Editing Dietary Reference Intake (section)

==Calculating the RDA==

The equations used to calculate the RDA are as follows:

"If the [[standard deviation]] (SD) of the EAR is available and the requirement for the nutrient is [[normal distribution|symmetrically distributed]], the RDA is set of two SDs above the EAR:

<math>RDA = EAR + 2SD(EAR)</math>

If data about variability in requirements are insufficient to calculate an SD, a [[coefficient of variation]] (CV) for the EAR of 10 percent is assumed, unless available data indicate a greater variation in requirements. If 10 percent is assumed to be the CV, then twice that amount when added to the EAR is defined as equal to the RDA. The resulting equation for the RDA is then

<math>RDA = 1.2EAR</math>

This level of intake statistically represents 97.5 percent of the requirements of the population."<ref>{{cite book |title=Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium and Zinc |year=2001 |publisher=National Academy Press |doi=10.17226/10026 |pmid=25057538|isbn=978-0-309-07279-3 |author1=Institute of Medicine (US) Panel on Micronutrients |s2cid=44243659}}</ref>