Teen Vitamins Guide to Support Your Teen's Vital Years

Teen vitamins requirements are a little different to both adults and younger children.

Its important, especially with all that junk food available, that teens get their daily vitamin and mineral needs met.

Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals can lead to problems with physical growth, skin problems, emotional problems/moodiness, tiredness, difficulties with concentration, bone weakness, and the list goes on!

A good multi vitamin supplement will supply most if not all of the recommended daily teen vitamin requirements. For some minerals, you may need further supplementation if your teen isn't getting their needs met from diet alone.

For example, calcium requirements are around 1300mg per day, and most multi vitamins do not have even half that. Calcium is too bulky a mineral so the tablet would be too big to swallow if all were present.

Also, if supplementing with calcium, to improve absorption, choose a calcium supplement with cofactors (like vitamin k and d, boron, and magnesium), and do not take more than 500mg at a time. (That goes for adults too).

Find out more about the different types of teen vitamins here.

Teen Vitamins RDA

Teens (14 - 18 years)

Vitamin/Mineral	RDA	Tolerable Upper Limit
choline	250 mg/day
biotin	25mcg/day	3g/day
chromium (boys)	35 mcg/day
chromium (girls)	24 mcg/day
copper	890mcg/day	8000mcg/day
folate (in DFE)	400mcg/day	800mcg/day
iodine	150mg/day	900mcg/day
magnesium (boys)	410 mg/day
magnesium (girls)	360mg/day
manganese (boys)	2.2 mg/day	9mg/day
manganese (girls)	1.6mg/day	9mg/day
molybendum	43mcg/day	1.7 mg/day
niacin (NE)(Boys)	16mg	30mg/day
niacin (NE)(girls)	14mg	30mg/day
pantothenic acid	5mg/day
calcium	1300mg/day	2500mg/day
phosphorus	1250mg/day	4.0 g/day
potassium (10-18 years)	2,000mg/day
riboflavin (boys)	1.3 mg/day
riboflavin (girls)	1.0 mg/day
selenium	55mcg/day	400mcg/day
thiamin	1.2mg/day
vitamin b12	2.4mcg/day
vitamin b6 (boys)	1.3mg/day	80mg/day
vitamin b6 (girls)	1.2mg/day	80mg/day
vitamin c (boys)	75mg/day	1800mg/day
vitamin c (girls)	65mg/day	1800mg/day
vitamin d	200 IU/day	2000 IU/day
vitamin e	15 mg/day
vitamin k	75 mcg/day
zinc (boys)	11 mg/day	34mg/day
zinc (girls)	9 mg/day	34mg/day

Bookmark this page for a handy reference when you go shopping for teen vitamins