TOPIC: What Are RDA's DRI's Upper limits on Vitamins & Mi

I get a lot of questions about what's safe to take regarding vitamins and minerals. My first choice would be that you get the majority of vitamins and minerals from whole foods, but sometimes a vitamin or supplement is necessary to make up for what you don't get in your diet. You will find this list with other resources on the Cycle Diet Resources link

Take a look at the label of your vitamin and mineral supplement, you can compare it to this list specifically for women 18-50 to see how it lines up.

Please do not take more than the Upper Levels indicated by the Academy of Science unless prescribed by your physician.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for women 18-50 years in bold type, RDA & AI in regular type per 2001 National Academies of Science:

Vitamin A 700 ug /d= 2,334 IUs
Vitamin C 75 mg/d
Vitamin D 5 ug /d or
Vitamin D 600 IUs/d (600 IUs is new DRI for vit D however many prominent vit D researchers question this is still too low- I agree that these new recommendations are too low especially for women with PMS/PMDD. I recommend 1,000-4,000 IUs a day especially during winter mo's. and depending on D status)
Vitamin E 15 ug /d
Vitamin E 30 IUs/d
Vitamin K 90 ug /d
Thiamin(B1) 1.1mg/d
Riboflavin(B2)1.1mg
Niacin 14 mg/d
B6 1.3 mg/d
Folate 400 ug /d
B12 2.2 ug /d
Pantothenic Acid 5 mg/d
Biotin 30 ug /d
Choline 425 mg/d
Calcium 1,000 mg/d
Chromium 25 ug /d
Copper 900 ug /d
Fluoride 3 mg/d
Iodine 150 ug /d
Iron 18 mg/d
Magnesium 320 mg/d
Manganese 1.8 mg/d
Phosphorus 700 mg/d
Selenium 55 ug /d
Zinc 8 mg/d

Please Note, Tolerable Upper Intake Levels
Vitamin A 3,000 ug /d= 10,000 IUs
Vitamin C 2,000 mg/d
Vitamin D 100 ug /d
Vitamin D 4,000 IUs (10,000 IUs/d are considered safe by D researchers)
Vitamin E 1,000mg/d
B6 100mg/d
Folate 1,000 ug /d
Calcium 2,500mg/d
Magnesium 350mg/d
Selenium 400 ug /d
Zinc 40mg/d

Data on other vitamin and mineral upper intake levels are not yet available, there are known consequences of toxicity at the above levels. Do not take more than the (UL) in supplement. Please read the label of all supplements and inform your physician on any nutritional supplements you may be taking.

Client question: We hear a lot in the UK about Vit B12 but I am unsure what its purpose is - like I know what B6 is good for but what benefits does B12 have with regard to pms etc.? Also should we be taking all of the listed vits and supplements as back-up or should we be getting most of it from what we eat?

Hi Jan,

If you take a multi-vitamin you can compare the list of vitamins with this list to see how it compares. High potency vitamins will be 400-1,000% of these, which is not recommended while on the Cycle Diet.

If you are following the Cycle Diet plan, you should be getting a good balance of nutrients from whole foods. I always prefer to see women get nutrients from the food they eat, but a good daily vitamin is insurance with a not so perfect diet. If you are under stress or sick, a daily multi is necessary to replace those vitamins and minerals used up quickly. Note: women who are gluten intolerant or sensitive should have their B12 levels tested due to malabsorption of this essential vitamin. Neurological problems are also indicators of a B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is essential in a couple co-enzymes reactions with DNA replication and cell division. It also plays a role in helping release Tetrahydrofolic acid also known as folic acid into it's active form, also essential in proper metabolism.

Vitamin B12 has roles in the nervous system, memory and blood cell formation. Deficiencies can cause a form of anemia called pernicious anemia, sometimes seen in vegans who do not supplement B12.

Since some women go semi-vegetarian or vegetarian during the luteal phase on the Cycle Diet, I suggest they not forgo the multi-vitamin due to lower intakes of meat, a great source of B12.

I hope that helps to answer your question.

revised to show increase in vitamin D pending

Revised to show new vitamin D recommendation per the IOM, however there is still quite a bit of controversy over these levels. The IOM stands by their conservative minimums for bone health, which does not reflect current studies showing vitamin D's effectiveness in cancer, autoimmune and disease prevention.

I stand by my recommendations to have vitamin D levels tested and monitored, especially with underlying autoimmune conditions. I've found most women with PMS/PMDD are severely deficient in D which impacts mineral absorption. If you are severely deficient your primary physician should prescribe high dose vitamin D in order to get levels up faster. Otherwise it's important to maintain sufficient levels of vitamin D. During the winter months I recommend at least 1,400-4,000IU's a day. 

Debra,
I have been wondering about how much magnesium is safe to take. There isn't a ton of it in may calcium, magnesium, zinc tablet. Well, there is only 80mgs. Am I getting enough? And, why is the recommended amount 320mg a day, yet the upper limits of magnesium is 350mg/day, is this correct? That is only a 30mg difference for the day.

RMK

Very good question RMK,

I made a post about this a while ago that you may find helpful. But to answer your question here about getting enough magnesium-- as long as you are eating the recommended foods on the Cycle Diet, you should be getting enough magnesium through the whole foods fruits and vegetables you are eating. Take a look at this post (scroll down a little for your answer(s))
www.cyclediet.com/forum/cycle-diet-quest...m-magnesium-question