Recommended Dietary Allowance

Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) is defined as the nutrient present in the diet which satisfies the daily requirement of nearly all individuals in a population. It is influenced by

• Sex – In general requirement is more for men than women.
• Age- Adult men and women require nutrients for maintenance where as infants and children require it for growth and maintenance. Nutrient requirements during childhood are proportional to growth rate.
• Body weight: Among adults requirements are related to body weight and size.
• Physiological states- During menstruation, pregnancy and lactation women require some nutrients more than the normal times.
• Requirements of sports persons and athletes who perform high levels of extreme activity are high some times 2-3 times the normal times.
• Physical activity- Sedentary person needs much less nutrients than a moderate to severely active person.
• Environment- Extremes of climate or high altitude alters the need for certain nutrients.

Reference man and Reference woman

RDA suggested for Indian population is based on the reference man and reference woman .

Reference man and Reference woman are defined on the basis of body weights of well nourished healthy adults who have satisfactory growth during their child hood and are currently leading a healthy and moderately active life living under normal comfortable conditions.

Reference man is between 19-39 years of age, height 163 cm and weight of 65 kg. Reference woman is between 19-39 years of age, height 151 cm and weight 55 kg.

Recommended Dietary Allowance 2020

To access the RDA 2020 published by National Institute of Nutrition, click here

Source: Portal Content Development Team