Phosphorus upper limit: how much is too much per day?
For adults, the upper limit (UL) of phosphorus is 4,000 mg per day at ages 19–70 and 3,000 mg per day from age 71, counting all sources together, food and supplements included. During pregnancy (ages 19–50) it is 3,500 mg per day.
Every life stage
| Group | Age | RDA or AI mg/day | UL mg/day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 14–18 | 1,250 RDA | 4,000 |
| Male | 19–30 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Male | 31–50 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Male | 51–70 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Male | 71+ | 700 RDA | 3,000 |
| Female | 14–18 | 1,250 RDA | 4,000 |
| Female | 19–30 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Female | 31–50 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Female | 51–70 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Female | 71+ | 700 RDA | 3,000 |
| Pregnancy | 14–18 | 1,250 RDA | 3,500 |
| Pregnancy | 19–30 | 700 RDA | 3,500 |
| Pregnancy | 31–50 | 700 RDA | 3,500 |
| Lactation | 14–18 | 1,250 RDA | 4,000 |
| Lactation | 19–30 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
| Lactation | 31–50 | 700 RDA | 4,000 |
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 your total intake: phosphorus from food, water and supplements added together.
Table footnote, as recorded in Ceiling’s data: “UL is total intake from food, water and supplements.”
How Ceiling uses this
Ceiling adds up every supplement you scan and compares your daily total with this number. Ceiling counts supplements only, so food and water come on top of the total it shows. Ceiling is coming soon on iPhone. No account; everything stays on your iPhone.
What is the upper limit of phosphorus?
For adults, the upper limit (UL) of phosphorus is 4,000 mg per day at ages 19–70 and 3,000 mg per day from age 71, counting all sources together, food and supplements included. During pregnancy (ages 19–50) it is 3,500 mg per day.
Sources
- Food and Nutrition Board, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Summary tables (Appendix J), in Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019), Appendix J. NCBI Bookshelf NBK545442, tables J-2, J-3, J-8 and J-9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK545442/
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Phosphorus fact sheet for health professionals.
- Ceiling reference data built 2026-10-03 from the tables above.
General information, not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own situation.