RDA by gender Topic


Hi there,

I'm curious as to why added sugar (25g women, 40 men) and fiber RDA is different for men and women. Also, any insight as to where the numbers came from?

Thanks :)


Howdy Turducken! The dietary guidelines for Americans address added sugars in their report in 2015. Basically they summarize by saying, " Eating and drinking too many foods and beverages with added sugars makes it difficult to achieve a healthy eating pattern without taking in too many calories. Added sugars contribute calories, but no essential nutrients." The numbers are different for men and women as men tend to be larger in frame and size. Thus, all RDAs offer additional nutrients based on this average larger size. The American Heart
Association published a great review paper (see below) on the impact of added sugars on obesity, heart disease, blood pressure etc that I think you will really enjoy. I have included the Dietary guideline reference and AHA article below. I will get back with you on Dietary fiber in a separate post- Have a great day! Joanna
https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/resources/DGA_Cut-Down-On-Added-Sugars.pdf https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/circulationaha.109.192627


Hello Turducken- The DRI for dietary fiber for adults 50 and younger is 38 grams/day for men and 25g/day for women. For men and women over 50, this drops to 30g/d for men and 21g for women per day. These are based on average caloric intake and the theory is that since we need less calories as we age, we need less dietary fiber. This number came aa pannel of experts who came to this consensus after looking at the amount needed to prevent cardiovascular disease. It is wise to get 50% of your daily fiber from soluble and 50% from insoluble sources. If you aren't eating much fiber now- Make sure to slowly ramp up to the recommended amount. The average American consumes 12g of dietary fiber a day. Fiber, when dramatically increased in the diet, without the addition of water can cause a blockage. Thus, we always suggest a slow ramping up to meet the suggested guidelines. Does this answer your question? Best, Joanna (Dietician)

RDA by gender