Vitamins and supplements are a big industry, and there are
so many to choose from. Trying to figure
out what to take, which makers have a better product and if it really adds
value to your health.
A dietary supplement is just that, it is a dietary ingredient
intended to add further nutritional value to your own diet. We do know that by eating the right amounts
of fruits, vegetables, nuts, protein and dairy, we fulfill our daily
requirements of vitamins needed to sustain a healthy body. But a busy lifestyle doesn’t always allow for
the perfect meal planning, so our bodies tend to suffer from lack of certain
nutrients needed daily, so the next best thing is to reach for the
vitamins/supplements to make up for those we are lacking.
That being said, what dietary supplements are the most
important? And what are the necessary
amounts needed, as it varies with age and the daily diet doesn’t always provide
all the nutrients needed.
According to WebMD:
Infants (0-12mos.): Since infants can’t consume as many calories
as adults, a diet high in fat supplies more than twice the calories of
carbohydrates or protein. Fat also
supplies the essential fatty acids that attribute to proper brain development.
Breast Milk, formula and animal products provide fat and cholesterol, which is
necessary for a healthy nervous system.
Babies need Vitamin D every day to build strong bones and teeth. Iron is needed as well to help support an
infant’s rapid growth and development.
Toddlers & School
Aged Children (1-8yrs.): Toddlers need about 1,400 calories a day. Milk
provides calcium and vitamin D for the growing bones. Everyone between 1-70 years old should get
600IU of vitamin D daily, about the amount found in five 8-ounce glasses of
milk. According to the American Academy
of Pediatrics, children of all ages who drink less than 32 ounces of vitamin D
added milk daily need vitamin D supplements.
As a child’s diet begins to reflect the family’s eating patterns, the
child may be at risk for a diet low in calcium, vitamin D, potassium, and
fiber, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Kids who avoid
meat and other iron-rich foods, or any food group, may need a multivitamin
supplement to fill in nutrient gaps.
Children who don’t consume enough milk or calcium and vitamin-D foods
may require extra calcium.
Pre-teens and Teens
(9 to 19 years old): Adolescence is the time for a child’s final growth
spurt. A child’s body begins preparing
for the changes to come starting around age nine. Nearly half of all skeletal growth occurs
during the teen years. Rapidly growing
bones trigger a higher demand for calcium and the body responds by boosting
calcium absorption from food and depositing it in bones to make them longer and
thicker. From age 9-18, children require
1,300mg of calcium daily, about the amount found in 32 ounces of milk. Children of all ages require 600IU of vitamin
D, which promotes calcium absorption in the body. Iron requirements increases at age 14 to
support increased blood volume and muscle mass.
Teen girls due to menstruation need more than boys to make up for
monthly losses. Inadequate iron intake
can lead to anemia, the most common nutrient shortfall for teen girls. Teens
who skimp on animal products run a greater risk for iron deficiency and
insufficient intake of vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D, among others. A daily multivitamin helps to fill in small
nutrient gaps in a teen’s diet.
Adults (19 to 50
years old): Calorie needs decrease when you’re done growing. A woman’s iron needs increase again in
adulthood, to 18mg daily. During
pregnancy, iron requirements rise to 27mg daily, which is difficult to satisfy
with food alone.
Folic acid is another important nutrient during the
childbearing years. This B vitamin helps
to prevent birth defects during early pregnancy. The Institute of Medicine encourages women
who may become pregnant to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily from
fortified foods, dietary supplements, or a combination of the two.
With the exception of pregnancy, calcium absorption starts
decreasing during adulthood. Women, and
men, should satisfy their daily calcium needs during this stage, which arte
1,000mg to reduce the risk of bone fractures later on in life. Calcium and
vitamin D supplements make sense if you don’t consume the recommended 24 ounces
of low-fat (1%) milk or fat-free milk or yogurt, or a combination of these
every day – or if you don’t get the recommended calcium and vitamin D from
other foods besides dairy.
Senior (50years old
and older): Nutrient needs change
with advancing age for several reasons:
the body absorbs less, it requires more, or it needs less of certain
nutrients. For example, after menopause,
women need less iron – 8mg daily – compared to 18mg daily during childbearing
years – but they require more calcium.
As estrogen production decreases during menopause, more bone is broker
down than constructed. In addition, the
body absorbs less calcium than it did earlier in life. After age 51, women should consume 1,200mg
calcium daily and men need 1,000mg.
Vitamin D needs go up with age, too.
After age 71, you should get 800IU daily. Unless you drink 64 ounces of mild each day,
you need a vitamin d supplement.
It’s harder to absorb naturally occurring vitamin B12 after
age 50, because your body is less able to grab the vitamin B12 from foods and
absorb it. The body easily absorbs
synthetic B12, however, which is why experts recommend it as the primary B12
source for people over 50. Foods
fortified with vitamin B12. Such as breakfast cereals and other, grains, or a
multivitamin can help you meet your vitamin B12 needs.
Also keep in mind that certain nutrients interfere with
over-the-counter and prescription medications.
As always, ask your doctor or pharmacist about the dietary supplements
you take and how they may affect your medications.
