Dietary Reference Intake

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

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The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) provide guidance on the nutritional needs for individuals.

The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are a set of nutrition reference values developed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies in the United States. These values are used to assess and plan dietary intake for healthy individuals and are based on research about the relationship between nutrient intake and the prevention of disease and promotion of health.

Overview

DRIs are intended to serve as a guide for good nutrition and provide important information to health professionals and policy makers. They are used to develop nutrition programs, establish labeling on food, and for clinical dietary counseling.

Components of DRIs

The DRIs encompass four key reference values, each serving a unique purpose in dietary planning and assessment:

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)

Graphical representation of EAR, which meets the needs of 50% of the population.

Estimated Average Requirement

The EAR is the daily nutrient intake value estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. It is used to assess the nutrient adequacy of populations and to plan for the nutrient intake of groups.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

Recommended Dietary Allowance

The RDA is the average daily dietary nutrient intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. It is often used as a goal for individual intake.

Adequate Intake (AI)

Adequate Intake

When sufficient scientific evidence is not available to calculate an EAR and subsequently the RDA, an AI is established. This is a recommended intake level based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake by a group of healthy people. The AI is assumed to be adequate for most individuals.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL)

Chart indicating the UL for various nutrients.

Tolerable Upper Intake Level

The UL is the highest level of daily nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects for almost all individuals in the general population. As intake increases above the UL, the potential risk of adverse effects increases.

Application of DRIs

The DRIs are used by both health professionals and the public to help people eat a balanced diet that provides the nutrients they need for good health. Dietitians and nutritionists use the DRIs to:

• Plan and assess the nutrient intakes of individuals and groups.
• Develop and deliver nutrition education programs.
• Design meals and menus for schools and other institutions.
• Create dietary supplements and food products.

Updating the DRIs

DRIs are periodically updated to reflect new scientific information about nutrient needs and the relationships between nutrient intake, health, and disease prevention. The IOM collaborates with Canadian health and research organizations to develop and update the DRIs.

See Also

• Nutrition
• Nutrient
• Dietary Planning
• Institute of Medicine

References

• Dietary Reference Intakes: The Essential Guide to Nutrient Requirements. The National Academies Press, 2006.
• Dietary Reference Intakes: Applications in Dietary Assessment. The National Academies Press, 2000.

External Links

• National Academies Press: Dietary Reference Intakes
• NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: DRIs

Dietary Reference Intake Resources
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Herbal and dietary supplements

• Aloe Vera, Ashwagandha, Astragalus, Bilberry, Black Cohosh, Butterbur, Cat's Claw, Cascara, Chaparral, Comfrey, Crofelemer, Echinacea, Ephedra, Fenugreek, Flavocoxid, Garcinia cambogia, Germander, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Greater Celandine, Green Tea, Hoodia, Hops, Horse Chestnut, Hyssop, Kava Kava, Kratom, Lavender, Maca, Margosa Oil, Melatonin, Milk Thistle, Noni, Passionflower, Pennyroyal Oil, Red Yeast Rice, Resveratrol, Saw Palmetto, Senna, Skullcap, Spirulina, St. John's Wort, Turmeric, Usnic Acid, Valerian, Yohimbine

Chinese and Other Asian Herbal Medicines

• Ba Jiao Lian, Bol Gol Zhee, Chi R Yun, Jin Bu Huan, Ma Huang, Sho Saiko To and Dai Saiko To, Shou Wu Pian

Multi-Ingredient Nutritional Supplements

• Herbalife, Hydroxycut, Move Free, OxyELITE Pro, SLIMQUICK

See also Nutritional supplements

Comprehensive list of common dietary supplements with detailed product information including brand name, how it is supplied, net contents, product ID etc, sorted alphabetically.

List of dietary supplements sorted alphabetically

A – B – C – D – E – F – G – H – I – J – K – L – M – N – O – P – Q – R – S – T – U – V – W – X – Y – Z – W – 0-9

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Dietary supplements

A Acai Aloe Vera Anabolic Steroids Astragalus Vitamin A B Bilberry Bitter Orange Black Cohosh Botanical Dietary Supplements Butterbur Vitamin B12 Vitamin B6 C Calcium Carnitine Cartilage Cat's Claw Chamomile Chasteberry Chondroitin Chromium Cinnamon Coenzyme Q10 Colloidal Silver Cranberry Vitamin C

D Dandelion Dietary Supplements Vitamin D E Echinacea Ephedra Essiac/Flor-Essence European Elder Evening Primrose Oil Vitamin E F Fenugreek Feverfew Fish Oil Flaxseed Folate G Garlic Ginger Ginkgo Ginseng Glucosamine Goldenseal Grape Seed Extract Green Tea

H Hawthorn Herbal Dietary Supplements Hoodia Horse Chestnut I Iodine Iron K Kava Vitamin K L Lavender Licorice Root M Magnesium Melatonin Milk Thistle Mistletoe Multivitamin/mineral Supplements N Noni O Omega-3 Fatty Acids

P PC-SPES Peppermint Oil R Red Clover S Sage SAMe (S-Adenosyl-L-Methionine) Saw Palmetto Selenium Soy St. John's Wort T Tea Thunder God Vine Turmeric V Valerian Vitamin A Vitamin B12 Vitamin B6 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Y Yohimbe Z Zinc

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