Is Recommended Daily Allowance a Myth?

Unless you’re a professional in the nutrition space, there’s a good chance you don’t know how much of each nutrient you should be getting each day off the top of your head. That’s what Google is for, right?

Anytime you look up a nutrient need, the answer inevitably lies in the recommended daily allowance (RDA). RDA is different from Percent Daily Value (%DV), which is what appears on food and supplement labels. “Percent Daily Value is set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and represents how much of a nutrient is in a [food, drink, or supplement] based on a 2,000 calorie diet,” explains registered dietitian Theresa Shank, MS, RD, LDN. RDA on the other hand takes into account one’s sex and age (and if you’re pregnant), says Shank. That’s why when you Google your nutrient needs, a chart will pop up, giving different amounts based on these factors.

RDA has long been the standard we rely on to know our nutrient goals and while it’s helpful, it isn’t perfect. If you really want to maximize your nutrition, you shouldn’t rely on RDA alone.