What are EAR, RDA, AI, and UL, and how do they relate to DRIs?

• A. EAR is the estimated average requirement; RDA is the recommended intake meeting nearly all individuals; AI is an approximate intake when EAR/RDA cannot be determined; UL is the tolerable upper intake level to avoid adverse effects.
• B. EAR is the recommended intake; RDA is the estimated average; AI is advised intake; UL is standard limit.
• C. AI is official recommended for all individuals.
• D. DRIs include only RDA and UL.

Answer: (A)

DRIs are a set of nutrient reference values used to plan and assess the intakes of healthy individuals. The estimated average requirement is the daily amount believed to meet the needs of about half of people in a given group; it provides the foundation for setting the recommended intake that covers nearly everyone. The recommended dietary allowance is the daily intake level sufficient to meet the needs of almost all healthy individuals in that group. When there isn’t enough evidence to determine an EAR and thus no solid RDA, an AI is used as an approximate intake based on observed or experimental data. The tolerable upper intake level is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse effects for most people; it helps guard against excessive consumption. All of these values are part of the DRIs, with the RDA derived from the EAR and AI used where EAR/RDA cannot be established, while the UL sets safety limits.