The Vitamins You Need to Take at Every Age

Your tween and teen years

These are the years to focus on getting enough vitamin D and calcium, says Stephanie Schiff, RDN, a nutritionist at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital in Huntington, NY. “We need calcium for bone and muscle growth, but it doesn’t get absorbed as well without vitamin D,” she says. “These are the bone-building years for boys and girls, and if you don’t build enough bone, you will be prone to brittle bones later in life.” Tweens and teens should get 600 international units (IU) of vitamin D per day and 1,300 mg of calcium per day, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements. Of course, it’s always best to get our nutrients from the foods we eat. Some tweens and teens may have special needs due to their diet or circumstances, and some foods will be a hard sell. Check out these surprising sources of calcium for dairy haters. Make it a habit to discuss diet and nutrition with your child’s doctor during their visits.

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