Adequate Intake (AI)

Adequate intake is the level of daily intake for a specific nutrient that may ensure nutritional adequacy in most people without health conditions when there is insufficient evidence to develop an estimated average requirement and, therefore, a recommended dietary allowance cannot be calculated.

Summary

The Dietary Reference Intake framework, which is used to plan and assess diets in people without health conditions, contains several “reference values”. These include the adequate intake as well as the estimated average requirement, recommended dietary allowance, and tolerable upper intake level.[1][2][3][4]

The adequate intake (AI) for a specific nutrient is the daily intake amount that may ensure nutritional adequacy in most people without health conditions.

An AI value is established when there is insufficient evidence to develop an estimated average requirement and, therefore, a recommended dietary allowance cannot be calculated. AI values are based on observed or experimentally determined estimates of nutrient intake in large groups of people without health conditions. Therefore, a person consuming a nutrient at a level equal to or higher than that nutrient’s AI has a low likelihood of nutritional inadequacy of that nutrient.

⚠️ Caution: Adequate intake values are sometimes misunderstood

The amounts stated in AI tables indicate total daily intake of that specific nutrient from all sources. That includes foods, drinks, supplements, and medications combined.

AI values for specific nutrients can vary between countries and may change as new evidence emerges. AIs for some nutrients depend on sex, age, and pregnancy,[1][2] but an AI value on food packaging typically refers to the AI for non-pregnant adults ages 19 to 50.[5] For the food-based dietary guidelines across all countries in the United Nations, see here.

In the U.S., reference values to help plan nutritionally adequate diets for individuals — either the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) or AI — have been developed for total energy intake,[6][7] macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and protein),[7] fatty acids,[7] cholesterol,[7] amino acids,[7] fiber,[8][7] and several micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).[9][10][11][12][13]

References

1.^Institute of Medicine (US) Subcommittee on Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes, Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference IntakesDietary Reference Intakes: Applications in Dietary Planning.(2003)
2.^Institute of Medicine (US) Subcommittee on Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes, Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference IntakesDRI Dietary Reference Intakes: Applications in Dietary Assessment.(2000)
4.^EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (NDA)Scientific Opinion on principles for deriving and applying Dietary Reference Values.EFSA Journal.(2010 March)
5.^Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Use of Dietary Reference Intakes in Nutrition LabelingDietary Reference Intakes: Guiding Principles for Nutrition Labeling and Fortification.()
6.^National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee on the Dietary Reference Intakes for EnergyDietary Reference Intakes for Energy.()
7.^Trumbo P, Schlicker S, Yates AA, Poos M, Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, The National AcademiesDietary reference intakes for energy, carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids, cholesterol, protein and amino acidsJ Am Diet Assoc.(2002 Nov)
8.^Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on the Definition of Dietary Fiber and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference IntakesDietary Reference Intakes Proposed Definition of Dietary Fiber.(2001)
10.^Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes and its Panel on Folate, Other B Vitamins, and CholineDietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B 6, Folate, Vitamin B 12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline.()
11.^Institute of Medicine (US) Committee to Review Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin D and Calcium, A Catharine Ross, Christine L Taylor, Ann L Yaktine, Heather B Del ValleDietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D.()
12.^Institute of Medicine (US) Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference IntakesDietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride.()
13.^Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related CompoundsDietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids.()