Estimated Dietary
Requirements for an Example Healthy Adult |
|
Estimated Dietary Requirements for an
Example Healthy Adult |
|
Nutrients |
Units |
Daily
Amount |
Notes |
|
|
Nutrients |
Units |
Daily
Amount |
Notes |
Food Components |
|
Food Components |
1 |
|
Calories |
kcal |
2000 |
2000 calories per day
has been adopted as the standard for comparison |
|
Fat Details |
|
2 |
|
Protein |
g |
100 |
20% of daily calories
from protein, 4 calories of protein per gram |
|
29 |
|
Cholesterol |
mg |
300 |
300 is the maximum suggested; none is
required. |
3 |
|
Fat total |
g |
56 |
25% of daily calories
from fats, 9 calories per gram of fat |
|
30 |
|
Monounsaturated |
g |
18.5 |
Fats are 1/3
monounsaturated, 1/3 polyunsaturated and 1/3 saturated. |
4 |
|
Carbohydrate |
g |
275 |
55% from
carbohydrates, 4 calories per gram of carbohydrate |
|
31 |
|
Polyunsaturated |
g |
18.5 |
|
5 |
|
Fiber, total |
g |
30 |
Required fiber is at
least 1 gram per 80 calories |
|
32 |
|
Omega-3 |
g |
1.6 |
The USDA database does not provide omega-3 or
omega-6 explicitly, and they are not provided for all foods. |
6 |
|
Sugar, total |
g |
55 |
This sugar maximum
represents 20% of the carbohydrates. |
|
33 |
|
Omega-6 |
g |
7.8 |
Minerals |
|
|
34 |
|
Saturated |
g |
18.5 |
Saturated fats should
be as low as possible. |
7 |
|
Calcium CA |
mg |
1400 |
These
10 minerals are tabulated in the USDA database. We also have a need for the major mineral,
chloride, and trace minerals, boron, chromium, cobalt, fluoride, iodine,
molybdenum, nickel and vanadium. |
|
35 |
|
Total trans fats |
g |
5 |
Hydrogenated and
trans-fats should ideally be zero. |
8 |
|
Copper CU |
mg |
2 |
|
Protein Details |
|
9 |
|
Iron FE |
mg |
18 |
|
36 |
|
Histidine* |
g |
3.1 |
Essential amino acids are protein components
that cannot be manfactured by our bodies and must be consumed in our diet. |
10 |
|
Magnesium MG |
mg |
500 |
|
37 |
|
Isoleucine * |
g |
4.4 |
11 |
|
Manganese MN |
mg |
2.3 |
In most situations
when these 10 minerals are obtained from foods that these additional required
minerals will be present. |
|
38 |
|
Leucine * |
g |
9.6 |
12 |
|
Phosphorus P |
mg |
2000 |
|
39 |
|
Lysine * |
g |
8.9 |
|
13 |
|
Potassium K |
mg |
4700 |
|
40 |
|
Methionine * |
g |
4.4 |
Methionine is the most difficult protein
component to get in our food. Cystine
is converted into methionine as needed. |
14 |
|
Selenium SE |
mcg |
70 |
|
|
|
|
cystine |
g |
4.4 |
15 |
|
Sodium NA |
mg |
2300 |
2300 mg of sodium represents an upper limit for an adult. |
|
41 |
|
Phenylalanine
* |
g |
8.2 |
16 |
|
Zinc ZN |
mg |
15 |
|
|
|
|
tyrosine |
g |
8.2 |
|
Vitamins |
|
|
42 |
|
Threonine * |
g |
4.7 |
There are a total of 22 amino acids known to
form our body protein. Eleven amino
acids contribute to the essential aminos required, the other 11 can be
manufactured by our body. |
17 |
|
A Retinol |
iu |
5000 |
5000 iu (International Units) = 1500
mcg (micrograms) |
|
43 |
|
Tryptophan * |
g |
1.2 |
18 |
|
B1 Thiamine |
mg |
2 |
There are 7 B-vitamins listed. Since they tend to function together it is
important to obtain all of them in sufficient quantity. |
|
44 |
|
Valine * |
g |
5.6 |
19 |
|
B2 Riboflavin |
mg |
2.8 |
|
|
20 |
|
B3 Niacin |
mg |
22 |
|
|
|
ORAC |
te |
3000 |
Oxygen Radical
Absorbance Capacity - anti-oxidant measurement |
21 |
|
B5 Pantothenic Acid |
mg |
5 |
|
|
22 |
|
B6 Pyridoxine |
mg |
2.4 |
|
A 2000
calorie per day food plan, corresponding to food labeling, has been
selected. It is recommended that all
nutrients come from foods, not supplements.
Sugar, sodium, cholesterol, saturated fats, trans fats and alcohol
should be minimized. Numerical
requirements are based on our example healthy full-grown adult. When men and women required different
amounts, the greater was selected for this example. |
23 |
|
B9 Folic Acid |
mcg |
400 |
|
24 |
|
B12 Cobalamin |
mcg |
6 |
|
25 |
|
C Ascorbic acid |
mg |
90 |
|
|
26 |
|
D Calciferol |
iu |
400 |
400 iu = 10 mcg |
|
Required
nutrients are customized for each person. This page can be used as a tutorial
on required nutrients and as a starting point for figuring out individual
ideal nutrient needs. |
27 |
|
E Tocopherol |
mg |
15 |
1 mg = 1.5 iu; 15mg =
22.5iu |
|
28 |
|
K Phylloquinone |
mcg |
300 |
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