Familiarize Yourself with Vitamin Labeling Practices

Before leaning why each vitamin is important and how much you need, it is crucial to understand how these values are generated. In the United States, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences / National Research Council is responsible for establishing and updating nutrition guidelines. The Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, have always been the benchmark for adequate nutritional intake in the United States. Based on scientific evidence, RDAs reflect the amount of a nutrient that is sufficient to meet the requirements of 97 to 98 percent of healthy individuals in a particular life state and gender group.