Vitamin D Guidelines: Are They Adequate?

Are you getting enough vitamin D? Probably not.

• Vitamins

Many vitamin D experts no longer consider the government's recommended daily allowance (RDA) for D, in chart below, to be enough. Dr. Holick and others now prescribe 1000 IU* daily from the sun, supplements or food -- and sometimes more. The RDA will be re-examined starting in 2008 and may be increased to 1000 IU (or higher) for everyone over age one.

Current Guidelines

		Birth to 50		51 to 70		71+
Men & Women		5 mcg or 200 IU		10 mcg or 400 IU		15 mcg or 600 IU

Best Food Sources for Vitamin D

FOOD		AMOUNT		D CONTENT
Cod liver oil		1 tablespoon		1360 IU*
Salmon, cooked		3½ ounces		360 IU
Mackerel, cooked		3½ ounces		345 IU
Tuna, canned in oil		3 ounces		200 IU
Sardines, canned in oil, drained		1¾ ounces		250 IU
Milk, all types, fortified		1 cup		98 IU

*IU (international units)
SOURCE: NIH, Office of Dietary Supplements

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During the hectic time after our son was born, my husband and I went weeks without being romantic, and it was taking its toll. As he helped me fold the laundry one day, I pointed to a pile of socks. "Those haven't been mated," I said. "I know the feeling," my husband muttered under his breath.

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