Final answer:
RDI refers to Recommended Dietary Intake, part of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) which includes EAR, RDA, AI, and UL to help professionals provide quantitative advice on nutrient intake.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term RDI stands for Recommended Dietary Intake, a part of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). DRIs encompass a group of nutrition recommendations from the Institute of Medicine to assist professionals with advising on nutrient needs. Among these components are the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), which indicates the nutrient intake value estimated to meet the requirement of half the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) then builds upon the EAR and represents the average daily dietary intake level sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (97.5%) healthy individuals in a particular life stage and gender group. The DRIs also include Adequate Intake (AI), used when RDA cannot be determined, and the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), often referred to as simply the "upper limit", which is the highest level of nutrient intake that is likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects for almost all individuals in the general population. Understanding these values helps professionals provide quantitative advice on nutrient intake for individuals. Lastly, the DRIs should not be confused with the Dietary Guidelines, which offer qualitative advice aimed more at public health promotion and chronic disease prevention.