Daily Value or 'DV' is a dietary reference value to help you in using food label information in diet planning. It is made from two sets of reference values, Daily Reference Values (DRVs) and Reference Daily Intakes (RDIs). DRVs are for nutrients that have no prior standards. RDIs is a replacement term for U.S. RDAs. Those numbers are for nutrients that have set values. The Daily Values on a food label is part of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990. Part of the act requires nutrition information to be presented to the public in a readily understandable form. The numbers are a guideline to show people what amounts of nutrients to eat every day. They are reference points to help in maintaining healthy eating.
Labels will show values based on a 2,000-calorie diet. If there is room, values for a 2,500-calorie diet will be listed as well. No matter the total calorie, the DRVs are calculated the same way. Fat is based on 30 percent of calories. Saturated fat is based on 10 percent of calories. Carbohydrates are 60 percent of calories. Protein is based on 10 percent calories and fiber is 11.5 grams per 1,000 calories.
Keep in mind that these numbers are percentages of a nutrient that is present in a serving of food. A diet of 2,000 calories was chosen as the best amount to cover the most people. Your own personal daily values may change based on your height, weight, sex and activity level. People who exercise more than 60 minutes for four days a week are high activity and require more calories to maintain health. Men typically need more calories than women do because of muscle and bone mass. Watch out for narrow weight recommendations. A woman who works out regularly and has lots of muscle mass will weight more than a similar sized women who is not as physically active.
Because of the links between certain diseases and nutrients, some of the values are the upper limit that you would want in your diet. Labels will word the values of those nutrients, like saturated fat, as 'less than 20 g' for example. Alternatively, 'no more than X' will be suggested for other values such as cholesterol.
Knowing how healthy your diet is will go a long way to ensuring that you are getting the right amount of nutrients for your body. Conditions such as pregnancy, breastfeeding or health issues will cause you to make some adjustments in the numbers. For example if you have hypertension, you will want to lower your sodium intake as much as possible. The new labels are designed for adults and children older than four.
You may want to take several supplements to make sure you get the full benefit from them. Vitamin C is an excellent choice because of the antioxidant benefits. The requirement for adults is between 200 - 500 mg, but that can be tough to reach with just diet. Long-term usage of Vitamin C may reduce the formation of cataracts and prevent certain cancers.
Children need to have just as healthy a diet as adults. Introducing reduced fat milk and dairy products and lean meats. However, for children under the age of two, their fat intake should not be restricted as fats are very important for development at that age. Nutrient numbers for children ages 2-4 are based on reference values for a 1,300-calorie diet.
Iron is an important supplement for women and children. Babies may need to be fed, if using formula, extra iron. Iron deficiency in infants can have an affect on their overall growth, but be sure to work with your pediatrician, as too much iron can be dangerous. Menstruating women need around 15 mg a day to make sure there are adequate levels for creating red blood cells, among other factors. Men need around 10 mg of iron. Children ages 1 - 10 need 10 mg a day. Additionally, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron so drink some juice or eat a piece of fruit with your supplement to get the most out of it.
Calcium is another very important mineral that most of the population does not get enough of. Children, up to age 10, need around 800 mg of calcium. Men from adolescence and up should consume between 800 - 1200 mg. Women from adolescence through menopause need 800 - 1200 mg, unless pregnant or nursing than another 300 - 400 mg needs to be added daily. Some medicines can affect the absorption of calcium so make sure your doctor is current with what you are taking.
