IOM Report on Calcium and Vitamin D Recommendations

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently released a consensus report on the dietary intake of Calcium and Vitamin D, which indicates that most Americans are receiving sufficient levels of calcium and vitamin D through diet or supplements. Calcium and vitamin D play a key role in bone health and development.

The committee concluded that daily calcium of 700 mg is sufficient for children aged 1 to 3 years; 1,000 mg is sufficient for children aged 4 to 8 years; and no more than 1,300 mg is sufficient for adolescents aged 9 to 18 years. For adults aged 19 to 71 years, 1,000 mg is sufficient to meet daily calcium needs. Women aged 51 years and older and men older than 71 years need no more than 1,200 mg per day.

Although the committee said most Americans receive sufficient vitamin D and calcium, some adolescent girls may not get enough calcium, and there is a greater chance that the elderly may fall short of the necessary amounts of calcium and vitamin D. It may be necessary for people in these age groups to discuss the proper levels needed for optimum health with their physician.

The measurements of sufficiency and deficiency that clinical laboratories use to report test results have not been based on rigorous scientific studies and are not standardized, the committee stated. This lack of standardization may result in an overestimation of the number of people with vitamin D deficiency because many labs appear to use cut points that are higher than the evidence indicates as appropriate. For example, some labs report vitamin D deficiency as blood levels less than 30 ng/mL.

Based on available data, almost all individuals get sufficient vitamin D when their blood levels are at least 20 ng/mL in the United States or 50 nmol/L in Canada, the committee stated.

Because of conflicting messages about the benefits of calcium and vitamin D, the U.S. and Canadian governments asked the IOM to assess the current data on health outcomes associated with the two nutrients.

There is growing debate among medical professionals that the new guidelines are too conservative.

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