Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range

The Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) is a recommended range for the proportion of total dietary energy that comes from a macronutrient. It was developed to identify intake ranges associated with adequate intake of essential nutrients while also considering chronic disease risk. Unlike many nutrient recommendations expressed as grams or milligrams per day, an AMDR is expressed as a percentage of total energy intake .^1,2

For adults, the established AMDRs are 45 to 65 percent of energy from carbohydrate, 20 to 35 percent from fat, and 10 to 35 percent from protein. Different ranges apply to some younger age groups. AMDRs have also been established for the essential fatty acids linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid as percentages of energy intake .^1,2

An AMDR is not the same as a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). An RDA is an intake amount intended to meet the requirement for a specific nutrient in nearly all healthy people within a defined group. An AMDR instead describes a range for the proportion of dietary energy supplied by a macronutrient .¹

The AMDR should not be interpreted as a precise threshold at which disease risk suddenly changes. It is a dietary reference range developed from evidence concerning nutrient adequacy and chronic disease risk .^1,2