Definition of 100%-= ALL, COMPLETE, TOTAL.
So, when I eat that one serving of Total cereal that promises me 100% of multiple vitamins, I'm good for the day right? Or if I take a multivitamin like the one in the picture on the left, I'm ALL okay, right? Sorry, try again.
You should know a few things about the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA). The levels were determined years ago for the amount needed to prevent deficiency, NOT optimal health. Did you get that? So the RDA of Vitamin D3 may be set at 400-800 IU per day, but the optimal amount may be 2000-5000 IU daily for some people. Not only this, the RDA is supposed to be the amount needed to capture the required needs of 97.5% of the population (that's 2 standard deviations for you nerds out there). What if you’re in that other 2.5%? You may be deficient. To be fair, you may be on the other end, where the RDA is more than enough, or even too much, but that would be extremely rare (like those with certain genetic conditions). Finally, remember the other things I have already mentioned in previous entries: Is it a good quality brand? Are you getting the vitamin in the best form?
What about other confounding factors? Considering these things, you very well may need higher amounts of certain nutrients, often a lot more. Bottom line: Use the RDA as the absolute minimum you need of any vitamin/mineral (which sadly, many American’s don’t even meet the RDA of many vitamins/minerals), and talk to a qualified dietitian/nutritionist you trust on what you need more of based on your medical conditions.
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