How Much Vitamin D — or Calcium — Do You Need?

"In light of the new evidence about the benefits of vitamin D, the increased recommendation for older men and women is a good one," says Bess Dawson-Hughes, M.D., director of the Bone Metabolism Laboratory at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University.

But Dawson-Hughes expressed surprise that the recommended blood levels for vitamin D weren’t higher. She says the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends taking more vitamin D than the new Institute of Medicine report.

Her bottom line advice: In general, older people can achieve healthy levels of vitamin D by taking the recommended 800 IU of vitamin D a day and don’t need to be tested.

“But if you fall into a high-risk group, you need more than that,” says Dawson-Hughes, who was not involved in the report. People who spend little time in the sun, use sunscreen whenever they go outside, have dark skin or are overweight are among those considered high-risk. "These men and women should be tested,” she adds.

If the new recommendations leave you confused, you're not alone. Keep in mind that these numbers are important for developing national nutritional guidelines for food programs. When it comes to your own health, you might want to have a heart-to-heart talk with your doctor.

Nissa Simon, a health writer, lives in New Haven, Conn.

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