How much of each essential nutrient do you need (USA updated)?
As mentioned in the previous post, , the US Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, updated their essential nutrient recommendations for calcium, vitamin D, sodium and potassium in 2011 and 2019.
Below are these up-to-date daily nutrient recommendations including those for pregnant and lactating women.
Recommended daily essential nutrient intake values according to US Food and Nutrition Board1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8
| Nutrient | EAR | AI | RDI | UL | CDRR | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water (L) | 0.7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bulk minerals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Magnesium (mg) | 30 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Calcium (mg) | 200 | 1,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phosphorous (mg) | 100 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Potassium (g) | 0.4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sodium (mg) | 110 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chloride (mg) | 180 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Trace minerals | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iodine (ug) | 110 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chromium (ug) | 29 ng/kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Copper (ug) | 30 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iron (mg) | 0.27 | 40 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manganese (mg) | 0.003 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Molybdenum (ug) | 0.3 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selenium (ug) | 2.1 /kg | 45 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Zinc (mg) | 2 | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Water soluble vitamins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) (mg) | 0.03 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) (mg) | 0.04 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) (mg) | 0.2 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) (mg) | 0.2 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) (mg) | 0.014 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) (ug) | 0.05 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Biotin (ug) | 0.7 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Choline (mg) | 18 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Folate (ug) | 9.4 /k | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin C (mg) | 6 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fat soluble vitamins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin A (ug RAE) | 400 | 600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin D (ug) | 10 | 25 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin E (mg) | 0.6 /kg | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Vitamin K (ug) | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fatty acids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linolenic Acid (omega-3) (g) | 0.5 (of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Linoleic Acid (omega-6) (g) | 4.4 (of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amino acids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Histidine (mg/kg) | 36 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Isoleucine (mg/kg) | 88 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leucine (mg/kg) | 156 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lysine (mg/kg) | 107 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Methionine + Cysteine (mg/kg) | 59 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Phenylalanine + Tyrosine (mg/kg) | 135 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Threonine (mg/kg) | 73 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tryptophan (mg/kg) | 28 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valine (mg/kg) | 87 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
What do EAR, AI, RDI and UL mean?
EAR - Estimated Average Requirement
The EAR is the amount of a nutrient that is estimated to meet the requirement for a specific criterion of adequacy of half (50%) of the healthy individuals of a specific age, sex and life-stage.
RDI - Recommended Dietary Intake
The RDI or RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is the average daily dietary intake level to meet the requirements of nearly all (97-98%) of the healthy individuals of a specific sex, age and life-stage.
AI - Adequate Intake
If insufficient scientific data is available to calculate an EAR (and, thus, an RDI) then an AI is set. It represents the observed or experimentally derived estimates of average nutrient intake in a healthy population.
UL - Tolerable Upper Intake Level
The UL is the highest daily amount of nutrient that is likely to pose no risks of adverse health effects to almost all individuals in the general population.
CDRR - Chronic Disease Risk Reduction
The CDRR value is the lowest level of intake for which there was sufficient strength of evidence to characterize a chronic disease risk reduction. Above this value, intake reduction is expected to reduce chronic disease risk within an apparently healthy population.
References
1
Institute of Medicine. (1997). Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes. Dietary Reference Intakes for calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, vitamin d, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK109825/ doi: 10.17226/5776
2
Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for water, potassium, sodium, chloride, and sulfate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/10925.
3
Institute of Medicine. (2001). Panel on Micronutrients. Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin a, vitamin k, arsenic, boron, chromium, copper, iodine, iron, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silicon, vanadium, and zinc. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK222310/ doi: 10.17226/10026
4
Institute of Medicine (2000). Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds. Dietary Reference Intakes for vitamin c, vitamin e, selenium, and Carotenoids. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK225483/ doi: 10.17226/9810
5
Institute of Medicine. (1998). Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes and its Panel on Folate, Other B Vitamins, and choline. Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, vitamin b6, Folate, vitamin b12, Pantothenic Acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK114310/ doi: 10.17226/6015
6
Institute of Medicine. (2005). Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.https://doi.org/10.17226/10490.
7
Institute of Medicine. (2011). Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/13050.
8
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2019). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25353.
