Folate upper limit: how much is too much per day?

For adults 19 and older, the upper limit (UL) of folate is 1,000 mcg folic acid per day, counting folic acid from supplements and fortified foods only.

Ages 14 and older · Source: National Academies Dietary Reference Intakes · Data as of 2026-10-03

Every life stage

Group	Age	RDA or AI mcg DFE/day	UL mcg folic acid/day
Male	14–18	400 RDA	800
Male	19–30	400 RDA	1,000
Male	31–50	400 RDA	1,000
Male	51–70	400 RDA	1,000
Male	71+	400 RDA	1,000
Female	14–18	400 RDA	800
Female	19–30	400 RDA	1,000
Female	31–50	400 RDA	1,000
Female	51–70	400 RDA	1,000
Female	71+	400 RDA	1,000
Pregnancy	14–18	600 RDA	800
Pregnancy	19–30	600 RDA	1,000
Pregnancy	31–50	600 RDA	1,000
Lactation	14–18	500 RDA	800
Lactation	19–30	500 RDA	1,000
Lactation	31–50	500 RDA	1,000

RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance; AI = Adequate Intake, used where there is not enough data for an RDA. UL = Tolerable Upper Intake Level. “Not set” means the tables give no value. Ages under 14 are in the National Academies tables and are not covered here.

What counts toward the limit

This UL covers folic acid from supplements and fortified foods only, measured in mcg of folic acid. Folate that occurs naturally in food does not count.

The RDA uses a different unit, mcg DFE (dietary folate equivalents), so the RDA and UL columns below are not directly comparable.

Table footnote, as recorded in Ceiling’s data: “UL applies to folic acid from supplements and fortified foods (mcg folic acid, not DFE); food folate does not count.”

How Ceiling uses this

Ceiling adds up every supplement you scan and compares your daily total with this number, counting only the forms the UL covers. Ceiling is coming soon on iPhone. No account; everything stays on your iPhone.

What is the upper limit of folate?