Adequate Intake

1. Adequate Intake

Adequate Intake (AI) is a recommended average daily nutrient intake level based on observed or experimentally determined approximations or estimates of nutrient intake by a group (or groups) of healthy people that are assumed to be adequate. AI is used when a Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) cannot be determined.

Overview

Adequate Intake is part of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), which are a set of reference values used to plan and assess nutrient intakes of healthy people. The DRIs are developed by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, now known as the National Academy of Medicine.

AI is established when there is insufficient evidence to develop an RDA. It is based on observed intakes of the nutrient by a group of healthy people. AI values are typically set for nutrients where there is not enough data to establish an Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) and subsequently an RDA.

Purpose

The purpose of Adequate Intake is to ensure that individuals receive sufficient nutrients to maintain health. It serves as a goal for individual intake and is used in dietary planning and assessment.

Examples

Some nutrients for which Adequate Intake levels have been established include:

• Calcium: AI is used for infants and young children, as well as for older adults, due to the lack of sufficient data to establish an RDA.
• Vitamin D: AI is used for infants, as there is not enough evidence to establish an RDA.
• Potassium: AI is used for all age groups due to the lack of sufficient data to establish an RDA.

Differences from RDA

While both AI and RDA are used to assess nutrient intake, they differ in the level of certainty and the method of determination:

• **RDA**: Based on scientific evidence and is the average daily intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.
• **AI**: Used when there is not enough evidence to establish an RDA. It is based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake by a group of healthy people.

Limitations

AI values are less precise than RDAs because they are based on less rigorous data. They are often derived from population studies and may not reflect the needs of all individuals within a population.

Also see

• Dietary Reference Intake
• Recommended Dietary Allowance
• Estimated Average Requirement
• Tolerable Upper Intake Level
• Nutrition

Nutrition information of Adequate Intake

• USDA on Adequate Intake