- 10,000 IU/day (plant-derived) for adult males
- 8,000 for adult females – 12,000 if lactating
- 4,000 for children ages 1-3
- 5,000 for children ages 4-6
- 7,000 for children ages 7-10
Vitamin A helps cell reproduction. It also stimulates immunity and is needed for formation of some hormones. Vitamin A helps vision and promotes bone growth, tooth development, and helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. It has been shown to be an effective preventive against measles.
Deficiency can cause night blindness, dry skin, poor bone growth, and weak tooth enamel.
Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and retinol are all versions of Vitamin A.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine)
- 1.2 mg for adult males
- 1.1 mg for women – 1.5 mg if lactating
- Children need .6 to .9 mg of B1/thiamine per day
Vitamin B1/thiamine is important in the production of energy. It helps the body cells convert carbohydrates into energy. It is also essential for the functioning of the heart, muscles, and nervous system. Not getting enough thiamine can leave one fatigued and weak.
Note: Most fruits and vegetables are not a significant source of thiamine.
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)
- 1.3 mg for adult males
- 1.1 mg for women – 1.5 mg if pregnant/lactating
- Children need .6 to .9 mg of B2/riboflavin per day
Vitamin B2 or riboflavin is important for body growth, reproduction and red cell production. It also helps in releasing energy from carbohydrates.
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- 16 mg for adult males
- 14 mg for women – 17-18 mg if pregnant/lactating.
- Children need 9 – 16 mg of niacin per day
Niacin assists in the functioning of the digestive system, skin, and nerves. It is also important for the conversion of food to energy.
Vitamin B5 –( Pantothenic Acid)
- 5 mg for adults
- 6 – 7 mg for women who are pregnant or lactating
- Children need 2 – 4 mg of niacin per day
Pantothenic acid is essential for the metabolism of food as well as in the formation of hormones and (good) cholesterol.
Vitamin B6 –(Pryidoxine)
- 1.3 to 1.7 mg for adults
- 2 mg for women who are pregnant or lactating
- Children need between .6 to 1.3 mg
B6 plays a role in the creation of antibodies in the immune system. It helps maintain normal nerve function and acts in the formation of red blood cells. It is also required for the chemical reactions of proteins. The higher the protein intake, the more need there is for vitamin B6. Too little B6 in the diet can cause dizziness, nausea, confusion, irritability and convulsions.
Vitamin B9 –( Folate/Folic Acid )
- 400 mcgs for most adults
- 600 mcgs for pregnant women and 500 mcgs for breastfeeding women
- Children need between 150 to 300 mcg per day
Folate and folic acid are both forms of B9. Folate occurs naturally in fresh foods, whereas folic acid is the synthetic form found in supplements. Your body needs folate to produce red blood cells, as well as components of the nervous system. It helps in the formation and creation of DNA and maintaining normal brain function, and is a critical part of spinal fluid. It has also been proven to reduce the risk for an NTD-affected (neural tube defect) pregnancy by 50 to 70 percent. Folic acid is vital for proper cell growth and development of the embryo. That is why it is important for a woman to have enough folate/folic acid in her body both before and during pregnancy.
Vitamin B12
- 2.4 mcg for adults
- 2.6 – 2.8 mcg for women who are pregnant or lactating
- Children need .9 – 2.4 mcg per day
Like the other B vitamins, vitamin B12 is important for metabolism. It helps in the formation of red blood cells and in the maintenance of the central nervous system.
Vitamin B12 is the one vitamin that is available only from fish, poultry, meat or dairy sources in food.
Vitamin C
- 60 mg for adults
- 70 mg for women who are pregnant and 95 for those lactating
- Children need between 45 and 50 mg
Vitamin C is one of the most important of all vitamins. It plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. Antioxidants act to protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism. Free radicals can cause cell damage that may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Vitamin C has also been found by scientists to be an effective antiviral agent.
Vitamin D –(helps in absorption of calcium & magnesium)
- 5 mg for most adults
- 10 mg for 50 – 70 yrs, and 15 mg for 70 yrs above
- Children need about 5 mg/day
Vitamin D is known as the “sunshine vitamin” since it is manufactured by the body after being exposed to sunshine. Ten to fifteen minutes of good sunshine three times weekly is adequate to produce the body’s requirement of vitamin D. This means that we don’t need to obtain vitamin D from our diet unless we get very little sunlight – usually not a problem for children.
Vitamin D is vital to the human body as it promotes absorption of calcium and magnesium, which are essential for the normal development of healthy teeth and bones. It also helps maintain adequate levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.
Vitamin E
- 30 IU for most adults.
- Children need 6-11 mg/day.
(1 IU is equal to approximately .75 mg)
Like vitamin C, vitamin E plays a significant role as an antioxidant, thereby protecting body tissue from the damage of oxidation. It is important in the formation of red blood cells and the use of vitamin K. Many women also use it to help minimize the appearance of wrinkles, and mothers use it to help heal minor wounds without scarring, as it is valued for its ability to soothe and heal broken or stressed skin tissue.
Vitamin K
- 70-80 micrograms/day for adult males
- 60-65 micrograms per day for adult females.
- Children need about half the amount, depending on age.
Vitamin K is fat soluble and plays a critical role in blood clotting. It regulates blood calcium levels and activates at least 3 proteins involved in bone health.
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Calcium
- Adults need 1000 mg/day.
- Children need 800 to 1300 mg/day.
Calcium eases insomnia and helps regulate the passage of nutrients through cell walls. Without calcium, your muscles wouldn’t contract correctly, your blood wouldn’t clot and your nerves wouldn’t carry messages.
If you don’t get enough calcium from the food you eat, your body automatically takes the calcium needed from your bones. If your body continues to tear down more bone than it replaces over a period of years in order to get sufficient calcium, your bones will become weak and break easily.
Deficiency may result in muscle spasms and cramps in the short term and osteoporosis.
Chromium
- 1700-5100 micrograms/day for adults
In addition to balancing blood sugar levels, chromium has many benefits including:
- Regulates hunger
- Reduces cravings
- Helps protect DNA and RNA
- Important to heart function
- Helps control fat and cholesterol levels in the blood
Chlorine
- Men – 750 mg /day
- Women – 750 mg /day
- Children – 600 mg /day
Chloride is essential for the proper distribution of carbon dioxide and the maintenance of osmotic pressure in the tissues. It is necessary for the manufacture of glandular hormone secretions. It prevents the building of excessive fat and autointoxication. Chloride regulates the alkali-acid balance in the blood. It works, with potassium in a compound form. Potassium chloride is also essential for the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which is needed for proper protein digestion. It is involved in the maintenance of proper fluid and electrolyte balance in the system.
Excessive loss of salt from the body due to perspiration can result in heat cramps. Deficiency may lead to loss of hair and teeth. It may also result in impaired digestion of foods and derangement of fluid levels in the body.
Cobalt –(works with vitamin B12) & Nickel –(works with vitamin C)
- Cobalt : 10.2 – 23.4 mg total in a 60 kg adult
- Nickel : 300 – 600 micrograms/day for adults
Cobalt is necessary in very small amounts in all mammals and is used to treat several different types of cancer in humans by being a radioactive tracer and cancer treatment agent.
The possible health benefits of nickel include optimal growth, healthy skin and bone structure. It may also be involved in iron metabolism, as it influences iron absorption from foods and may also play a role in production of red blood cells. It is required for metabolism of glucose, lipids, hormones and cell membrane.
Copper
- 2 – 3 micrograms/day for adults
Copper is involved in the absorption, storage and metabolism of iron and the formation of red blood cells. It also helps supply oxygen to the body. The symptoms of a copper deficiency are similar to iron-deficiency anemia.
Flourine
- 1.5 – 3micrograms/day for adults
Fluoride’s primary function in the human body is to strengthen the bone and it is known to prevent tooth decay. Experts contend that fluoride strengthens the teeth’s enamel.
Iodine
- 150 micrograms/day for adults
- The children’s recommendation for iodine is 70 to 150 mcg
Iodine helps regulate the rate of energy production and body weight and promotes proper growth. It also promotes healthy hair, nails, skin and teeth.In countries where iodine is deficient in the soil, rates of hypothyroidism, goiter and retarded growth from iodine deficiency are very high.In developed countries, however, because iodine is added to table salt, iodine deficiencies are rare.
Iron
- Women and teenage girls need at least 15 mg a day, whereas men can get by on 10.
- It is important that children get about 10 to 12 mg of iron per day, preferably from their diet.
Most at risk of iron deficiency are infants, adolescent girls and pregnant women.Iron deficiency in infants can result in impaired learning ability and behavioral problems. It can also affect the immune system and cause weakness and fatigue.To aid in the absorption of iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C at the same time you eat the food containing iron. The tannin in non-herbal tea can hinder absorption of iron.Take iron supplements and your vitamin E at different times of the day, as the iron supplements will tend to neutralize the vitamin E.Vegetarians need to get twice as much dietary iron as meat eaters.
Magnesium
- Adults need 310 to 420 mg/ day.
- Children need 130 to 240 mg/day.
Magnesium is needed for bone, protein, making new cells, activating B vitamins, relaxing nerves and muscles, clotting blood, and in energy production.Insulin secretion and function also requires magnesium. Magnesium also assists in the absorption of calcium, vitamin C and potassium.
Deficiency may result in fatigue, nervousness, insomnia, heart problems, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, muscle weakness and cramps.
Manganese
- 2.0-5.0 mg/day for adults
- 2.0-3.0 mg for children 7 – 10
- 1.5-2.0 mg for children 4 – 6
- 1.0-1.5 mg for children 1 – 3
- .6-1.0 mg for children 6 mo – 1yr
- 0.3-0.6 mg for infants 0-6 months
The functions of this mineral are not specific since other minerals can perform in its place. Manganese does function in enzyme reactions concerning blood sugar, metabolism, and thyroid hormone function. Deficiency is rare in humans.
Molybdenum
75 – 250 micrograms/day for adults
- Regulates calcium, magnesium, copper metabolism.
- Molybdenum helps with metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
- Molybdenum aids in the final stages of the conversion of purines to uric acid.
- It supports bone growth and strengthening of the teeth.
- It’s a component of the enzyme xanthine oxidase that aids in the formation of uric acid (a normal breakdown product of metabolism).
- It is important in the mobilization of iron from storage, and is necessary for normal growth and development.
- May protect against stomach and esophagus cancers.
Phosphorous
- Adults need 700 mg/day.
- Children need 500 to 1250 mg/day.
In combination with calcium, phosphorus is necessary for the formation of bones and teeth and of the nerve cells.Phosphorus is second to calcium in abundance in the body.
It is very widely distributed in both plant and animal foods so it is unlikely that deficiency would be a problem.
Potassium
- 1875 – 3500 micrograms/day for adults
Potassium is essential for the body’s growth and maintenance. It is necessary to keep a normal water balance between the cells and body fluids.Potassium plays an essential role in proper heart function.
Deficiency may cause muscular cramps, twitching and weakness, irregular heartbeat, insomnia, kidney and lung failure.
Selenium
- Men need 70 mcgs/day.
- Women need 55 mcgs/day.
Selenium is a part of several enzymes necessary for the body to properly function. Generally, selenium functions as an antioxidant that works in conjunction with vitamin E.
Selenium deficiency is rare in humans.
Sodium
- 500 mg/day for adults
- 120 mg for infants
- Daily Value recommendation – no more than 2,400 to 3,000 mg/day
Sodium is required by the body to regulate blood pressure and blood volume. It helps regulate the fluid balance in your body. Sodium also helps in the proper functioning of muscles and nerves.
Many people get far more sodium than they need, which tends to cause health problems.Different body types need different amounts of sodium.
Sulphur
- More than 100 mg/day
Healing build-up of toxic substances in the body; Structural health of the body (sulphur is a part of many amino acids including cysteine and methionine): healthy skin, nails & hair. It is found in all body tissues, and is needed for the synthesis of collagen, a principal protein that gives the skin its structural integrity.
Zinc
- Men need 15 mgs/day.
- Women should get 12 mg/day.
- Children need 10 to 15 mg/day.
- Vegetarians need about 50 percent more zinc in their diet than meat eaters.
This metal is important in a number of key activities, ranging from protein and carbohydrate metabolism to the immune system, wound healing, growth and vision.
Severe deficiency can contribute to stunted growth. Deficiency can sometimes be seen in white spots on the fingernails.
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