The acronym RDA stands for recommended dietary allowance. The RDA is the average daily dietary intake level that your body needs to function properly. Both vitamins and minerals have minimum intake requirements that vary based on your age and gender. If you do not consume proper amounts of vitamins and minerals each day, your body may develop symptoms and health challenges.
RDA and Adequate Intake
For some vitamins and minerals the daily intake that is required is referred to as the adequate intake or AI. The AI is similar to the RDA and represents an estimated intake level that is sufficient for healthy people. Men generally need larger amounts of the vitamins and minerals than women. The essential vitamins are the eight B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, folate and vitamins A, C, D, E and K. The essential minerals include calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, sulfur, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride and selenium. Iron is the only mineral that women need more of than men.
Vitamin Requirements
The daily intake requirements for the essential vitamins include 1.0 to 1.2 mg of thiamine, 1.0 to 1.3 mg of riboflavin, 14 to 16 mg of niacin, 5 mg of pantothenic acid, 30 mcg of biotin, 1.2 to 1.7 mg of B-6, 2.4 mcg of B-12 and 400 mcg of folate. You also need to consume 700 to 900 mcg of vitamin A, 75 to 90 mg of vitamin C, 600 to 800 IUs of vitamin D, 15 mg of vitamin E and 90 to 120 mcg of vitamin K to meet the RDA requirements for vitamins.
Mineral Requirements
The daily intake requirements for the essential minerals include 1,000 mg of calcium, 700 mg of phosphorus, 310 to 420 mg of magnesium, 1.2 to 1.5 g of sodium, 4,700 mg of potassium and 3 to 3.8 g of chloride. You also need to consume 8 to 18 mg of iron, 1.8 to 2.3 mg of manganese, 900 mcg of copper, 150 mcg of iodine, 8 to 11 mg of zinc, 3.0 to 4.0 mg of fluoride and 55 mcg of selenium to meet the RDA requirements for the essential minerals. The only minerals that do not have specific intake requirements are sulfur and cobalt because you get cobalt when you consume vitamin B-12 and you need only a trace of sulfur.
Considerations
Consuming enough of the essential vitamins and minerals is important to your health and the function of your body. Without the RDA or AI, your body can develop symptoms that range from poor immune function to anemia, and in serious cases difficulty walking and vision problems. Your symptoms will vary based on which vitamins and minerals you are deficient in. To avoid this, eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods high in vitamins and minerals. Foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, fish, dairy and lean meats are good sources.
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