What are Chronometer's Daily Mirco Nutrient Targets based on?

lacoope

I am 51 yrs old and totally new to Cronometer. I am especially excited about the fact that Chronometer tracks all of the different vitamins and minerals so I can see how I am doing, what changes I can make to my diet to improve this, and what supplements I really need to take.

But I noticed that there is no concensus on the Recommended Daily Amount (RDA) of vitamins and minerals that we need. Chronomenter's amount is different from USDA publication , which is different from the RDA's on backs of all of the different multi vitamin bottles. Generally Chronometer's values seem to be lower than but pretty close to USDA. Multi-vitamin bottles reccommend much higher RDA's of most of the vitamins and minerals, which might be a marketing ploy? .. The units don't always match, so some amounts aren't always easily comparable.

So my questions are:
1. What sources are Chronometer's daily recommended nutrients based on? I thought it was USDA, but they are different from the USDA publication I saw.
2. Do these numbers vary with gender, age and size? Maybe Chronometer's numbers have been adjusted for the gender, age and size that I entered into my profile, so that is why they are somewhat close to but often slightly lower than the USDA values? I assume USDA values are based on an average sized man of average age, none of which I am.
3. What is the best source for this information? I assume USDA is the best source, but maybe there are better sources?

Thanks!!!

Karen_Cronometer

Hi lacoope,

The micronutrient targets in Cronometer are based on the USDA RDAs (or AIs) for your age, gender and life stage. These recommendations don't change based on your size. The recommendations are generally based on how much the average healthy person is getting in their diet.

The %DVs listed on product labels for nutrients are meant to help you compare similar products when you are deciding which to buy at the grocery store. These are for labeling purposes only, and are not the same as your personalized nutrient targets for those nutrients.

Different countries may have other nutrient recommendations for their populations, and the World Health Organization also has international recommendations as well that you might like to check out too!

Best,

lacoope

Thanks for the explanation! That helps! Good to understand how the USDA recommendations have been adjusted for my age, gender, lifestyle. That explains why they were close to but not quite the same as the general UDSA publication I came across.

Thanks again!