Medical
Diet
Recommended Daily Intakes (RDI’s)
RDI's are used by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
These safe RDI's are accepted as standards in all the mandatory and voluntary
Nutrition Facts food labels found on most foods sold in the U.S. RDI's are used
in the U.S. Dietary Goals and are derived from
information from the Recommended Daily Allowances set by the Food and Nutrition
Board of the National Academy of Sciences.
RDI's are not the total authority on the proper amounts of
various nutrients humans should take. The science on nutrition is constantly
improving based on new research on the individual nutrients we require.
There are many nutrition approaches with slight to vast
differences in recommendations for prevention, rehabilitation or creating peak
health and fitness. For example, the American Cancer Association recommends
20,000 IU's of vitamin A when the current RDI is only 5,000 IU's.
Think of the RDI's as a solid, safe reference point until you
meet with your health professionals. Your health professionals can help you
customize your program for the most effective personal nutritional
recommendations based on your unique medical status, lifestyle, goals and their
current knowledge about the current research and the maximum safe non-toxic
levels for any nutrient.
For all diets, the RDI's for adults and children age 4 and
older with their corresponding bar amounts for the following nutrients are:
| |
Food Component |
RDI |
Gerry's RDI |
| |
Cholesterol |
300 mg |
|
| |
Dietary Fiber |
11.5 grams per 1,000 calories |
|
| |
Biotin |
0.3 mg |
|
| |
Calcium |
1 g |
|
| |
Copper |
2.0 mg |
|
| |
Folate |
0.4 mg |
|
| |
Iodine |
150 mcg |
|
| |
Iron |
18 mg |
|
| |
Magnesium |
400 mg |
|
| |
Niacin |
20 mg |
|
| |
Pantothenic acid |
10 mg |
|
| |
Phosphorus |
1 g |
|
| |
Potassium |
3,500 mg |
|
| |
Riboflavin |
1.7 mg |
|
| |
Sodium |
2,400 mg |
|
| |
Thiamin |
1.5 mg |
|
| |
Vitamin A |
5,000 IU |
|
| |
Vitamin B6 |
2.0 mg |
|
| |
Vitamin B12 |
6.0 mcg |
|
| |
Vitamin C |
60 mg |
|
| |
Vitamin D |
400 IU |
|
| |
Vitamin E |
30 IU |
|
| |
Zinc |
15 mg |
|
Special Disclaimer: The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI)
defaults are for adults and children ages 4 and older. Consult your health
professionals for appropriate nutritional levels. Infants, adolescents, pregnant
women and the elderly have different nutritional requirements. Also, some
nutrients have TOXICITY levels. RDI’s are a starting point. Many well-documented
programs recommend higher levels.
| 
