WHAT IS RECOMMENDED?
The Committee on Youth and Adolescence of the American Academy of Pediatrics Chapter 2- District II, New York recommends the following nutritional supplements for adolescents:
- All women of childbearing age should consume at least 400 mcg of folic
acid a day to prevent birth defects of the spine or brain in future
pregnancies. Most common multivitamins contain 400 mcg of folic acid. If a
daily multivitamin is taken, it should contain no more than 100% of the
Dietary Recommended Intake of the major vitamins.
- Boys and girls should consume 1200-1500 mg calcium each day. This is best achieved by increasing the amount of dairy products and calcium-fortified cereals and juices in the diet. If this dietary intake cannot be met, a calcium supplement should be considered. The total amount of calcium consumed in a day should not exceed 1500mg.
References:
- CDC website www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid.
- American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition 1999. Calcium
requirements of infants, children and adolescents. Pediatrics 104,
1152-1157.
- Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference
Intakes for calcium, Phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin D and fluoride. 1997.
Washington DC. National Academy Press.
Other Web Sites:
- Food and Nutrition Information Center: www.nal.usda.gov
- American Council for Drug Education: www.acde.org
- National Institute on Drug Abuse: www.drugabuse.gov
- Consumer Reports: www.consumerreports.org
- Mayo Clinic: www.mayoclinic.com
