What are Dietary Reference Intakes? Origins, Development & Use (SNP 26)

Feb 20, 2024

Acronyms:

• RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance 
• AI = Adequate Intake 
• UL = Tolerable Upper Intake Level 
• EAR = Estimated Average Requirement

About This Episode:

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are a set of nutrient reference values, developed in the US, that are used to assess and plan the nutrient intake of healthy individuals. They provide guidelines for the recommended amounts of various nutrients to maintain health and prevent deficiencies or excesses. Different countries may have their own sets of dietary reference values or guidelines that serve similar purposes but may be named differently.

DRIs include several different reference values:

• Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
• Adequate Intake (AI)
• Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)
• Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

DRIs play a crucial role in nutrition and public health for several reasons. DRIs provide specific recommendations for the intake of essential nutrients, helping individuals and health professionals understand the amounts needed to maintain good health.

By establishing RDAs and ULs, DRIs help prevent nutrient deficiencies and toxicity, ensuring that individuals consume an appropriate range of nutrients. Governments and health organizations use DRIs to develop public health policies, nutrition programs, and guidelines for food fortification to improve the overall health of populations. For nutrition professionals, understanding DRIs is essential as it forms the basis for assessing and planning dietary recommendations for individuals and populations.

 

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