You will have come across this acronym on the back of most if not all vitamin and mineral supplement packs, but what does NRV mean? And what should we be looking for? It can seem quite confusing, but it doesn’t need to be.
Below, we explain what NRV stands for, and the importance of these values to our overall health and wellbeing.
What does NRV stand for?
NRV stands for Nutrient Reference Value. To put it simply, it is a guideline of the amount of specific nutrients we are recommended to consume on a daily basis, in order to stay healthy.
NRV was formerly known as RDA (Reference Daily Allowance) but was replaced in 2014.
The recommended NRVs cover 13 vitamins (such as vitamins C and D), and 14 minerals (such as Calcium, Iron, and Zinc). NRV’s vary from country to country but are generally consistent across Europe. An example of a difference in NRV, is that in Australia, the NRV for vitamin D is a lot lower than in the UK due to their sunnier climate.
The NRV is usually represented as a percentage. For example, vitamin C has an NRV of 80mg, so a supplement providing 40mg will give an NRV of 50%.
Read the full list of current NRV’s below:
Daily Vitamin NRVs
Daily Mineral NRVs
Mg = milligrams
µg = micrograms
IU = International Units
As you can see the NRVs for most nutrients are relatively smaller than you will find in the pHKind range of supplements. The NRV is by no means a maximum amount, as it is only a guide to provide you with enough on average to remain healthy.
For example, many nutrition experts recommend an optimum dose of Vitamin C to be approximately 500mg - much higher than the EU recommended 80mg!
It is worth noting that the NRVs are generally the minimum that your body requires for optimum health. NRV are a guideline as we all come in different shapes and sizes, have different levels of activity, and have different nutritional needs that we want to address.
We do obtain nutrients through our diet, but unfortunately even with a balanced diet it is difficult to even reach the NRVs for some nutrients. Certain nutrients require supplementation as the body’s ability to absorb enough through food can decline as we age.
References:
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/dietary-reference-values
https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/efsa_rep/blobserver_assets/ndatolerableuil.pdf
