What is recommended dietary allowance

The “Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)” are the safe intake levels of the essential nutrients. These levels are found to be adequate or sufficient to meet the nutrients requirement of nearly all healthy individuals in a specific life stage along with gender group.

( RDA INTAKE = NUTRIENTS REQUIREMENT + SAFETY MARGIN )

Every organism need a wide range of nutrients to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. The amount of each nutrient requirement for an individual depends on his/her age, body weight, physical activity, physiological states i.e. pregnancy, lactation etc. So, the requirement of all nutrients varies from individual to individual.

Nutrient requirement is the requirement of particular nutrient in the minimum amount that needs to be consumed by an organism. It is used for preventing from the symptom of deficiencies. Also, it is required to maintain adequate level of the nutrient in the body of an organism.

Importance of RDA standards

• RDA helps in comparing RDA intakes of individuals that allows in making estimation for probable risk of deficiency among individuals.
• It helps in upgrading the nutrient requirements in clinical management of diseases.
• Helps public health nutritionists to compose diets for schools, hospitals, gyms, fitness classes, an individual etc.
• It helps in designing, developing nutrition programmes and policies for health care policy makers and public health nutritionists.
• Helps in planning and procuring food supplies for different groups of population.
• It helps in evaluating the adequacy of food supplies in meeting national nutritional needs.
• RDA helps in making food consumption records of individuals and populations.
• Helps in establishing standards for the national feeding programmes, implemented by the Government for its vulnerable population.
• Helps in providing nutritional education programmes for the groups of population.
• It helps in searching and developing new food product ranges and dietary supplements by the industry. It is beneficial for enhancing health of an individual.
• RDA helps in establishing guidelines for the national labeling of packaged foods. In India it is done by Food Standards Safety Authority of India (FSSAI).

We can say that the RDA is just like a minimum level of lubrication oil in our vehicle engine (Engine represents our body).

If lubrication oil level of vehicle engine is low, then engine will run for sometime but not for a long life.

In same way, if RDA is not followed by us, we will run for sometime but not for a long life.

– Health Jaagran

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