800 |
N/A |
|
9 to 13
years |
1300
|
N/A |
|
14 to 18
years |
1300
|
1300
|
|
19 to 50
years |
1000
|
1000 |
|
51+
years |
1200
|
N/A |
*mg=milligrams
Recommendations for calcium are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences.
Iron
Iron, one of the most abundant metals on Earth, is essential to most life forms and to normal human physiology. Iron is an integral part of many proteins and enzymes that maintain good health. In humans, iron is an essential component of proteins involved in oxygen transport. It is also essential for the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. A deficiency of iron limits oxygen delivery to cells, resulting in fatigue, poor work performance, and decreased immunity.
Table 2: Recommended Dietary Allowances for Iron for Infants (7 to 12 months), Children, and Adults
|
Age |
Males
(mg/day) |
Females
(mg/day) |
Pregnancy
(mg/day) |
Lactation
(mg/day) |
|
7 to 12
months |
11 |
11 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
1 to 3
years |
7 |
7 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
4 to 8
years |
10 |
10 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
9 to 13
years |
8 |
8 |
N/A |
N/A |
|
14 to 18
years |
11 |
15 |
27 |
10 |
|
19 to 50
years |
8 |
18 |
27 |
9 |
|
51+
years |
8 |
8 |
N/A |
N/A |
Recommendations for iron are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A is a group of compounds that play an important role in vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division, and cell differentiation (in which a cell becomes part of the brain, muscle, lungs, blood, or other specialized tissue.). Vitamin A helps regulate the immune system, which helps prevent or fight off infections by making white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses. Vitamin A also may help lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) fight infections more effectively.
Table 3: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for vitamin A
|
Age
(years) |
Children
(mcg
RAE) |
Males
(mcg
RAE) |
Females
(mcg
RAE) |
Pregnancy
(mcg
RAE) |
Lactation
(mcg
RAE) |
|
1-3 |
300
(1,000
IU) |
|
|
|
|
|
4-8 |
400
(1,320
IU) |
|
|
|
|
|
9-13 |
600
(2,000
IU) |
|
|
|
|
|
14-18 |
|
900
(3,000
IU) |
700
(2,310
IU) |
750
(2,500
IU) |
1,200
(4,000
IU) |
|
19+ |
|
900
(3,000
IU) |
700
(2,310
IU) |
770
(2,565
IU) |
1,300
(4,300
IU)
|
Recommendations for vitamin A are provided in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
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Information provided by the National Institute of Health (NIH). For more information and additional fact sheets, please visit ods.od.nih.gov.
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