THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

Dietary reference intakes

Dietary reference intakes: • Introduction: Using the results of

thousands of research studies, nutrition experts have produced a set of
standards that define the amounts of energy, nutrients, other dietary
components, and physical activity that best support health. These
recommendations are called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI).
These recommendations apply to healthy people and may not be
appropriate for people with diseases that increase or decrease nutrient
needs. The next several paragraphs discuss specific aspects of how the
committee goes about establishing the values that make up the DRI:
THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

🞭 The DRI Committee consists of highly qualified

scientists who base their estimates of nutrient
needs on careful examination and interpretation
of scientific evidence.

Don't let the DRI alphabet soup of

nutrient intake standards confuse you.
Their names make sense when you learn
their purposes.
 © 2008 Thomson - Wadsworth

THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

🞭 Establishing Nutrient Recommendations
🞤 EAR: Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)
The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) is defined as “the daily
intake value that is estimated to meet the requirement, as defined by
the specified indicator of adequacy, in half of the apparently healthy
individuals in a life stage or gender group
defines the requirement of a nutrient that supports a specific function in
the body for half of the healthy population.
🞫 The committee reviews hundreds of research studies to determine
the requirement for a nutrient how much is needed in the diet.
🞫 The intake that meets the estimated nutrient need of 50%
individuals.
🞫 The EAR serves as the basis for setting the Recommended
Dietary Allowance (RDA). If an EAR cannot be established, then
an RDA cannot be set
DRI Committee defines nutrient requirement as the minimal intake
sustaining defined nutriture. For EAR, specific adequacy criteria are
chosen based on literature, varying across life stages. Criteria include
preventing deficiency diseases, measuring nutrient levels in tissues,
and maintaining metabolic pathways. Adjustments for insufficient
data on children, adolescents, and pregnant/lactating females involve
referencing adult EAR or accounting for increased needs during
pregnancy. Chronic disease risk reduction is considered, but data on
nutrient effects on morbidity/mortality in the US and Canada are
limited.
 © 2008 Thomson - Wadsworth

THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

🞭 Establishing Nutrient Recommendations
🞤 RDA: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) Once a
nutrient requirement is established (EAR), the committee
must decide what intake to recommend for everybody
🞤 (RDA) uses the EAR as a base and includes sufficient daily
amounts of nutrients to meet the known nutrient needs of
practically all healthy populations (almost all
-97 to 98%)
🞤 This recommendation considers deficiencies. This is set
above the EAR.
Fig. 1-5b, p. 17
 What are the Benefits of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for
Nutrition

1.Individual Nutrient Guidance: The RDA provides specific guidance on

the amounts of various nutrients needed for a healthy diet. It acts as an
effective tool for evaluating nutrient adequacy on an individual level.
2.Prevention of Nutrient Deficiency: By adhering to the RDA guidelines,
individuals can prevent nutritional deficiencies, which could otherwise lead
to serious health complications.
3.Promotion of Overall Health: Following the RDA helps promote overall
health and well-being. It ensures the proper functioning of various body
systems, including immune health, bone health, and energy production.
4.Scientific Basis: The RDA is based on scientific research and evidence,
ensuring the recommendations provided are reliable and valid.
5.Foundation for Dietary Planning: The RDA serves as a foundation for
dietary planning at individual and group levels. It aids in the formation of
dietary guidelines, meal planning for institutions, and nutritional policies
What are the Risks of Recommended Dietary
Allowance (RDA) for Nutrition?
1.Individual Variability: The RDA might not cater to individual variability in
nutrient requirements due to factors such as genetic makeup, health
status, and lifestyle. As such, it may not fully address the needs of all
individuals.
2.Potential for Overconsumption: Misinterpretation of the RDA as a
nutrient target, rather than a guideline, could lead to overconsumption of
certain nutrients. This can potentially lead to nutrient toxicity and
associated health complications.
3.Not Comprehensive: The RDA does not account for all nutrients.
Particularly for those nutrients for which there is insufficient scientific data,
the RDA may fall short in providing guidelines.
4.Not Tailored to Special Conditions: The RDA does not take into
consideration special dietary needs due to illnesses, pregnancy, or specific
physiological conditions. Individuals with these conditions may require
more personalized nutritional advice.
5.Doesn’t Address Food Quality: The RDA focuses on nutrient quantities,
not the quality of the food consumed. As a result, it might not reflect the
Adequate Intakes (AI)
For some nutrients, such as calcium, there is insufficient scientific evidence to
determine an Estimated Average Requirement (which is needed to set an RDA). In
these cases, the committee establishes an Adequate Intake (AI) instead of an RDA.
‘An AI reflects the average amount of a nutrient that a group of healthy people
consumes’. Like the RDA, the AI may be used as a nutrient goal for individuals.
Although both the RDA and the AI serve as nutrient intake goals for individuals,
their differences are noteworthy. An RDA for a given nutrient is based on enough
scientific evidence to expect that the needs of almost all healthy people will be
met. An AI, on the other hand, must rely more heavily on scientific judgments
because sufficient evidence is lacking. The percentage of people covered by an AI
is unknown; an AI is expected to exceed average requirements, but it may cover
more or fewer people than an RDA would cover (if an RDA could be determined).
For these reasons, AI values are more uncertain than RDA. The table on the inside
front cover identifies which nutrients have an RDA and which have an AI.
 © 2008 Thomson - Wadsworth

THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

🞭 Establishing Nutrient Recommendations
🞤 AI: Adequate Intakes (AI) reflect the average daily
amount of a nutrient without an established RDA that
appears to be sufficient.
🞫 For some nutrients, there is insufficient scientific evidence to
determine an Estimated Average Requirement ( which is needed
to set an RDA).
🞤 UL: Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is a maximum
daily amount of a nutrient that appears safe for most
healthy people and beyond which there is an increased
risk of adverse health effects.
🞫 Individual tolerances for high doses of nutrients vary…
a point beyond which a nutrient is likely to become
toxic. This point is known as the Tolerable Upper
Intake Level ( UL).
Establishing Energy Recommendations
Establishing Energy Recommendations In contrast to the
RDA and AI values for nutrients, the recommendation for
energy is not generous. Excess energy cannot be readily
excreted and is eventually stored as body fat. These
reserves may be beneficial when food is scarce, but they
can also lead to obesity and its associated health
consequences.
Estimated Energy Requirement (EER)
The energy recommendation—called the Estimated Energy
Requirement (EER)—represents the average dietary energy intake
(kcalories per day) that will maintain energy balance in a person who
has a healthy body weight ♦ and level of physical activity. Balance is
key to the energy recommendation. Enough energy is needed to
sustain a healthy and active life, but too much energy can lead to
weight gain and obesity. Because any amount in excess of energy
needs will result in weight gain, no upper level for energy has been
determined.
Formula:Adult male: EER = 662 − [9.53 X age (y)] + PA X [15.91
X wt (kg) + 539.6 X ht (m)]
Adult female: EER = 354 − [6.91 x age (y)] + PA x [9.36 x wt (kg)
+ 726 x ht (m)]
 © 2008 Thomson - Wadsworth

THE DIETARY REFERENCE INTAKES (DRI)

Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges (AMDR) People don’t eat
energy directly; they derive energy from foods containing carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins. Each of these three energy-yielding nutrients contributes to the total
energy intake, and those contributions vary in relation to one another. The DRI
Committee has determined that the composition of a diet that provides adequate
energy and nutrients and reduces the risk of chronic diseases is :
Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) represents
the range of intakes for energy nutrients that provide adequate
energy and nutrients and reduce risk of chronic disease.
🞫 45 - 65 percent kcalories from carbohydrate •
🞫 20 - 35 percent kcalories from fat •
🞫 10 - 35 percent kcalories from protein
Recommended dietary Allowances for Specific Nutrietns
DRIs:Estimated Average Requirements
IN SUMMARY
🞭 The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) are a set of
nutrient intake values that can be used to plan and
evaluate diets for healthy people.
🞭 The Estimated Average Requirement ( EAR)
defines the amount of a nutrient that supports a
specific function in the body for half of the
population.
🞭 The Recommended Dietary Allowance ( RDA) is
based on the Estimated Average Requirement and
establishes a goal for dietary intake that will meet the
needs of almost all
Dietary assessment methods
Dietary assessment
Dietary assessment is an evaluation of food and nutrient intake and
dietary pattern of an individual or individuals in the household or
population group over time. It is one of the four approaches in
nutrition assessment to evaluating the nutritional status of
individuals comprehensively. The other three are anthropometrics,
biochemical parameters and clinical examination (Gibson, 2005).
Dietary assessment methods are usually categorized according to the
nature of the method used as shown in Figure 1.
1. Indirect methods utilize secondary data for assessing diets, while
2. Direct methods collect primary dietary data from individuals.
 Methods of Dietary Assessment

Figure 1 - Overview of dietary assessment methods to estimate food and nutrient

consumption at national, household and individual level
 Indirect methods
Indirect methods
 use secondary information (e.g. food supply, agricultural statistics, food
expenditure) to estimate food available for consumption at the national and
household levels.
Food Balance Sheet (FBS):
 Provides national-level food consumption estimates.
 Estimation from the perspective of food supply.
 Utilizes data on food production, imports, and exports.
Household Consumption and Expenditure Survey (HCES):
 . which provide food consumption information at household level.
 Estimates consumption from the viewpoint of food demand.
. Neither of the two methods directly obtain primary dietary data from
individuals to evaluate dietary intake or food consumption on an individual
basis. Indirect methods are useful for identifying trends in food availability
and consumption across different geographical regions and time.