Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
The average daily intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97-98%) healthy individuals in a particular life-stage and sex group.
Also: RDA
The RDA is calculated from the EAR plus two standard deviations of the requirement distribution. It is intended for planning individual intakes, not for assessing adequacy of groups (the EAR is correct for that). MNHD repeatedly emphasizes that meeting the RDA prevents classical deficiency but is not necessarily optimal for chronic-disease prevention.
How each textbook covers it
Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, 8th ed. (Gropper) — Glossary
DRI value derived from the EAR (typically EAR + 2 standard deviations). Used for planning individual intake; not for assessing population adequacy.
duyff-complete-food-and-nutrition-guide-5e
Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 10
The RDA is one of the DRI values, derived from the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) plus two standard deviations. It is meant for planning diets of individuals, not assessing groups. The RDA assumes that nutrient absorption and utilization are normal, which may not hold in disease states.
Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, 12th ed. — Ch 109: Dietary Reference Intakes
The RDA is calculated from the EAR plus two standard deviations of the requirement distribution. It is intended for planning individual intakes, not for assessing adequacy of groups (the EAR is correct for that). MNHD repeatedly emphasizes that meeting the RDA prevents classical deficiency but is not necessarily optimal for chronic-disease prevention.
Related terms
AI, Adequate Intake, DRI, Dietary Reference Intakes, EAR, Estimated Average Requirement, Tolerable Upper Intake Level, UL