Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is stored in the body’s fatty tissues. The main function of vitamin D is to help the body absorb calcium. Calcium is essential for normal bone formation.
If your body does not get enough calcium from your diet, bone production and bone tissues may suffer. The deficiency of vitamin D can lead to a disease called osteoporosis in adults and rickets in children.
Throughout childhood, your body uses these minerals to produce bones. If you do not get enough calcium, or if your body does not absorb enough calcium from your diet, bone production and bone tissues may suffer. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis in adults or rickets in children.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vitamins describes that how much of each vitamin should get to the person on a daily basis. The percentage of vitamin depends on certain factors like your age, gender, and other factors, such as pregnancy and your health issues etc,.
In 2010, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences established revised Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) recommendations for vitamin D based on new research in this area. The following Adequate Intake (AI) levels for vitamin D were established in 2010 for infants:
- Infants from birth to 6 months of age, need a 10 micrograms per day.
- Infants from 6 to12 months of age, need a 10 micrograms per day.
The following Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) were established for children, teenagers, and adults:
- For children between 1 to 13 years of age they need a 15 micrograms per day.
- For Teenagers between 14 to 18 years of age they need a 15 micrograms per day.
- For Adults from 19 to 70 years of age they need a 15 micrograms per day.
- For Adults above 70 years of age they need a 20 micrograms per day.
- For Pregnant and lactating women they need a 15 micrograms per day.
However you can get body’s required amount of vitamin D by spending ten to 15 minutes in sunshine. The sun needs to shine on the skin of your face, arms, back, or legs (without sunscreen).
People who do not live in sunny places may not able to get enough vitamin D. Exposure of skin to indirect sunlight also doesn’t produce vitamin D.
Higher amounts of vitamin D is needed for older people than the younger people. You can ask your health care provider how much amount is best for you.