Recommended Dietary Allowances and upper limits for 13 vitamins and choline
Updated October 2026
The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies sets Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for each life stage. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) publishes them in its fact sheets.
Example. Choose female, 31–50, not pregnant, vitamin D. The calculator reads the 31–50 female row: RDA 15 mcg, which is 600 IU at 40 IU per mcg, and UL 100 mcg (4,000 IU). Enter a 50 mcg (2,000 IU) supplement and it reports that intake meets the RDA and stays under the UL.
| Person | Vitamin D (mcg) | Vitamin C (mg) | Folate (mcg DFE) | Vitamin B12 (mcg) | Vitamin A (mcg RAE) | Vitamin E (mg) | Vitamin K (mcg) | Vitamin B6 (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woman, 31–50 | 15 | 75 | 400 | 2.4 | 700 | 15 | 90 | 1.3 |
| Pregnant, 19–30 | 15 | 85 | 600 | 2.6 | 770 | 15 | 90 | 1.9 |
| Breastfeeding, 31–50 | 15 | 120 | 500 | 2.8 | 1300 | 19 | 90 | 2 |
| Man, 31–50 | 15 | 90 | 400 | 2.4 | 900 | 15 | 120 | 1.3 |
| Man, 71+ | 20 | 90 | 400 | 2.4 | 900 | 15 | 120 | 1.7 |
| Child, 4–8 | 15 | 25 | 200 | 1.2 | 400 | 7 | 55 | 0.6 |
Values per day, from the ODS fact sheets (accessed October 22, 2026). Vitamin D rises to 20 mcg (800 IU) after age 70, and vitamin B6 to 1.7 mg for men and 1.5 mg for women after 50.
Pregnancy raises the RDA for folate (600 mcg DFE), vitamin A (770 mcg RAE at 19 to 50), B6 (1.9 mg), B12 (2.6 mcg) and choline (450 mg). Breastfeeding raises vitamin A to 1,300 mcg RAE, vitamin C to 120 mg and vitamin E to 19 mg. The ULs do not change in pregnancy, which matters for preformed vitamin A: high intakes can cause birth defects, so prenatal vitamins often use beta-carotene instead. For infants, the ULs for vitamins C, E, B6, niacin, folate and choline could not be set, and food or formula should be the only source.
Choose the age group, sex and pregnancy or breastfeeding status, then the vitamin. To check a supplement, enter its daily amount in the unit shown: mcg RAE for vitamin A, mcg DFE for folate (1 mcg of folic acid with food counts as 1.7 mcg DFE), mg NE for niacin and mcg for vitamin D (divide IU by 40).
Minerals such as iron, calcium and magnesium; medical conditions, medicines or surgeries that change needs; therapeutic doses a clinician prescribes, which can exceed the UL under supervision; and how much of each vitamin your food already supplies. Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian before taking high-dose supplements.
Treating the UL as a goal. It is a ceiling. Mixing units: vitamin D labels often show IU, and folate labels show both mcg DFE and mcg folic acid. Forgetting fortified foods, which add folic acid and niacin toward the UL. Using adult values for teens: 14 to 18 is its own group. Adding supplements on top of a prenatal vitamin without checking the totals for vitamin A and folic acid.