recommended dietary allowance

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are quantities of nutrients in the diet that are required to maintain good health in people. RDAs are established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, and may be revised every few years. A separate RDA value exists for each nutrient. The RDA values refer to the amount of nutrient expected to maintain good health in people. The actual amounts of each nutrient required to maintain good health in specific individuals differ from person to person.

Mentioned in: Folic Acid, Iron Deficiency Anemia, Mineral Deficiency, Riboflavin Deficiency, Scurvy, Vitamin A Deficiency, Vitamin B 6 Deficiency, Vitamin D Deficiency, Vitamin E Deficiency, Vitamin K Deficiency, Vitamin Toxicity, Vitamins

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allowance [ah-low´ans]

something permitted or allowed.

recommended daily allowance term popularly used as a synonym for recommended dietary allowance.

recommended dietary allowance (RDA) the amount of nutrient and calorie intake per day considered necessary for maintenance of good health, calculated for males and females of various ages and recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council. See Appendices 4 and 5. Popularly called recommended daily allowance.

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recommended dietary allowance,

n a guideline developed by the National Research Council's Food and Nutrition Board to aid in adequate nutritional intake of specific vitamins and minerals. Aimed at preventing nutritional deficiencies and does not define the optimum intake levels for an individual.