Vitamin D-3, which is also called cholecalciferol, is one of the most common forms of vitamin D found in health supplements. Your body converts both vitamin D-3 and vitamin D-2, the other common form, into vitamin D. Vitamin D is involved in several biochemical reactions in your body, and consuming enough vitamin D is crucial for staying healthy. Your optimal dosage of vitamin D depends on your age and health status. As with any health supplement, consult your doctor before taking vitamin D-3.
Children
The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine sets a recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for vitamins to suggest the minimal amount you need to consume to stay healthy. For infants up to 12 months old, the RDA is 400 IU per day, which corresponds to 10 mcg per day. For children ages 1 to 13 years old, the RDA is raised to 600 IU, or 15 mcg, per day.
Adolescents and Adults
For adolescents 14 to 18 years old and adults 19 to 70, the RDA is also 15 mcg, or 600 IU, per day. For women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, the RDA does not change. Most multivitamins contain about 400 IU, or 10 mcg of vitamin D, according to MedlinePlus.
Elderly
People over the age of 70 have an increased risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Because vitamin D-3 is involved in regulating bone growth, the Food and Nutrition Board recommends a higher RDA of vitamin D-3, corresponding to 800 IU per day or 20 mcg. If you have other risk factors for osteoporosis, your doctor may recommend taking even more vitamin D, perhaps up to 1,000 or 2,000 IU per day.
Maximum Dosage
Taking too much vitamin D-3 can cause serious health problems, including heart disease and kidney stones. To reduce the risk of side effects, the Food and Nutrition Board has also set a tolerable upper intake level, or UL, as the maximum dose you should take per day.
For infants up to 6 months old, the UL is 1,000 IU per day, or 25 mcg. The UL increases to 1,500 IU per day, or 37.5 mcg, for infants 6 to 12 months old. Children ages 1 to 3 years should not take more than 2,500 IU per day, or 62.5 mcg, and children 4 to 8 years should take no more that 3,000 IU per day, or 75 mcg.
For all ages over 8, the maximum dosage is 4,000 IU per day, or 100 mcg.
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