Human Nutrition 3(3+0)

Lesson 2 : Recommended Dietary Allowance

Introduction

Man needs a wide range of nutrients to lead a healthy and active life and these are derived through the diet he consumes daily. The components of a diet must be chosen judiciously to provide all the nutrients needed in adequate amounts and in proper proportions. The amount of each nutrient that is required by man depends upon his age and physiological status. Adults need nutrients for maintaining constant body weight and ensuring proper body function. Infants and young children require nutrients not only for maintenance but also for growth. They require relatively more nutrients (2-3 times) per kg body weight than adults. In special physiological conditions like pregnancy and lactation, woman needs additional nutrients to meet the demands for foetal growth and maternal tissue expansion and milk secretion. The extra intakes of nutrients are essential for the normal growth of an infant in utero and during the early postnatal life.