Vitamins and Minerals Guideline Daily Amounts

Information about RDAs for vitamins and minerals

A comprehensive list of the recommended daily allowances / guideline daily amounts for the most common vitamins and minerals that we require on a daily basis.

Please note that these are only guidelines. Daily vitamin and mineral requirements vary depending on a number of factors, including (amongst others) age and gender.

**Recommended Daily Allowances for Vitamins**
Vitamin	Needed for:	RDA:♂	RDA:♀
Vitamin A	Healthy eyes and skin	700µg	600µg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)	Releases energy from food	1.3mg	0.8mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	Healthy skin, mucous membranes & eyes. Helps release energy from food	1.3mg	1.1mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)	Healthy blood & nervous system	1.4mg	1.2mg
Vitamin B12	Healthy blood	1.5µg	1.5µg
Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)	Tissue growth & repair, protects against infection, aids iron absorption, antioxidant	40mg	40mg
Vitamin D	Healthy bones and teeth, calcium absorption	10µg	10µg
Vitamin K	Blood clotting	-	-
Niacin (Nicotinic acid)	Releases energy from foods	16.5mg	13.2mg
Pantothenic Acid	Healthy growth, releases energy from food	-	-
Biotin	Used in food metabolism	-	-

**Recommended Daily Allowances for Minerals and Trace Elements**
Mineral	Needed For:	RDA:♂	RDA:♀
Calcium	Growth & development of strong bones, teeth & healthy muscles	700mg	700mg
Iron	Healthy blood	14.8mg (19-50 years) 8.7mg (50-64 years)	14.8mg (19-50 years) 8.7mg (50-64 years)
Magnesium	Activates energy-producing chemical reactions, controls nerve impulses and muscle contraction	300mg	270mg
Phosphorus	Healthy bones, releases energy from foods	550mg	550mg
Potassium	Healthy fluid balance, normal functioning of nerves, muscles & heart rhythm	-	-
Sodium	Healthy fluid balance, normal functioning of nerves & muscles	-	-
Fluoride	Helps prevent dental cavities	-	-
Selenium	Anti-oxidant, helps immune system	7.5mg	7.5mg
Zinc	Important in immune system	9.5mg	9.5mg