Recommended Daily Intakes and Upper Limits for Vitamins and Minerals

RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowances) are the average daily intake of nutrients sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97%-98%) healthy people. Nutrient requirements may be different when disease or other medical conditions exist.

When there is not enough evidence to establish an RDA, the AIs (Adequate Intakes) are the best estimate of intakes assumed to be adequate in apparently healthy individuals.

The RDA and AI values are typically based on total daily intake from foods, beverages, and, if needed, supplements.

Yes. For this reason, ULs (Upper Tolerable Intake Levels) have been established for many nutrients. There is an increased risk of an adverse event when exceeding the UL - although sometimes the risk is acceptable when the nutrient is used in medical treatment, such as to treat a severe deficiency.

The DVs (Daily Values) are set by the FDA, while the RDAs are set by the National Academies. The DVs are actually based on the RDAs and IAs but are often not up-to-date. From 1968 until July 2016, the DVs often did not reflect the RDAs and AIs, nor did they distinguish needs by age and gender. In July 2016, the FDA updated many of the DVs , more closely reflecting the RDAs and AIs and adding DVs specifically for infants, children 1 to 3 years of age, and pregnant/lactating women. The DVs are shown in green in the table below.