Recommended Dietary Allowance

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is the average daily intake of a nutrient that is sufficient to meet the requirements of nearly all, about 97 to 98 percent, healthy people in a particular life-stage and sex group. It is one of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) used in planning and assessing nutrient intakes .^1,2

An RDA is derived from the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). The EAR represents the intake estimated to meet the requirement of 50 percent of healthy people in a specified group. When enough information is available about how nutrient requirements vary among individuals, the RDA is set above the EAR so that it covers nearly the entire healthy population. If an EAR cannot be established, an RDA cannot be calculated, and an Adequate Intake may be set instead .¹

The RDA is intended primarily as an intake goal for an individual. It should not be interpreted as the minimum amount every person requires because individual requirements vary, and most people have requirements below the RDA. It represents an average intake over time, so consuming exactly the RDA every day is not necessary .¹

The RDA is distinct from the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL). The RDA concerns nutritional adequacy, whereas the UL describes the highest average daily intake likely to pose no risk of adverse effects for almost all healthy people. The RDA is also different from the Daily Value shown on food labels, which is a standardized labeling value rather than an individualized nutrient recommendation .^1,2