New recommendations for vitamin D were released by an expert panel in 2010. These recommendations for daily intake of vitamin D are based on the current literature on vitamin D and are set to protect the health of your bones. They're based on the assumption that you get no vitamin D from sun exposure.
| Age | RDA or AI* | UL** |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 400 IU*** | 1000 IU |
| 7–12 months | 400 IU | 1500 IU |
| 1–3 years | 600 IU | 2500 IU |
| 4–8 years | 600 IU | 3000 IU |
| 9–70 years | 600 IU | 4000 IU |
| More than 70 years | 800 IU | 4000 IU |
*RDA = recommended daily allowance; AI = adequate intake
**UL = upper safe limit for daily intake
***IU = International Units
Some people believe that you may need even more vitamin D than these recommendations; however, the scientific evidence to support these claims is lacking. Still, as long as you stay under the recommended upper safe intake limit, you can choose to take more vitamin D.
