Where did the RDAs come from?
During the Second World War, certain nutrition organizations felt it was a good idea to create some standard for nutrient intake. You might be able to see where this is going…. How good do you think the standards were for people fighting in the war? You’re right! They weren’t very good at all. These standards, or recommended daily allowances for vitamins and other nutrients were very low. Meaning the guidelines given for nutrient intake were at a level that was meant to prevent scurvy, polio, rickets, and so on. These diseases are associated with very low levels of nutrients. It doesn’t make sense to sit there and follow the recommended daily allowance for vitamins that were designed to help soldiers survive during the war. And from this we get a very clear statement: The recommended daily allowance for vitamins is not intended for optimal levels of health! Let’s examine exactly what the RDAs do. The RDAs measure the amount of a typical nutrient that is needed to prevent deficiencies
