Understanding the RDA's

We all have different nutritional needs. Infants require different amounts of nutrients and calories than adolescents. Pregnant or breast-feeding women require different amounts of nutrients than other women, and both groups may require different amounts than men. How then do we know what we as individuals need?

This is where the National Research Council in Washington steps in. This agency reviews the many nutrition studies published every year in order to establish dietary guidelines. It provides these guidelines in the form of the Recommended Dietary Allowance, or RDA.


In short, the RDAs are meant to serve as a nutritional frame of reference for most people. The RDAs attempt to specify the minimum amounts of certain nutrients the population at large needs to maintain good health. Because the RDAs are aimed at large groups, they are not meant to specify the exact amounts of nutrients you as an individual should strive to take in. Only a nutritionist, dietitian, or physician can determine what's right for you. However, if you are in good health, using the RDAs as a reference point will probably do you no harm.