Dietary Reference Intake

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Dietary Reference Intake

The Dietary Reference Intake (or DRI) is a system of nutrition

Nutrition

Nutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with good nutrition....
recommendations from the Institute of Medicine

Institute of Medicine

The Institute of Medicine , one of the United States National Academies, is a Non-profit organization, non-governmental United States organization chartered in 1970 as a part of the United States National Academy of Sciences....
(IOM) of the US National Academy of Sciences

United States National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine."...
. The DRI system is used by both the United States and Canada and is intended for the general public and health professionals. Applications include:

The DRI was introduced in 1997 in order to broaden the existing guidelines known as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). The DRI values are not currently used in nutrition labeling, where the older Reference Daily Intake

Reference Daily Intake

Reference Daily Intake is the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient which was considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all healthy individuals in each life-stage and sex group....
are still used.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was developed during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
by Lydia J.

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Encyclopedia

The Dietary Reference Intake (or DRI) is a system of nutrition

Nutrition

Institute of Medicine

United States National Academy of Sciences

Composition of diets for schools, prisons, hospitals or nursing homes
Industries developing new food stuffs
Healthcare policy makers and public health officials

The DRI was introduced in 1997 in order to broaden the existing guidelines known as Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). The DRI values are not currently used in nutrition labeling, where the older Reference Daily Intake

Reference Daily Intake

History

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) was developed during World War II

World War II

Hazel Stiebeling

Hazel Katherine Stiebeling was an American nutritionist who pioneered the development of USDA programs for nutrition including USDA daily dietary allowances of vitamins and minerals....
and Helen S. Mitchell, all part of a committee established by the United States National Academy of Sciences

United States National Academy of Sciences

The National Academy of Sciences is a corporation in the United States whose members serve pro bono as "advisers to the nation on science, engineering, and medicine."...
in order to investigate issues of nutrition that might "affect national defense" (Nestle, 35). The committee was renamed the Food and Nutrition Board in 1941, after which they began to deliberate on a set of recommendations of a standard daily allowance for each type of nutrient. The standards would be used for nutrition recommendations for the armed forces, for civilians, and for overseas population who might need food relief. Roberts, Stiebeling, and Mitchell surveyed all available data, created a tentative set of allowances for "energy and eight nutrients", and submitted them to experts for review (Nestle, 35). The final set of guidelines, called RDAs for Recommended Dietary Allowances, were accepted in 1941. The allowances were meant to provide superior nutrition for civilians and military personnel, so they included a "margin of safety." Because of food rationing

Rationing

Rationing is the controlled distribution of resources and scarcity goods or services. Rationing controls the size of the ration, one's allotted portion of the resources being distributed on a particular day or at a particular time....
during the war, the food guides created by government agencies to direct citizens' nutritional intake also took food availability into account.

The Food and Nutrition Board subsequently revised the RDAs every five to ten years. In the early 1950s, United States Department of Agriculture

United States Department of Agriculture

The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive departments responsible for developing and executing Federal government of the United States policy on farming, agriculture, and food....
nutritionists made a new set of guidelines that also included the number of servings of each food group in order to make it easier for people to receive their RDAs of each nutrient.

Current recommendations

The current Dietary Reference Intake recommendation is composed of:

Estimated Average Requirements (EAR), expected to satisfy the needs of 50% of the people in that age group.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), the daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all (97–98%) healthy individuals in each life-stage and gender group.
Adequate Intake (AI), where no RDA has been established, but the amount established is somewhat less firmly believed to be adequate for everyone in the demographic group.
Tolerable upper intake levels (UL), to caution against excessive intake of nutrients (like vitamin D) that can be harmful in large amounts.

The RDA is used to determine the Recommended Daily Value (RDV) which is printed on food labels in the U.S. and Canada.

Vitamins and minerals

EARs, RDA/AIs and ULs for a 25-year old male are shown below. EARs shown as "NE" have not yet been established or not yet evaluated. ULs shown as "ND" could not be determined, and it is recommended that intake from these nutrients be from food only, to prevent adverse effects. Amounts and "ND" status for other age and gender groups, pregnant women, lactating women, and breastfeeding infants are different.

Nutrient	EAR	RDA/AI	UL	Unit
Vitamin A Vitamin A Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....	2083	3000	10000	IU
Vitamin C Vitamin C Vitamin C or ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient for humans, a large number of simian species, a small number of other mammalian species , a few species of birds, and some fish....	75	90	2000	mg
Vitamin D Vitamin D Vitamin D is a group of fat-soluble prohormones, the two major forms of which are vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 . The term vitamin D also refers to metabolites and other analogues of these substances....	NE	200	2000	IU
Vitamin K Vitamin K Vitamin K denotes a group of lipophilic, hydrophobic vitamins that are needed for the posttranslational modification of certain proteins, mostly required for blood coagulation....	NE	120	ND	µg
Vitamin B₆ Vitamin B6 Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin and is part of the vitamin B complex group. Pyridoxal phosphate is the active form and is a cofactor in many reactions of amino acid metabolism, including transamination, deamination, and decarboxylation....	1.1	1.3	100	mg
a-tocopherol Tocopherol Tocopherol, a class of chemical compounds of which many have vitamin E activity, describes a series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols.... (E)	12	15	1000	IU
Biotin Biotin Biotin, also known as vitamin H or B7, has the chemical formula C10H16N2O3S , is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin which is composed of an ureido ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring....	NE	30	ND	µg
Boron Boron Boron is a chemical element with atomic number 5 and the chemical symbol B. Boron is a trivalent metalloid element which occurs abundantly in the evaporite ores borax and ulexite....	NE	-	20	mg
Calcium Calcium Calcium is the chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. It has an atomic mass of 40.078 amu. Calcium is a soft grey alkaline earth metal, and is the fifth most abundant element by mass in the earth's Crust ....	NE	1000	2500	mg
Chloride Chloride The chloride ion is formed when the chemical element chlorine picks up one electron to form an anion Cl−....	NE	2300	3600	mg
Chromium Chromium Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is a steely-gray, Lustre , hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point....	NE	35	ND	µg
Choline Choline Choline is an organic compound, classified as a water-soluble essential nutrient and usually grouped within the Vitamin B complex. This natural amine is found in the lipids that make up cell membranes and in the neurotransmitter acetylcholine....	NE	550	3500	mg
Copper Copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....	700	900	10000	µg
Cyanocobalamin Cyanocobalamin Cyanocobalamin is an especially common vitamer of the Vitamin B12. It is the most famous vitamer of the family, because it is chemically the most air-stable, and it is the easiest to crystallize and therefore easiest to purify after it is produced by bacterial fermentation.... (B₁₂)	2.0	2.4	ND	µg
Fluoride Fluoride Fluoride is the Redox form of fluorine. Both organic compounds and inorganic compounds containing the chemical element fluorine are considered fluorides....	NE	4	10	mg
Folate (B₉)	320	400	1000	µg
Iodine Iodine Iodine , is a chemical element that has the symbol I and atomic number 53. Naturally-occurring iodine is a single isotope with 74 neutrons....	95	150	1100	µg
Iron Iron Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. Iron is a Group 8 element and period 4 element. Iron is lustrous and silvery in color....	6	8	45	mg
Magnesium Magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, atomic weight 24.3050 and common oxidation number +2.Magnesium, an alkaline earth metal, is the ninth most abundance of the chemical elements in the universe by mass....	330	420	350^a	mg
Manganese Manganese Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a Oxidation state in nature , and in many minerals....	NE	2.3	11	mg
Molybdenum Molybdenum Molybdenum , is a Group 6 element chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. It has the List of elements by melting point melting point of any element....	34	45	2000	µg
Niacin Niacin Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin which prevents the Nutrition disorder pellagra. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C6H5NO2.... (B₃)	12	16	35	mg
Nickel Nickel Nickel is a chemical element, with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge....	NE	-	1.0	mg
Pantothenic acid Pantothenic acid Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5 , is a water-soluble vitamin required to sustain life . Pantothenic acid is needed to form coenzyme-A , and is critical in the metabolism and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.... (B₅)	NE	5	ND	mg
Phosphorus Phosphorus Phosphorus is the chemical element that has the symbol P and atomic number 15. The name comes from the and . A Valency nonmetal of the nitrogen group, phosphorus is commonly found in inorganic phosphate minerals....	580	700	4000	mg
Potassium Potassium Potassium is a chemical element. It has the symbol K , atomic number 19, and atomic mass 39.0983. Potassium was first isolated from potash, hence the name....	NE	4700	ND	mg
Thiamin (B₁)	1.0	1.2	ND	mg
Riboflavin Riboflavin Riboflavin , also known as vitamin B2, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals.... (B₂)	1.1	1.3	ND	mg
Selenium Selenium Selenium is a chemical element with the atomic number 34, represented by the chemical symbol Se, an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, chemically related to sulfur and tellurium, and rarely occurs in its elemental state in nature....	45	55	400	µg
Sodium Sodium Sodium is an element which has the symbol Na , atomic number 11, atomic mass 23 amu , and a common oxidation number +1. Sodium is a soft, silvery white, highly reactive element and is a member of the alkali metals within "group 1" ....	NE	1500	2300	mg
Sulfate Sulfate In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid....	NE	-	ND	-
Zinc Zinc Zinc is a metallic chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is a first-row transition metal of the group 12 element of the periodic table....	9.4	11	40	mg

^a From pill only, not including food and water intake.

EAR: Estimated Average Requirements; RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowances; AI: Adequate Intake; UL: Tolerable upper intake levels.

It is also recommended that the following substances not be added to food or dietary supplements. Research has been conducted into adverse effects, but was not conclusive in many cases:

Substance	RDA/AI	UL	units per day
Arsenic Arsenic Arsenic is a well-known chemical element that has the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic was first documented by Albertus Magnus in 1250....	-	ND	-
Silicon Silicon Silicon is the most common metalloid. It is a chemical element, which has the symbol Si and atomic number 14. The atomic mass is 28.0855....	-	ND	-
Vanadium Vanadium Vanadium is the chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a soft, silvery grey, ductile transition metal. The formation of an oxide layer stabilizes the metal against oxidation....	-	1.8	mg

Macronutrients

RDA/AI is shown below for males and females aged 40-50 years.

Substance	Amount (males)	Amount (females)
Water Drinking water Drinking water is water that is of sufficiently high quality so that it can be consumed or utilized without risk of immediate or long term harm.... ^b	3.7 L/day	2.7 L/day
Carbohydrates	130 g/day	130 g/day
Protein Protein Proteins are organic compounds made of amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of adjacent amino acid Residue .... ^c	56 g/day	46 g/day
Fiber Dietary fiber Dietary fiber, sometimes called "roughage", is the indigestible portion of plant foods that pushes food through the digestive system, absorbing water and easing defecation....	38 g/day	25 g/day
Fat Fat Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and largely insoluble in water. Chemistry, fats are generally ester of glycerol and fatty acids....	20–35% of calories
Linoleic acid Linoleic acid Linoleic acid is an unsaturated omega-6 fatty acid. It is a colorless liquid. In physiological literature, it is called 18:2. Chemically, linoleic acid is a carboxylic acid with an 18-carbon chain and two cis double bonds; the first double bond is located at the sixth carbon from the omega end.... , an omega-6 fatty acid Omega-6 fatty acid n-6 fatty acids are a family of unsaturated fat fatty acids which have in common a final carbon?carbon double bond#Bond order in the Fatty acid#Nomenclature position; that is, the sixth bond from the end of the fatty acid.... (polyunsaturated)	17 g/day	12 g/day
alpha-Linolenic acid Alpha-linolenic acid a-Linolenic acid is an organic compound found in many common Vegetable fats and oils. IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry, it is named all-cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid.... , an omega-3 fatty acid Omega-3 fatty acid n-3 fatty acids are a family of unsaturated fat fatty acids that have in common a final carbon?carbon double bond#Bond order in the essential fatty acid#Nomenclature and terminology position; that is, the third bond from the methyl end of the fatty acid.... (polyunsaturated)	1.6 g/day	1.1 g/day
Cholesterol Cholesterol Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy alcohol found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and membrane fluidity....	As low as possible
Trans fatty acids	As low as possible
Saturated fatty acids	As low as possible
Added sugar	No more than 25% of calories

^bIncludes water from food, beverages, and drinking water.

^cBased on 0.8 g/kg of body weight

External links

US Government list of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA, the deprecated nutritional recommendations)
(PDF file)
from the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
(PDF file)
in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
, the European Union
European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
and the USA
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

Dietary Reference Intake

History

Current recommendations

Vitamins and minerals

Macronutrients

See also

External links