Recomendaciones Para Calcio 2010

REPORT BRIEF  NOVEMBER 2010

For more information visit www.iom.edu/vitamind

Dietary Reference
Intakes for Calcium
and Vitamin D

Calcium and vitamin D are two essential nutrients long known for their
role in bone health. Over the last ten years, the public has heard conflicting
messages about other benefits of these nutrients—especially vitamin D—and
also about how much calcium andvitamin D they need to be healthy.
To help clarify this issue, the U. S. and Canadian governments asked the
Institute of Medicine (IOM) to assess the current data on health outcomes
associated with calcium and vitamin D. The IOM tasked a committee of experts
with reviewing the evidence, as well as updating the nutrient reference values,
known as Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). These valuesare used widely by
government agencies, for example, in setting standards for school meals or
specifying the nutrition label on foods. Over time, they have come to be used
by health professionals to counsel individuals about dietary intake.
The committee provided an exhaustive review of studies on potential
health outcomes and found that the evidence supported a role for these nutrients inbone health but not in other health conditions. Further, there is emerging evidence that too much of these nutrients may be harmful.

Health Effects of Vitamin D and Calcium Intake
The new reference values are based on much more information and higherquality studies than were available when the values for these nutrients were
first set in 1997. The committee assessed more than one thousandstudies and
reports and listened to testimony from scientists and stakeholders before making its conclusions. It reviewed a range of health outcomes, including but not
limited to cancer, cardiovascular disease and hypertension, diabetes and met-

The committee provided an
exhaustive review of studies on
potential health outcomes and
found that the evidence supported
a role for these nutrients inbone
health but not in other health
conditions.

abolic syndrome, falls, immune response, neuropsychological functioning, physical performance,
preeclampsia, and reproductive outcomes. This
thorough review found that information about
the health benefits beyond bone health—benefits
often reported in the media—were from studies that provided often mixed and inconclusive
results and couldnot be considered reliable.
However, a strong body of evidence from rigorous
testing substantiates the importance of vitamin D
and calcium in promoting bone health.

ment (EAR)s and the Recommended Dietary
Allowances (RDA), that are intended to serve
as a guide for good nutrition and to provide the
basis for the development of nutrient guidelines
in both the United States and Canada. TheEAR
is used for planning and assessing diets of populations; it also serves as the basis for calculating
the RDA, a value intended to meet the needs of
nearly all people. The RDA for calcium for children ages 1 through 3 is 700 milligrams—that
amount of calcium per day will meet the needs of
almost all children in that age range. One thousand milligrams daily is appropriate for almost
allchildren ages 4 through 8. Adolescents need
higher levels to support bone growth: 1,300 milligrams per day meets the needs of nearly all ado-

Dietary Reference Intakes
The DRIs are a family of nutrient reference values, including the Estimated Average Require-

TABLE: Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D

Vitamin D

Calcium

Life Stage Group

Estimated
AverageRequirement
(mg/day)

Recommended
Upper Level
Dietary
Intake
Allowance
(mg/day)
(mg/day)

Estimated
Average
Requirement
(IU/day)

Recommended
Dietary
Upper Level
Allowance
Intake
(IU/day)
(IU/day)

Infants 0 to 6 months

*

*

1,000

**

**

1,000

Infants 6 to 12 months

*

*

1,500

**

**

1,500

1–3 years old

500

700

2,500

400

600...