1. Food Portion Distortion Quiz: Test Your Diet IQ
2. Food Frauds That Wreck Your Diet Slideshow
3. Foods That Help or Harm Your Sleep Slideshow

Medical Author:

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

Betty Kovacs, MS, RD

Betty is a Registered Dietitian who earned her B.S. degree in Food and Nutrition from Marymount College of Fordham University and her M.S. degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University. She is the Co-Director and Director of nutrition for the New York Obesity Research Center Weight Loss Program.

View Full Profile

Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

View Full Profile

One thing that we all have in common is that we all eat. What, when, why, and how much we eat varies from person to person. We often choose our foods based on taste, familiarity, cost, and/or availability. What we choose to eat is not necessarily what our bodies need us to eat. A diet that is deficient in nutrients is one that can lead to health and weight problems. Fortunately, guidelines have been established to assist us with providing our body with the nutrients that it needs.

Research to determine the appropriate amount of nutrients for health began in the 1940s. This need arose after men were being rejected from the military during World War II due to the effects of poor nutrition on their health. The first Food and Nutrition Board was formed to evaluate the nutrition intakes of large populations. Since then, the Food and Nutrition Board has undergone many changes and published comprehensive guidelines on nutrition for disease prevention.

The latest and most comprehensive nutrition recommendations are contained in the so-called Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). DRIs were created in 1997 and have changed the way that diets are evaluated. The primary goal of these guidelines was to not only prevent nutrient deficiencies but also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis. DRIs have been set for macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), electrolytes and water, the role of alcohol in health and disease, and bioactive compounds such as phytoestrogens and phytochemicals.

There are four types of DRI reference values:

• Estimated Average Requirements (EARs): the nutrient intake that is estimated to meet the needs of 50% of the individuals in a given gender and age group
• Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs): These tend to be the most well-known guidelines. They were set for the nutrient intake that is sufficient to meet the needs of nearly all individuals (about 97%) in a given gender and age group. Many people often incorrectly refer to these as the recommended "daily" allowances and believe that it is their goal to reach the RDA each day. It was not meant to be used as a guide for an individual's daily needs. The RDAs were established to be used in setting standards for food-assistance programs, for interpreting food record consumption of populations, and for establishing guidelines for nutrition labels.
• Adequate Intakes (AIs): the nutrients for which there is not enough information to establish an EAR
• Tolerable Upper Limits (Upper Levels or ULs): a nutrient's maximum level of daily intake that is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in nearly all individuals (97% to 98%) of the population

Due to the complexity of analyzing diets, the DRIs have been primarily used by researchers and registered dietitians. The programs used to analyze diets have now become available to the public. You can keep track of everything that you eat and drink on one of the internet sites that offer one of these programs, and you will get detailed information about your intake in comparison to the DRIs. When keeping track of your diet, you want to use a Web site that uses the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference as their source of nutrition information.

You do not need to reach the guidelines for every nutrient, every day of the week, so do not be alarmed when you fall short or go over in nutrients every now and then. But when you are consistently having a problem reaching your recommendations, it's best to work with a health-care professional.

Must Read Articles Related to Nutrition and Diet

Weight Loss and Control Obesity is simply the accumulation of excess body fat. It is much more than that, however. Obesity is a chronic (long-term) disease that is very difficult to tr...learn more >>

See the Entire Nutrition and Diet Topic Guide »