π Vitamin RDA Lookup
Every vitamin's daily target in one place.
Recommended dietary allowance
For informational purposes only, not medical advice.
The NIH sets a recommended dietary allowance for each vitamin: vitamin C is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, vitamin D is 15 mcg (600 IU) for most adults, and B12 is 2.4 mcg for everyone. This lookup returns the adult RDA, the tolerable upper limit, and the best food sources for all 13 vitamins, so one page answers how much of anything you need.
RDA means enough for 97 to 98 percent of healthy people, with a safety margin built in. Hitting it from food is the goal; supplements fill gaps, not plates.
How to Use This Lookup
Choose the vitamin and sex to see the adult RDA, upper limit, and food sources. Values shown are for adults 19 and older.
Select the vitamin you are curious about.
Select sex, which changes several RDAs.
Read the RDA, the upper limit, and the top food sources. Compare against your diet before considering supplements.
Key Values at a Glance
| Vitamin | RDA (men/women) | Upper limit |
|---|---|---|
| A | 900 / 700 mcg RAE | 3,000 mcg |
| C | 90 / 75 mg | 2,000 mg |
| D | 15 mcg (600 IU) | 100 mcg (4,000 IU) |
| E | 15 mg | 1,000 mg |
| K | 120 / 90 mcg | Not established |
| B12 | 2.4 mcg | Not established |
| Folate (B9) | 400 mcg DFE | 1,000 mcg (synthetic) |
Fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) store in the body, so excess accumulates and upper limits matter more; water-soluble ones (C, B-complex) flush out, though megadoses still cause problems. That storage difference is the single most useful fact in vitamin safety.
Worked Example
Looking up vitamin C for a woman returns 75 mg, with an upper limit of 2,000 mg and sources like citrus and bell peppers. One large orange provides about 70 mg, nearly the full day, which shows how easily food covers this one.
Vitamin D tells the opposite story: 15 mcg (600 IU) with limited food sources, since sunlight is the main supply. Many adults fall short in winter, which is why D is the most commonly supplemented vitamin and the most worth discussing with your doctor via a blood test.
Reading Your Result
Use the RDA as a target and the upper limit as a guardrail. Between them lies the safe zone; below the RDA chronically risks deficiency, above the UL risks toxicity for the fat-soluble vitamins especially. Food first, then targeted supplements for documented gaps.
My take: most multivitamins are insurance for an already adequate diet, which is fine, but megadose single vitamins without a deficiency are where the harm stories come from. Test, then supplement, not the reverse.
Limits
RDAs shown are for adults 19+; children, pregnancy, lactation, and adults over 51 have different values for several vitamins. The lookup simplifies life-stage detail, and individual needs vary with health conditions and medications. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements publishes the full tables for exact life-stage values.
Related Tools
Go deeper on the big two with our vitamin D guide and vitamin A guide, and balance the plate with the fiber intake calculator.
For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RDA for vitamins?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance: daily intake meeting the needs of nearly all healthy people. Examples: vitamin C 90/75 mg (men/women), D 15 mcg, B12 2.4 mcg, A 900/700 mcg RAE. Set by the NIH based on scientific review.
What is the difference between RDA and upper limit?
RDA is the target intake for adequacy; the tolerable upper limit (UL) is the maximum unlikely to cause harm. Staying between them is the safe zone, especially important for fat-soluble vitamins that accumulate.
Which vitamins have upper limits?
A (3,000 mcg), C (2,000 mg), D (100 mcg), E (1,000 mg), niacin (35 mg), B6 (100 mg), and folate (1,000 mcg synthetic). Several B vitamins and vitamin K have no established UL from food or supplements.
Do I need a multivitamin?
If your diet is varied, probably not for adequacy, though one is reasonable insurance. Targeted supplements make more sense for documented gaps like vitamin D in winter or B12 for vegans.
Can you get all vitamins from food?
Yes, with a varied diet: the RDA table's food sources show how. Vitamin D is the common exception where sunlight and fortified foods may not suffice, and B12 needs animal foods or supplements.
Are fat-soluble vitamins more dangerous?
In excess, yes: A, D, E, and K store in body tissues, so chronic megadoses accumulate. Water-soluble vitamins flush out more readily, though very high doses still cause issues like B6 nerve effects.
Do vitamin needs change with age?
Some do: adults over 70 need more vitamin D (20 mcg) and absorb B12 less well; needs during pregnancy and lactation rise for folate, iron, and several vitamins. This lookup shows adult 19+ baseline values.
What does RAE mean for vitamin A?
Retinol Activity Equivalents: 1 mcg RAE equals 1 mcg retinol or 12 mcg beta-carotene from food. It standardizes the different potencies of preformed vitamin A versus carotenoids.
Can vitamins interact with medications?
Yes: vitamin K with warfarin, high-dose E with blood thinners, B6 with certain drugs, and others. Tell your doctor and pharmacist about all supplements, not just prescriptions.
Where do these numbers come from?
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements and the National Academies' Dietary Reference Intakes, the authoritative US reference. This page summarizes adult values; the full life-stage tables are on the NIH ODS site.