The guidelines are reliable for most people, but there may be times when you need to up your intake of a vitamin or mineral. You may want to add more vitamin C to your diet when you are sick or have a bruise. Some subsets of the population may have different nutrient needs. Nine- to eighteen-year-olds need 1,300 milligrams of calcium. Nineteen- to fifty-year-olds need 1,000 milligrams of calcium. Individuals older than fifty need 1,200 milligrams. Calcium intake should be higher in adolescence to help adolescents build bones and in middle age to help combat the increased risk of osteoporosis.
