RDA Tables

RDA Tables

RDA - Recommended Dietary Allowance

RDA, or known by its full name, the Recommended Daily Allowance, is busy being revised and will be called the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) and is a collaborative effort between the USA and Canada.

RDA - stands for the Recommended Dietary Allowance, although many refer to it as the Recommended Daily Allowance.

Until publication of the new DRI, we herewith refer to the old RDA schedule, with some of the new DRI worked in, as a point of reference only.

The RDA represents the establishment of a nutritional norm for planning and assessing dietary intake, and are the levels of intake of essential nutrients considered to be adequate to meet the known needs of practically all healthy people.

These figures were first published in 1943 and have been updated and expanded as data became available.

When introducing the new revision of the RDA in 1974, Dr. Alfred E. Harper, the then Chairman of the Committee on Dietary Allowances, Food and Nutrition Board said "...However requirements differ with age and body size; among individuals of the same body size owning to differences in genetic makeup; with the physiologic state of individuals - growth rate, pregnancy, lactation; and with sex. .."

Fat Soluble Vitamins*

Age		Energy	Protein	Vit A		Vit D		Vit E		Vit K
Age		k. cal	g	IU	*ug RE	IU	*ug	IU	*mg TE	*ug
Children	4-6	1,800	30/24	2,500	500	400	5	9	7	-/20
	7-10	2,400/2,000	36/28	3,300	500	400	5	10	7	-/30
Males	15-18	3,000	54/59	5,000	1,000	400	5	15	10	-/65
	19-24	3,000/2,900	54/58	5,000	1,000	400	5	15	10	-/70
	25-50	2,700	56/63	5,000	1,000	-	5	15	10	-/80
	50+	2,400	56/63	5,000	1,000	-	10	15	10	-/80
Females	15-18	2,100	48/44	4,000	800	400	5	12	8	-/55
	19-24	2,100	46/46	4,000	800	400	5	12	8	-/60
	25-50	2,000	46/50	4,000	800	-	5	12	8	-/65
	50+	1,800	46/50	4,000	800	-	10	12	8	-/65

* first figure refers to the old RDA listing while the second figure refers to the newer DRI listing

Water Soluble Vitamins*

Age		Ascorbic Acid	Folacin/ Folate	Niacin	Riboflavin	Thiamine	Vit B6	Vit B12
Age		mg	mcg	mg	mg	mg	mg	mcg
Children	4-6	40/45	200/75	12	1.1	0.9	0.9/1.1	1.5/1.0
	7-10	40/45	300/100	16/13	1.2	1.2/1.0	1.2	2.0/1.4
Males	15-18	45/60	400/200	20	1.8	1.5	2.0	3.0/2.0
	19-24	45/60	400/200	20/19	1.8/1.7	1.5	2.0	3.0/2.0
	25-50	45/60	400/200	18/19	1.6/1.7	1.4/1.5	2.0	3.0/2.0
	50+	45/60	400/200	16/15	1.5/1.4	1.2	2.0	3.0/2.0
Females	15-18	45/60	400/180	14/15	1.4/1.3	1.1	2.0/1.5	3.0/2.0
	19-24	45/60	400/180	14/15	1.4/1.3	1.1	2.0/1.6	3.0/2.0
	25-50	45/60	400/180	13/15	1.2/1.3	1.0/1.1	2.0/1.6	3.0/2.0
	50+	45/60	400/180	12/13	1.1/1.2	1.0	2.0/1.6	3.0/2.0

* first figure refers to the old RDA listing while the second figure refers to the newer DRI listing

Minerals and others*

Age		Calcium	Phosphorous	Iodine	Iron	Magnesium	Zinc	Selenium	Fluoride
Age		mg	mg	ug	mg	mg	mg	*ug	*mg
Children	4-6	800	800/500	80/90	10	200/130	10	-/20	-/1.1
	7-10	800	800	110/120	10	250	10	-/30	-/3.2
Males	15-18	1200/1300	1200/1250	150	18/12	400/410	15	-/50	-/3.8
	19-24	800/1000	800/700	140/150	10	350/400	15	-/70	-/3.8
	25-50	800/1000	800/700	130/150	10	350/420	15	-/70	-/3.8
	50+	800/1200	800/700	110/150	10	350/420	15	-/70	-/2.9
Females	15-18	1200/1300	1200/1250	115/150	18/15	300/360	15/12	-/50	-/3.1
	19-24	800/1000	800/700	100/150	18/15	300/310	15/12	-/55	-/3.1
	25-50	800/1000	800/700	100/150	18/15	300/320	15/12	-/55	-/3.1
	50+	800/1200	800/700	80/150	10	300/320	15/12	-/55	-/3.1

* first figure refers to the old RDA listing while the second figure refers to the newer DRI listing - age groups have also been changed on certain nutrients to range from 9-13, 14-18,19-30,31-50, 51-70 and 71+ - figures above merely for illustration and information.

RDA of amino acids

These figures below is an estimate of the required dietary allowance (RDA) of essential amino acids - that being those amino acids that can not be synthesized by the body.

Nitrogen balance and protein intake

When consuming an adequate amount of essential amino acids, the person will be classed as being in "nitrogen equilibrium", since nitrogen balance studies are conducted to determine the amounts of these essential amino acids required by various people, and this balance is reached when the intake of nitrogen from protein is approximately equal to the nitrogen lost in the feces and urine.

Requirement - mg. per kg. of body weight
	Infant	Child	Adults
Amino acid	3 - 6 mo.	10 - 12 yr.
Histidine	33	not known	not known
Isoleucine	80	28	12
Leucine	128	42	16
Lysine	97	44	12
S-containing amino acids	45	22	10
Aromatic amino acids	132	22	16
Threonine	63	28	8
Tryptophan	19	4	3
Valine	89	25	14

Please be advised that these tables above must not be used to treat or diagnose - they are merely brought to you for information, in order to give you a better understanding on the dynamics involved, and the changing importance of vitamins and nutrition as well as their importance in maintaining optimum health.

The above opinionated views and information serves to educated and informed consumer . The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. .It should not replaced professional advise and consultation. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions