Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) Flashcards
Explain what nutritional requirements are
Requirements = amount of a nutrient an individual needs to consume to maintain health
Are nutritional requirements the same for every individual?
Requirements vary between individuals
People of similar, ages, genders, and sizes will have similar requirements
Use of dietary reference values
Used to help us plan healthy intakes
Used to evaluate dietary adequacy
Only consider healthy people
Are designed for use with groups of people
How are nutritional requirements calculated/ used/ what are they not based on?
Are:
Specific to individuals
Can be similar if age, sex, size, body composition, and activity are similar
Variable based on genetics
Are not:
A population-level measure
Completely accurate - they are often as an estimate
Useful as a standalone measure - need extra information
Why do we need reference values?
As a guide to achieving requirements:
Balance intake with needs
Balancing intake with loss
Maintaining or optimizing health
Are nutritional requirements the same as dietary reference values?
No
Explain what dietary reference values (DRVs) are
Provide a benchmark or a standard
To plan intake and evaluate dietary adequacy in HEALTHY groups
Based in the UK
Not for people who are ill or injured
Not used outside the UK
Not used for individuals
Where do we find Dietary reference values?
COMA (Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy) now known as SACN (Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition)
NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence)
ESPEN (the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism)
What Dietary reference values do the UK use?
Give the full name of each abbreviation
EAR - Estimated average requirement
RNI - Reference nutrient intake
LRNI - lower reference nutrient intake
SI - Safe Intake
What does EAR stand for?
Estimated average requirement
What does RNI stand for?
Reference nutrient intake
What does LRNI stand for?
Lower reference nutrient intake
What does SI stand for?
Safe Intake
Give the 4 UK Dietary Reference Values
EAR
RNI
LRNI
SI
How are DRVs derived?
Statistical derivation based on the requirements of individuals within a population
Usually a normal distribution
Describe where the RNI
(Reference nutrient intake) value lies on a bell shape curve and what it means
Far-right - flat part of the line
2.5% of the population would need more of THIS nutrient to meet their requirements
97.5% of the population before the flat part of the curve WOULD meet their requirement for THIs nutrient at this level
What does the mean represent on a bell-shaped curve?
95% of the population
Describe where the LRNI (lower reference nutrient intake) value lies on a bell-shaped curve and what it means
Far-left - flat part of the line
2.5% of the population WOULD already meet their requirements for THIS nutrient
97.5% of the population as the curve begins WOULD NOT meet their requirements for THIS nutrient
Define EAR (estimated average requirement)
The estimated average nutrient requirement for energy (Protein, vitamin, or mineral) is about half the group will need more and half will need less of
Define RNI (reference nutrient intake)
An amount of protein, vitamin, or mineral that is enough or more than enough for about 97.5% of the population of the people in a group. If the average intake of the group is at the RNI, the risk of deficiency in the group is very small
Define LRNI (Lower reference nutrient intake)
An amount of protein, vitamin, or mineral that is enough for only the very few people about 2.5% of the population who have very low needs
Define Safe Intake
A term used to indicate or range of intake of a nutrient for which there is not enough information to estimate EAR (estimated average requirement), RNI (Reference nutrient intake), or LRNI (Lower reference nutrient intake). It is an amount that is considered enough for almost everyone but not so large that it may cause undesirable side effects
True or False only 50% of the population will require more than EAR (estimated average requirement)
True
True or False only 2.5% of people require less than the LRNI (lower reference nutrient intake)
True
True or false only 2.5% of people require more than the RNI (Reference nutrient intake)
True
How is LRNI (Lower reference nutrient intake) calculated and what percentage of the population does this represent?
Mean - 2SD
2.5%
How is RNI (Reference nutrient intake) calculated and what percentage of the population does this represent?
Mean + 2SD
97.5%
