Rethinking the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range for the 21st Century: A Letter Report (2024)
Chapter: 1 Letter to the Sponsor
1
Letter to the Sponsor
Cindy Davis, Ph.D.
National Program Leader in Human Nutrition
Agricultural Research Service, USDA
5601 Sunnyside Avenue
Beltsville, MD 20705-5138
Dear Dr. Davis:
The Standing Committee for the Review of the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) Framework was requested by its sponsor to consider whether the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) is necessary within the expanded DRI framework that includes Chronic Disease Risk Reduction (CDRR) considerations. This report offers the committee’s assessment of these considerations regarding either retaining or removing the AMDR. The committee is responding based on discussions that took place during an open session, held August 3, 2023, that related to retaining or removing the AMDR as well as a search of the literature on uses of the AMDR and a public workshop held on February 24, 2024. The committee has discussed the overarching key question: Does the original AMDR concept have current relevance within the DRI framework, i.e. setting quantitative nutrient standards?
The committee also discussed questions posed in the open session. Specifically, if the AMDR should be retained, what are the considerations related to setting AMDR values appropriately? If the AMDR should be
removed, what are the considerations related to no longer having these values and what could be used instead? What is the best way to communicate not having AMDR values? Finally, if there is uncertainty about retaining or removing the AMDR, what are the considerations related to deciding whether AMDR values should be set or not? Should the definition be modified?
In this letter report we provide a summary of our consensus opinion on these issues and the committee’s recommendation for future DRI reviews.
Thank you on behalf of the committee,
John W. Erdman, Jr.
Committee Chair
