The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) are nutrient intake levels that meet the needs of most healthy Americans. They were originally developed by the National Academy of Sciences, and were based on nutrient levels that would prevent nutrient deficiencies. Since the mid-1990s, RDAs have been developed as one component of nutrient intake standards called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). RDAs, developed as part of DRIs, target nutrient levels needed not only to prevent nutrient deficiencies, but also to reduce the risk of chronic disease. They are meant to be intake goals averaged over several days, rather than daily requirements. RDAs can help people establish eating habits that promote health and reduce disease risk.
Linda Benjamin Bobroff
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U.S. Department of Agriculture. "Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) and Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)." Available from <http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic>