Everyone knows that calcium is important for building and maintaining strong bones. But did you know that vitamin D is just as important? Studies show that calcium absorption improves when taken along with vitamin D.1 Other studies show that vitamin D, along with calcium and physical activity, may help prevent bone fractures later in life.2, 3
This winning combination of nutrients is provided by your favorite Big G Kid Cereals—the only leading line of kids’ cereals with both vitamin D and calcium in every serving.
Current Recommendations for Vitamin D
| Life Stage Group | Estimated
Average Requirement
(IU/day) | Recommended
Dietary
Allowance
(IU/day) |
| 1-18 years old | 400 | 600 |
| 19-70 years old | 400 | 600 |
| 71+ years old | 400 | 800 |
| 14-50 years old, pregnant/lactating | 400 | 600 |
| | | |
(Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D, National Academy of Sciences, 2010.)
The sun helps the body form vitamin D naturally. But since you can’t always count on the sun, it’s important to include sources of vitamin D in your diet.
Vitamin D Foods
| Food | Amount | Vitamin D
(International Units) |
| Cod liver oil | 1 tablespoon | 1,200 |
| Salmon, cooked | 3.5 ounces | 525 |
| Milk, skim, vitamin D fortified | 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) | 110 |
| Ready-to-eat cereal, vitamin D fortified at 10% of Daily Value | 1 cup | 40 - 50 |
| Liver, beef, cooked | 3.5 ounces | 50 |
| Mushrooms, raw | 1⁄2 cup | 2.5 |
| Egg | 1 whole | 40 |
| | | |
(USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.)
1 McCormick CC. Passive diffusion does not play a major role in the absorption of dietary calcium in normal adults. J Nutr. 2002;132(11):3428-30.
2 Trivedi DP, Doll R, Khaw KT. Effect of four monthly oral vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) supplementation on fractures and mortality in men and women living in the community: randomised double-blind controlled trial. BMJ 2003;326:469-475.
3.Feskanich D, Willett WC, Colditz GA. Calcium, vitamin D, milk consumption, and hip fractures: a prospective study among postmenopausal women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77(2):504-11.