Vitamin D

• Helps the body absorb calcium to build strong bones and teeth
• May reduce risk of osteoporosis

Adequate Intakes

• Children, ages 1 to 18: 5 mcg
• Adults
  Ages 19 to 50: 5 mcg
  Ages 51 to 70: 10 mcg
  Age 71 and older: 15 mcg
• Pregnant women: 5 mcg
• Nursing mothers: 5 mcg

Most people get all the vitamin D they need each day from exposure to the sun. They do not need extra vitamin D from food sources. For this reason, the Food and Nutrition Board has not established Recommended Dietary Allowances for vitamin D. Instead, a figure called “Adequate Intake” (AI) is used.

The AI for adults age 51 and older is higher than the AI for younger people. That's because older people may not get enough sunlight. When this is the case, they need to obtain more vitamin D from foods or supplements.

Good Food Sources: Sunlight is one of the best sources of vitamin D. These foods also are good sources: milk and other dairy products; oily fish, such as sardines, herring, salmon, and tuna; egg yolks; liver.