New data from the Office of Dietary Supplements suggests that over 33 percent of American children, despite regular supplementation, may not be getting enough calcium and Vitamin D. Data from this report, featured in The Journal of Pediatrics, can help owners of dietary supplement companies formulate pediatric supplements that would help children adequately meet their dietary recommendations for Vitamin D and calcium. Both these micro-nutrients play a crucial in bone development and growth and inadequate levels of either can adversely impact bone health during childhood and in later life.1
Of the 7,250 children (aged 2 to 18) surveyed by the Office of Dietary Supplements, 42 percent were taking supplements. Dietary intakes of Vitamin D and calcium were low for all the children, and alarmingly, even those who took supplements showed signs of inadequacy. In addition, the data below reveals some interesting facts that a business owner should consider before partnering with a supplement manufacturer to formulate supplements that can help children achieve a balance between nutrient adequacy and excess (UL intake) of nutrients:
Children who were not given supplements were found to have a higher prevalence of nutrient inadequacies, specifically calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, Vitamins A and C.
Children who supplemented their diet and were found to receive adequate intakes of both Vitamin D and calcium, showed higher incidence of above upper limit (UL) intakes of iron, zinc, folic acid and Vitamins A and C.
The Importance of Vitamin Strategic Stakes Meaning D in Childhood
In response to a decade of research and findings showing Vitamin D’s strategic role in several important functions of the body, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) re-visited Vitamin D’s Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). The IOM is a government body that sets up the nutrition recommendations in the United States for all age groups. Based on their review of the studies, new RDAs were released in November 2010.
For children between the ages of 1 and 18, the RDA is currently 600 IUs.
Both calcium and Vitamin D complement each other’s functions. Without Vitamin D, calcium cannot be absorbed and synthesized in the body.
Calcium is needed for bone growth and strength.
When children do not get enough Vitamin D in their diets, it leads to softening of the bones, putting them at risk to a disease called rickets.2
However, many medical experts still believe that the RDAs for vitamin D are still far below those needed to attain optimal, health-promoting Vitamin D status. It is apparent that Vitamin D’s role goes far beyond that of bone health. Many cells have Vitamin D receptors (VDRs) including those of the brain, heart, skin, gonads, prostate, and breast. Several white blood cells have VDRs which means the immune system is affected by Vitamin D. Vitamin D is involved in cell proliferation and differentiation. There are 229 genes that are affected by Vitamin D and 2776 genomic positions have been identified as being occupied by Vitamin D Receptors (VDRs).3-4The IOM has raised the Upper Limit Intake of Vitamin D is …