That “% NRV” beside each nutrient is one of the most useful — and most misunderstood — numbers on a supplement label. Here’s what it means and how to actually use it.
NRV stands for Nutrient Reference Value: a labelling benchmark for how much of a vitamin or mineral an average healthy adult needs. It’s the figure used across UK and EU labels, and it replaced the older “RDA” wording you may remember — the idea is essentially the same.
The percentage tells you how much of that reference amount a serving provides. 100% NRV means one serving covers the full reference intake for an average adult. It’s a handy way to compare two products at a glance — provided you’re comparing the same serving size.
Seeing 250% or more isn’t a red flag by itself. The NRV is a general reference, not a maximum or an “optimal” dose. Some nutrients are safe and genuinely useful above 100% (within their upper limits), which is why higher-strength vitamin D, for example, is common. Some ingredients — like collagen — have no NRV at all, because none has been established.
Crucially, the NRV is a population average. Your own needs shift with age, sex, life stage, diet and lifestyle — sun exposure alone changes how much vitamin D you need. Use % NRV to compare and sanity-check, but don’t mistake it for a personalised prescription.
Use % NRV to compare products at a glance, but remember it’s an average reference — not your personal target or a safety ceiling. Some nutrients are safe and useful above 100%; check the upper limit, not just the NRV.
Yes. NRV (Nutrient Reference Value) replaced RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) in UK and EU food labelling back in December 2014, and the numbers are identical — only the name changed. If you spot ‘RDA’ on an older label, read it as NRV.
Because an NRV is the minimum needed to prevent deficiency in about 97.5% of healthy people — not a ceiling, and not necessarily the optimal amount. For many nutrients it’s perfectly safe, and sometimes more useful, to sit above 100%. That’s why our formulas land where the evidence points rather than at the legal minimum.
For a product to legally call itself a ‘source’ of a vitamin or mineral it must supply at least 15% of the NRV per serving (and 30% to say ‘high in’). Anything well below 15% is often a token amount that looks good on the label but does little — see our guide to dosing standards.
Some nutrients have safe upper levels worth respecting — vitamin D, selenium and zinc among them — while water-soluble vitamins like C and the B group are far more forgiving because excess is excreted. The right amount depends on the specific nutrient, which is the whole point of reading the number rather than fearing it.
Nutrient Reference Value: a labelling reference for how much of a vitamin or mineral an average healthy adult needs, shown as a percentage per serving.
Often yes, within a nutrient's tolerable upper intake level, but it depends on the nutrient. The NRV is a reference, not a maximum.
They are essentially the same idea. NRV is the current term used on UK and EU labels, replacing the older RDA wording.
No — the NRV is a population baseline, not a personalised target. Your real needs shift with age, sex, diet, sunlight exposure and health, so the label figure is a starting point rather than a prescription.
NRVs are only set for 13 vitamins and 14 minerals. Many useful ingredients — collagen, for example — have no NRV, so a % figure simply can’t be shown for them.
Not automatically. It depends on the nutrient and its upper limit, and on the form used — a well-absorbed form at a sensible % often beats a huge number in a poorly absorbed form, as our magnesium guide explains.
Every product page lists the amount and % NRV per serving in plain sight — browse the range in our shop.