Although more supplementation studies are needed, ensuring vitamin D adequacy throughout childhood and adolescence seems prudent. According to the Endocrine Society, at least 600 IU/day may be required to maximize bone health, and 1,000 IU/day may be needed to increase serum levels above 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) . Given the average vitamin D content of the diets of adolescents, supplementation may be necessary to meet this recommendation. The RDA of magnesium for those aged 14 to 18 years, 410 mg/day for boys and 360 mg/day for girls, was derived from results of balance studies in adolescents. Good dietary sources of magnesium include nuts, and green leafy vegetables because magnesium is part of chlorophyll — the green pigment in plants.
Meats and milk have an intermediate magnesium content, with milk providing mg per cup . Although data are limited, some studies have found that a large percentage of adolescents have magnesium intakes below recommended levels ( ). In an analysis of NHANES data, US adolescents who consumed milk had higher daily magnesium intakes than adolescents who did not drink milk .
However, NHANES data show that US adolescents (12-19 years) on average only consume about 1 cup of milk daily . Low-fat milk, nuts, whole grains, and green leafy vegetables are important sources of magnesium for adolescents. If adolescents do not meet the RDA through dietary sources, LPI recommends a combined magnesium-calcium supplement. Vitamin B6 is required for heme synthesis and in the synthesis and metabolism of amino acids— the building blocks of proteins.
Thus, the vitamin has obvious relevance to adolescent growth and health. Dietary intake recommendations of vitamin B6 for adolescents were established by extrapolating data from adults, using metabolic body weight and accounting for growth. The RDA for boys aged 14 to 18 years is 1.3 mg/day, and the RDA for girls aged 14 to 18 years is 1.2 mg/day . Only a few studies have evaluated vitamin B6 status specifically in adolescents. The same investigators found more than 40% vitamin B6 inadequacy when a group of 112 adolescent girls (12- and 14-year-old) were followed for two years . For information on dietary sources of the vitamin, see the article on Vitamin B6.
About 99% of calcium in the body is found in bones and teeth . Specifically, data used by the FNB to determine calcium accretion came from a recent longitudinal study in 642 Caucasian adolescents aged 14 to 18 years . Thus, the RDA was set at 1,300 mg/day; this level of calcium intake is expected to cover the needs of 97.5% of adolescents. Vitamin C has a number of important roles during growth and development, including being required for the synthesis of collagen, carnitine, and neurotransmitters .
Vitamin C is also a highly effective antioxidant and is important for immunity . Further, vitamin C strongly enhances the absorption of nonheme iron by reducing dietary ferric iron (Fe3+) to ferrous iron (Fe2+). Specifically, iron absorption is two- to three-fold higher with co-ingestion of 25 to 75 mg of vitamin C .
This has special relevance to adolescent health, considering the fact that iron deficiency is prevalent among adolescents, especially girls . The RDA for adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, which was extrapolated from recommendations for adults based on relative body weight, is 75 mg/day and 65 mg/day of vitamin C for boys and girls, respectively . Vitamin A supplements are helpful for children who have a vitamin A deficiency. But most healthy, well-nourished kids don't need supplements. And some kids may be getting too much vitamin A — consuming excessive levels of preformed vitamin A in liver, dairy products, fish oil, multivitamins, and certain vitamin-fortified foods.
Severe iron deficiency leads to iron-deficiency anemia; anemia affects more than 30% of the global population . Adolescents have increased requirements for iron due to rapid growth. Following puberty, adolescent girls have lower iron stores compared to adolescent boys . Vitamin A intake recommendations for adolescents were derived by extrapolating the recommendation for adults using metabolic body weight, accounting for growth. For information on vitamin A content in foods, see the article on Vitamin A.
Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, a mineral that facilitates the transportation of oxygen through your blood stream and helps regulate cell growth. Vitamin C helps to keep your cells healthy and, as an antioxidant, may protect you from illness. The recommended daily intake is 75 milligrams of vitamin C for teen boys and 65 milligrams for teen girls. However, when accounting for intake from fortified foods, less than 5% of individuals in that age group have intakes below the EAR . The US Food and Drug Administration implemented legislation in 1998 requiring the fortification of all enriched grain products with folic acid .
Globally, more than 50 countries have mandatory programs of wheat-flour fortification with folic acid, but flour fortification is not common in Europe . Dietary folate inadequacy is common among adolescents in European nations, especially girls . It's important for teenagers to get all the necessary vitamins daily.
However, several vitamins are particularly important for growth, development and sustained energy levels. Fill your diet with a variety of vitamin-rich foods to get plenty of vitamins, as well as other nutrients, without having to worry about taking dietary supplements. The B vitamin, folate, is required as a coenzyme to mediate the transfer of one-carbon units. Folate coenzymes act as acceptors and donors of one-carbon units in a variety of reactions critical to the endogenous synthesis and metabolism of nucleic acids and amino acids . Thus, folate has obvious importance in growth and development.
Moreover, higher intakes of folate in adolescents have been linked to better academic achievement . Like other B vitamins, adolescent intake recommendations for folate were extrapolated from adult recommendations, using metabolic body weight and accounting for growth. The RDA for adolescents aged 14 to 18 years is 400 μg/day of dietary folate equivalents .
What Vitamins Should An 18 Year Old Male Take Despite the abundance of iron in the United States food supply through natural, enriched and fortified food sources, teens may be consuming less of this mineral than their developing bodies require. Adolescent girls, especially, tend to have lower intakes of foods that provide iron. Children and adolescents from food-insecure households are at greater risk of not getting enough iron than their peers who have easier access to food. Girls are also at increased risk of iron deficiency due to iron loss during menstruation. If teens are following calorie-restrictive diets to lose or manage weight, that may affect iron intake, and vegetarian or vegan teens may also be at risk of not getting enough iron.
Adding a variety of foods to a teen's diet can help her get what she needs, and supplementing with multivitamins may benefit some teens. Anyone who struggles to eat a healthy, varied, and balanced diet may benefit from taking supplements. For teenagers, it may be helpful to take iron, calcium, and vitamin D if you feel you are lacking these essential vitamins and minerals.
Before you or your teenager start taking any new supplements it's a good idea to check with your GP or a pharmacist. The amount of bioavailable iron in food is influenced by the iron nutritional status of the individual and also by the form of iron . Individuals who are anemic or iron deficient absorb a larger percentage of the iron they consume than individuals who are not anemic and have sufficient iron stores . Although heme iron generally accounts for only 10-15% of the iron found in the diet, it may provide up to one third of total absorbed dietary iron .
The absorption of nonheme iron is strongly influenced by enhancers and inhibitors present in the same meal. For instance, vitamin C strongly enhances the absorption of nonheme iron by reducing dietary ferric iron (Fe3+) to ferrous iron (Fe2+) and forming an absorbable, iron-ascorbic acid complex. Organic acids, such as citric, malic, tartaric, and lactic acids, also enhance nonheme iron absorption.
Further, consumption of meat, poultry, and fish enhance nonheme iron absorption, but the mechanism for this increase in absorption is not clear . Inhibitors of nonheme iron absorption include phytic acid, which is present in legumes, grains, and rice. Polyphenols found in some fruit, vegetables, coffee, tea, wines, and spices can also markedly inhibit the absorption of nonheme iron, but this effect is reduced by the presence of vitamin C .
Soy protein, such as that found in tofu, has an inhibitory effect on iron absorption that is independent of its phytic acid content . Vitamin A promotes proper bone growth and tooth development, making it a vital nutrient for all children and adolescents. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, teens in industrialized countries tend to have low intakes of vitamin A, which is a necessary nutrient for adolescent development. Teen boys should get 900 micrograms, or 3,000 international units, of vitamin A per day, while teen girls need 700 micrograms, or 2,333 international units of vitamin A daily. Megafood is one of the best multivitamins for teenagers from 13 to 18 years old.
This mixture of vitamins and minerals is compatible with healthy bones, immune function, and red blood cells with only three tablets per day. Necessary for red blood cells, stimulates muscle growth, also best for the iron deficiency caused by early menstrual cycle in teenage girls. The recommended daily allowance of iron is 8 milligrams per day for girls ages 9 to 13 and 15 mg per day for women ages 14 to 18.
Many children and adolescents do not receive enough calcium. The usually recommended allowance for teen girls is 1,000 mg/day for 4-8 years old teenage girls while for 9-14 years is 1,300 mg/day. The best food sources of vitamin D are fish such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel, mushrooms, egg yolks, and products fortified with vitamin D such as milk, orange juice, and some yogurts. Although it's best to get vitamins and minerals from food, taking a vitamin is another way to get the right amount.
If you do decide to take a multivitamin supplement, check the label on the bottle and make sure one serving provides at least 600 IU of vitamin D. An optimum nutritional intake during adolescence and young adulthood can help set the stage for lifelong health. Teenagers need to have sufficient vitamins and minerals to ensure healthy development during growth spurts, plus as they undergo significant physical and biochemical changes in their bodies. So the importance of obtaining the right nutrients in the diet is vital, just at a time when this may not be a top priority for some busy teenagers. Although myelination primarily occurs during fetal development and early infancy, it continues through childhood, adolescence, and stages of early adulthood . Because of the role of vitamin B12 in myelination and other metabolic processes, it is important for adolescents to meet dietary intake recommendations.
The RDA of vitamin B12 for adolescent boys and girls aged 14 to 18 years is 2.4 μg/day , extrapolated from the recommendation for adults. According to a 2012 national survey, nearly 12 percent of children in the United States use a complementary health approach, such asdietary or herbal supplements. Some teens use products advertised as dietary supplements for weight loss or bodybuilding. Increasingly, products sold as dietary supplements, particularly for weight loss and bodybuilding, contain ingredients that could be harmful, including prescription drug ingredients and controlled substances. In addition, many dietary supplements haven't been tested in children.
Because children's bodies aren't fully developed, the side effects of these products on children and adults may differ. For more information, see the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health's fact sheet Using Dietary Supplements Wisely. Getting enough calcium is critical to keeping our bones healthy, not to mention the heart, nerves, and muscles.
The NIH recommends that women 19 to 50 years old and men 19 to 70 get 1,000 mg a day. That goes up to 1,200 mg a day for women starting at age 51 and for men after 70. As with many nutrients, getting calcium through your diet, and not a supplement, is ideal. Good choices include low-fat dairy , fortified cereals and juices, and sardines.
The human body requires 13 vitamins and at least 16 minerals essential to your health.However, while all adults need a variety of key vitamins and minerals every day, men and women have different requirements. For instance, women of reproductive age require more iron than men of the same age, so women's supplements typically include iron and men's supplements don't. If you're asking yourself, "What vitamins should I take daily for a man? " keep in mind that it varies depending on your age and lifestyle. Yes, vitamins help puberty as this is a phase in life where the human body goes through some rapid transformations. Bones, muscles, and the brain require a lot of nutrient intake to ensure they develop in the best possible way.
Because it's a lot harder to ensure a balanced diet, multivitamin supplements may help ensure that teen growth is well supported. The formulas also contain vitamin D, magnesium and zinc which contribute to the maintenance of normal bone health. The FNB establishes a tolerable upper intake level for most micronutrients.
The UL is the highest level of daily nutrient intake likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects in almost all individuals of a specified age group. This level applies to total daily intake from food, water, and supplements. Due to the potential for adverse effects, it is recommended that individuals not exceed the UL.
Thus, individuals should use the UL as a guide to limit daily micronutrient intake, not as a recommended level of intake . There is no evidence that consumption of micronutrients at or above the UL results in any health benefits for adolescents, and the UL should not be exceeded except under medical supervision. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for maintaining normal calcium metabolism and is therefore necessary for bone health. Rapidly growing bones are most severely affected by rickets. The growth plates of bones continue to enlarge, but in the absence of adequate mineralization, weight-bearing limbs become bowed. Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin that is essential for growth and development, normal vision, the expression of selected genes, immunity, and reproduction .
Vitamin A deficiency in children and adolescents is a major public health problem worldwide, especially in less developed countries . Even marginal or subclinical deficiencies in vitamin A may have adverse effects on bone growth and sexual maturation of adolescents . Because of its role in immunity, inadequate intake of this vitamin also increases risk for infectious diseases . For young athletes, it's best to focus on minimally processed, whole-food sources of nutrients rather than relying on supplements for their nutritional needs. If your child still has identified nutritional deficiencies confirmed by labs or dietary consultations, then a dietary supplement could help fill the gap.
Again, it is best to always choose high-quality products and consult with an expert prior to use. The main source of iron is red meat, but it can also be found in poultry, fish, beans, and even green leafy vegetables. Yet studies show that low iron levels are common amongst teenage girls, a problem that can eventually lead to iron deficiency anemia. These are the best vitamins for teenagers and provide support to the immune system, increase energy, can reduce acne breakouts, promote healthy skin, eyes, and brain.
