Americans do not always get all the vitamins they need from their diet. Some of the most important vitamins Americans should take include vitamins A and D and a variety of B vitamins. These essential nutrients are responsible for the maintenance of cells and different organ functions. More importantly, vitamin supplementation prevents deficiencies that can increase your risk of developing a variety of illnesses or conditions.
Vitamin D Deficiency
In 2009, the International Osteoporosis Foundation reported that vitamin D deficiency is on the rise and widespread. The condition is especially prevalent in infants and children, causing problems that the United States hasn't seen in decades, including rickets, a nutritional disease that causes malformed bones. The Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS, indicates that the recommended daily allowance for vitamin D is 5 mcg for those between the ages of 0 and 50. For people aged 51 to 70, the RDA is 10 mcg and 15 mcg for those over the age of 70.
Vitamin C Deficiency
In 2009, the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" published a study out of the University of Copenhagen indicating that a vitamin C deficiency can impair memory in lab animals. According to the study, a vitamin C deficiency early in a person's life affects the brain's development. To prevent low levels of vitamin C, the ODS indicates that the RDA is 15 mg for 1- to 3-year-olds, 25 mg for 4- to 8-year-olds, 45 mg for 9- to 13-year-olds, between 65 and 75 mg for 14- to 18-year-olds and from 75 to 90 mg for those over the age of 18.
Lung Function
The "New England Journal of Medicine" published a study in 2010 by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health indicating that children whose moms had taken the RDA of vitamin A before and during pregnancy had improved lung function. ScienceDaily reports that 190 million young children worldwide are vitamin A deficient, which has been linked to the underlying cause of an estimated 650,000 premature deaths each year. The RDA for vitamin A supplements, according to the ODS, is between 300 and 600 mcg in children between the ages of 1 and 13. For those over the age of 13, males should get 900 mcg, and females should get 700 mcg daily.
Memory
Taking B vitamin supplements can reduce memory loss in the elderly, according to a study by researchers at Oxford University. In 2010, the online journal "PLoS One" published the Oxford study indicating that B vitamins, including folic acid, B12 and B6, have the ability to lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid linked to heart disease, stroke, memory and more. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, the RDA for vitamin B6 is 1.3 mg for adults over the age of 18, 1.7 mg daily for men and 1.5 mg for women over the age of 50. For B12, the RDA is 0.9 mcg daily for children 1 to 3 years old, 1.2 mcg for kids aged 4 to 8, 1.8 mcg for 9 to 13 year olds and 2.4 mcg for kids 14 and older. The RDA for B3 is 400 mcg daily for adults.
References
- Science Daily: Researchers Discover Additional Benefit of Vitamin A
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Daily Supplement Fact Sheet, Vitamin D
- International Osteoporosis Foundation: Vitamin D Deficiency is Widespread and on the Increase
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin C
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