Vitamin D and Calcium
Calcium and Vitamin D help to build strong bones, help with portions of muscle movement and help nerves carry messages between brain and body. Vitamin D also helps boost the immune system.
| We get our calcium from foods that we eat. These foods can be dairy or nondairy forms of calcium. |
| Calcium absorption is blocked by high phosphorous diets (large amounts of meat, soda), increased caffeine, cigarette smoking, low estrogen levels (adolescent girls), low Vitamin D levels. |
| Although we can get some Vitamin D from fatty fish and fortified foods, most of our Vitamin D comes from sunlight. |
| The sunlight has to be direct. This means that it cannot be sunlight through a window, cloudy or shady areas. Sunblock and darker skins also repel most of the sunlight. |
Dietary Recommendations
Vitamin D Recommendations
| Age | Daily Recommended Intake |
|---|---|
| 0-12 months | 400 IU |
| 1-3 years | 800 IU |
| 4-18 years | 1000-2000 IU |
Calcium Recommendations
| Age | Daily Recommended Intake |
|---|---|
| < 5months | 200 mg |
| 6-11 months | 260 mg |
| 1-3 years | 700 mg |
| 4-8 years | 1000 mg |
| 9-18 years | 1300 mg |
Dietary Sources of Vitamin D
| Food | International Units per Serving | Food | International Units per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cod Liver Oil (1 tbs) | 1360 IU | Egg (yolk) (1 large) | 41 IU |
| Swordfish, cooked (3 oz) | 566 IU | Cheddar Cheese (1.5 oz) | 10 IU |
| Salmon (sockeye), cooked (3 oz) | 447 IU | Milk, vitamin D fortified (1 cup) | 115-124 IU |
| Tuna fish, canned in water, drained (3 oz) | 68 IU | Orange Juice, vitamin D fortified (1 cup) | 100 IU |
| Liver, beef, cooked (3 oz) | 41 IU | Soy milk, vitamin D fortified (1 cup) | 119 IU |
Dietary Sources of Calcium
| Food | Milligrams per Serving | Food | Milligrams per Serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milk (8 oz) | 300 mg | Almond butter (2 tbs) | 90 mg |
| Bok Choy (1 cup) | 150 mg | Fish (3 oz) | 100-175 mg |
| Yogurt (8 oz) | 400 mg | Sesame Tahini (1 tbs) | 64 mg |
| Turnip Greens (1 cup) | 200 mg | Collards (1 cup) | 250 mg |
| Ice Cream (8 oz) | 275 mg | Northern Beans (1 cup) | 120 mg |
| Tofu (4 oz) | 150-250 mg | Broccoli (1 cup) | 100-140 mg |
| Cheese (1 oz) | 200 mg | Navy Beans (1 cup) | 125 mg |
| Almonds (1/4 cup) | 90 mg | Spinach (1/2 cup) | 120 mg |
| Fortified OJ (8 oz) | 300 mg | Soy Beans (1 cup) | 175 mg |