The RDA or Recommended Dietary Allowances were originally used as a reference point of levels of nutrients needed to prevent frank deficiency in an otherwise healthy adult. This level is actually often based on the average daily intake of essential nutrients by a representative population, and is considered to meet the requirements for most healthy individuals. However, the RDA is NOT the minumum requirement. And it is NOT representative of the requirements needed when a person is not healthy, or what might be required for prevention of a specific disease in a susceptible individual.

 

Because of increased attention about nutrition from the general public, there have been recent attempts to update the RDA for the market. Lots of labels currently have the % RDA or % US RDA, or estimated adequate intake where there is no RDA determined.

 

In clinical experience, however, many doctors and nutritionists have observed that supplementation of nutrients at amounts much greater than the RDA are required to see improvement in many conditions.