Introduction to Vitamins, Part 2
Mel Possehl
The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance), is a bit outdated and as such a new way of assessing vitamin requirements was proposed in 1993. These are the DRI (Dietary Reference Intakes).
The DRI includes four subcategories, as follows:
RDA/Recommended Dietary Allowance - This is not a goal for assessing a diet, but rather for intake, and is the daily avg. intake level required to meet the needs of ninety-seven to ninety-eight percent of healthy people in any given gender group or life stage.
AI/Adequate Intake Level - Used when EAR cannot be scientifically determined, this is based on observations of the nutrient intake of relatively healthy people; assumed to be adequate.
Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UI) - As the name suggests, this is the approximated level at which a micronutrient can be ingested while bearing no ill effects on the body. So, as intake increases above this level, the potential risks increase as well.
Estimated Adequate Intake (EAR) - This is the average daily nutrient intake level estimates to meet the requirement of 50% of the individuals in a particular life stage/ gender group. It is population weighed and is considered to be the most accurate reflection of food-nutrient needs of a group, excluding young children and pregnant/lactating women, whose needs differ greatly.
The RDA & AI should be enough to keep a person from showing deficiency signs for nutrients. These are used for assessing and planning diets to maintain a healthy population. They may not be adequate to restore levels from a deficiency or those with disease or illness.
I hope this clears some thing up. For more information on the requirements and sources of each vitamin, stay tuned for upcoming articles, or follow the link provided. Thank You!
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