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Our answers to questions are not a substitute for a consultation with a professional
who can inform you of all the facts of your particular situation. We answer
questions in general terms only, to give you information that may
used as a starting point.
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| TOPIC - Dietary Allowances |
| Question |
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Does taking a bit less of RDA e.g 70% over a long period have very harmful effects?
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| Answer |
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The RDA or Recommended Dietary Allowances levels for each nutrient are meant to meet the
needs of 98% of the population. A few people need more than the recommended levels, most
people need less. However, since you do not know where you are the range, it is recommended
that you aim to meet the RDA levels over time (not necessarily everyday). The RDA committees
state that "....there is little evidence that small surpluses of nutrients are detrimental,
whereas consistent uncompensated deficits, even small ones, over a long period of time can
lead to deficiencies". Thus if you consistently fall below the recommended levels, you may
find yourself deficient in some nutrients over time especially ones that turn over quickly
like iron, calcium, and thiamin. I would suggest trying to get your average intake levels up
closer to 80-90%.
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| Question |
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How much carbohydrates should a young female adult take per day? How much carbohydrates
can one have to refrain from putting on weight?
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| Answer |
The Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) provides guidelines for the average daily intakes of
nutrients over a period of time for the majority of the adult population. The new guidelines
for carbohydrate is set at 130 grams/day for adults and children based on the minimum amount
needed by the brain. This amount is typically exceeded to meet energy needs (about 180-230
grams/day for women). Your individual requirement may be different and will vary depending on
your physical activity and body needs.
The amount of carbohydrate you eat is not the only determinant of weight gain. Many other factors
affect weight gain such as how active you are, your total daily calorie intake (ie. how much
protein, fat and alcohol is consumed in addition to carbohydrate), and your metabolic
rate. You should not be limiting your carbohydrate only if you are concerned about gaining weight.
I would suggest checking with your doctor or get a referral to a dietitian if you have weight gain
concerns.
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What is RDA? How can I use it to reduce weight?
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| Answer |
RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowances. The National Research Council defines as the level
of essential nutrients (based on scientific knowledge) adequate to meet the the known nutrient
needs of the practically all healthy persons. What this means is that there is a recommended
level for about 19 nutrients that the experts feel is neccessary to keep 98% of the population
healthy.
There is an abbreviated RDA table in the Nutrition Basics section of the site. For the full
table, you can access it at:
www.nalusda.gov/fnic/dga/rda.html.
The RDA is not commonly used in weight management as the recommendation for calorie/energy is not
precise enough to effect weight loss. It only provides broad ranges of calories for different
activity levels for men and women of various age groups. If you are looking for guidelines to
reduce weight, use the Food Guide Pyramid as a guide.
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