Common Nutrition and Diet Abbreviations Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Nutrition Basics Common Nutrition and Diet Abbreviations By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. She has co-authored two books for the popular Dummies Series (as Shereen Jegtvig). Learn about our editorial process Updated on February 08, 2021 Fact checked Verywell Fit content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim Emily is a fact checker, editor, and writer who has expertise in psychology, health and lifestyle content. Learn about our editorial process Print Peter Dazeley / Getty Images IU, RDA, DRI, g, mg...All those letters can start to look like alphabet soup. When you read articles about nutrition, diet, and nutritional supplements, you're likely to come across some abbreviations. We're here to decipher them and let you know what's what. Common Nutrition and Diet Abbreviations Below are some of the most common nutrition and diet-related abbreviations and their definitions (most are indicated in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines or otherwise noted). AA—Amino acids: Simple organic components of proteins. ADEK—Vitamins A, D, E, and K: These fat-soluble vitamins are sometimes grouped together. AI—Adequate intake: The amount of a nutrient that will meet an individual's daily requirements; it's used when a recommended dietary allowance (RDA) can't be determined. BMI—Body mass index: A value derived from a person's body mass divided by the square of their height. BMI is a dated, biased measure that doesn’t account for several factors, such as body composition, ethnicity, race, gender, and age. Despite being a flawed measure, BMI is widely used today in the medical community because it is an inexpensive and quick method for analyzing potential health status and outcomes. Ca—Calcium: A dietary mineral needed for healthy bones and teeth, normal blood clotting, and nerve and muscle function. DRI—Dietary reference intake: The general reference values for the levels of nutrients a healthy person needs to consume per day; it includes recommended dietary allowance (RDA), adequate intake (AI), and tolerable upper intake level (UL). EAR—Estimated average requirement: The intake level of a nutrient that will meet the requirements of one half of healthy individuals in a particular age and sex group. EER—Estimated energy requirements: The estimated range of calories individuals need, differing by several factors, such age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity. Fe—Iron: A dietary mineral required to make hemoglobin, which in turn transports oxygen throughout the body. FTT—Failure to thrive: A significant delay in the growth of an infant or young child. g—Gram: A metric unit of measure; carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are measured in grams. (Note: One ounce is a little over 28 grams.) K—Potassium: A dietary mineral that's needed for water balance and healthy muscle function in the body. kcal—Kilocalorie: A measure of energy that we commonly refer to as a "calorie." mcg—Microgram: A metric unit of measure; some vitamins and minerals are measured in micrograms. (Note: 1,000 micrograms equal 1 milligram.) mg—Milligram: Another metric unit of measure; many vitamins and minerals are measured in milligrams. (Note: 1,000 milligrams equal 1 gram.) Mg—Magnesium: A dietary mineral needed for healthy muscle function and other processes in the body. mEq—Milliequivalent: A measurement that's equivalent to one-thousandth of a gram, liter, or similar unit. Na—Sodium: A dietary mineral that's needed for water balance in the body. RDA—Recommended dietary allowances: ​RDA designates the amount of a nutrient that will meet the requirements of 97%-98% of healthy individuals. REE—​Resting energy expenditure: The rate at which you burn calories while at rest. RNI—​​Reference nutrient intake: RNI is used in the UK. It stands for daily nutrient recommendations to meet the needs of the majority of the population. UL—​Tolerable upper intake level: The highest level of a nutrient that's safe for all individuals. 3 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Nutrient recommendations: Dietary reference intakes (DRI). MedlinePlus. Failure to thrive. Heymsfield SB, Thomas DM, Bosy-Westphal A, Müller MJ. The anatomy of resting energy expenditure: Body composition mechanisms. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019;73(2):166-171. doi:10.1038/s41430-018-0319-3 Additional Reading Gropper SS, Smith JL. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning; 2012. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. By Shereen Lehman, MS Shereen Lehman, MS, is a healthcare journalist and fact checker. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? 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