Calculate vitamin intake using USDA charts.
All humans need vitamins, but individual needs vary based on physical attributes and health, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies uses the term Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) to describe both adequate and upper-level vitamin values. In the 1990s, DRIs replaced RDAs (Recommended Dietary Allowance) in the United States. IOM charts and online resources can help you calculate your specific vitamin needs and assess your needs.
Instructions
1. Consult a DRI chart, such as the one IOM provides via free download from The National Academies Press (see Resources). Identify the vitamin, your age and your sex to determine the adequate intake and the Upper Intake Level (UL). Note descriptions of side effects resulting from exceeding the UL.
2. Enter your sex, age, height, pregnancy status, weight and level of activity into an online calculator, such as the one on the USDA site (see Resources). Click on "Check/Uncheck All Vitamins" to choose all vitamins listed or indicate only specific vitamins. Submit your data.
3. Assess the results to see which vitamins you lack, and add vitamins when food sources fail to meet your needs. Check nutrition fact labels to choose food items containing the vitamins you lack, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). With knowledge of your individual requirements, you can prevent deficiencies and overdoses.
4. Consume food, rather than vitamins, to provide most of your vitamin needs, according to the FDA. The amounts listed refer to an "average daily nutrient intake," rather than a rigid daily intake. For most healthy people, variations in vitamin intake will have no lasting effects.
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