Vitamin D and magnesium both play a role in bone health. The Institute of Medicine's Food and Nutrition Board has established recommendations for daily intake of vitamin D and magnesium. Some calcium supplements include vitamin D and magnesium, but your diet may already supply adequate amounts of these two important nutrients.
Function
Vitamin D helps your body to better absorb calcium once the calcium is in your stomach. Without enough calcium, you can end up with brittle, porous bones, a condition known as osteoporosis. Thus, vitamin D is important for the health of your bones. Vitamin D also plays other roles throughout your body, from supporting your immune system to helping with cell growth. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, magnesium plays a part in more than 300 biochemical reactions in your body. In addition to its use by your bones, magnesium helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar, supports your immune system and assists in metabolizing protein.
Need
Infants from birth to 12 months should receive 400 IU of D daily. From ages 1 through 70, children and adults need 600 IU daily. After age 70, the Food and Nutrition Board recommends increasing vitamin D intake to 800 IU daily. Breastfed and formula-fed infants to the age of 1 year should receive adequate magnesium from breast milk or formula. From 1 to 3 years, children need 80 mg of magnesium daily, increasing to 130 mg for 4- to 8-year-olds and 240 mg from ages 9 to 13. From 14 to 18, boys need 410 mg of magnesium daily, while girls need 360 mg. Men from 19 to 30 need 400 mg; women need 310 mg. After age 30, men need 420 mg magnesium daily and women need 320 mg.
Sources
Milk and fortified milk products are the most common sources of vitamin D for people who live in the United States. In the U.S., 1 cup of fortified milk provides 100 IU of vitamin D. You can also get D from fatty fish such as sardines or salmon and from egg yolks. Your body also makes vitamin D when you're exposed to sunlight. Exposure to sun for five to 30 minutes twice a week can provide adequate vitamin D for most people, but wearing sunscreen, cloud cover and smog can reduce the amount of vitamin D-producing ultraviolet B rays that reach your skin. You get magnesium in your diet by eating dark leafy greens such as spinach, peas and beans, dried nuts, and whole grains.
Supplements
Some people have digestive issues that make it difficult for them to absorb enough magnesium from their diet. While you may get enough vitamin D from diet and from being outdoors, if you don't spend time in the sun, live in a northern latitude where the angle of the sun is too low to be beneficial for many months of the year, or have an inadequate diet, you could need more vitamin D. While infant formulas often have added vitamin D, nursing babies may also need supplements. Consult your doctor to determine if you need to take a vitamin D or magnesium supplement.
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