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The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) are nutrient reference values developed by the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies. They are intended to serve as a guide for good nutrition and provide the scientific basis for the development of food guidelines in both the United States and Canada. These nutrient reference values are specified on the basis of age, gender and lifestage and cover more than 40 nutrient substances.
In the mid-1990's, the DRIs replaced the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) in the United States and the Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) in Canada. The DRIs are actually a set of several reference values that include values related to both adequate intakes and upper levels of intakes.
Review of the DRIs for Vitamin D and Calcium
In the fall of 2008, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) initiated a study to review the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamin D and calcium, with a report expected for release in the spring of 2010. More information about the study is available here.
The IOM's Food and Nutrition Board has convened a new committee to assess the DRIs for vitamin D and calcium. The two-year study, sponsored jointly by the U.S. and Canadian governments, will review available data and update as necessary the DRIs for both nutrients. The current DRI values were established by IOM in 1997. The review comes as a response to relevant new research on bone health as well as the growing interest in the connection between vitamin D intake and cancer and other chronic disease.
The first meeting of the committee is expected to take place in March 2009. The second committee meeting, which will occur during the summer of 2009, will include a public information-gathering forum.
DRI Tables and Application
While the DRI values are established by different committees of experts, the values have been compiled into a single listing for easy viewing. A DRI summary guide has also been developed to help users of the DRIs understand the values and their applications. In addition, focused in-depth publications have been made available to help users understand the important considerations in applying the DRI values for assessing and planning diets.
Nutrient Reports
More than 40 nutrient substances were reviewed between 1994 and 2004. Detailed information and the rationale for each DRI are in the six technical reports below. A DRI summary guide is also highlighted along with special reports related to the work of several committees.
- DRIs for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride (1997)
- DRIs for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998)
- DRIs for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids (2000)
- DRIs for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc (2001)
- DRIs for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids (2002/2005)
- DRIs for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate (2005)
- DRIs: Summary Guide (2006)
- DRIs: Proposed Definition and Plan for Review of Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds (1998)
- DRIs: Proposed Definition of Dietary Fiber (2001)
Framework and Process
Specifying the process for DRI development is an important aspect of establishing the DRIs. A variety of venues including workshops and background papers have been used to describe and critique the current DRI process.
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