Choline Intake Levels: Adequate Intake and Upper Limits by Age and Country
Choline Adequate Intake and Upper Limit tables by age and sex for the US and Canada, and EFSA values for the EU, with how each was set and why they differ.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
How much choline is "enough" is not known precisely. Both the US and Canadian reference values and the EU reference values are Adequate Intakes (AI): estimates based on observed intakes and small depletion studies, used because a requirement could not be calculated. [1] This page lists the published figures and where they come from. It is not advice about what any one person should eat or take; see RDA, AI, DV and UL for what these terms mean.
How to read the tables
- Amounts are mg of total choline a day, from all forms.
- Intake above an AI implies a low probability of inadequate intake, but intake below an AI does not by itself show a person is deficient. [1]
- A UL is an upper level; the table page below lists ND instead of a number for infants. [2]
- Only the US and Canada and the EU were checked. Other countries may differ.
US and Canada: AI and UL by age (Health Canada page dated 2025)
These are the Dietary Reference Intakes first published by the US Institute of Medicine in 1998. [1]| Group | AI (mg a day) | UL (mg a day) |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 0 to 6 months | 125 | ND |
| Infants 7 to 12 months | 150 | ND |
| Children 1 to 3 years | 200 | 1,000 |
| Children 4 to 8 years | 250 | 1,000 |
| Boys and girls 9 to 13 years | 375 | 2,000 |
| Males 14 to 18 years | 550 | 3,000 |
| Females 14 to 18 years | 400 | 3,000 |
| Males 19 and older | 550 | 3,500 |
| Females 19 and older | 425 | 3,500 |
| Pregnancy, 18 or younger / 19 to 50 | 450 | 3,000 / 3,500 |
| Lactation, 18 or younger / 19 to 50 | 550 | 3,000 / 3,500 |
Source for every row: Health Canada, DRI reference values table, page dated 2025. [2] The page notes that although AIs have been set for choline, there are few data to assess whether a dietary supply of choline is needed. [2]
EU: EFSA Adequate Intakes (2016)
EFSA's press release lists: 400 mg for adults and adolescents aged 15 to 17 years, 140 to 340 mg for children aged 1 to 14, 160 mg for infants aged 7 to 11 months, 480 mg for pregnant women and 520 mg for lactating women. [3] A 2018 review tabulates the child values by age band. [1]| Group | AI (mg a day) | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| Infants 7 to 11 months | 160 | EFSA, 2016 [3] |
| Children 1 to 3 years | 140 | EFSA 2016, as tabulated in a 2018 review [1] |
| Children 4 to 6 years | 170 | Same [1] |
| Children 7 to 10 years | 250 | Same [1] |
| Children 11 to 14 years | 340 | Same [1] |
| Adolescents 15 to 17 years and adults | 400 | EFSA, 2016 [3] |
| Pregnancy | 480 | EFSA, 2016 [3] |
| Lactation | 520 | EFSA, 2016 [3] |
The EFSA page read for this table does not list a UL. A consultation draft (not the final opinion) said the EU Scientific Committee on Food did not consider choline when it set upper levels for vitamins and minerals. [4] The final opinion page could not be opened, so whether EFSA set a UL in the final version could not be verified here.
Why the figures differ
| Difference | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Adult men and women | The US and Canada give 550 mg for men and 425 mg for women; EFSA gives 400 mg to all adults. [1] |
| How adult values were set (US) | Based on the amount (7 mg per kg of body weight a day) that prevented liver changes in men in one small depletion study. The study used only one amount. [1] |
| How adult values were set (EU) | Based on the mid-point of observed mean intakes in healthy EU populations, about 370 mg a day, and on a depletion-repletion study. [4] |
| Sex-specific values | EFSA considered that premenopausal women might need less choline, because oestrogens may stimulate the body's own production, but did not set separate adult values. [4] |
Why the upper limit is set where it is
The US Institute of Medicine UL for adults of 3.5 g a day was based on low blood pressure at 7.5 g a day of choline in one study, with a safety factor of 2 and rounding. [1] In the EFSA draft's description, that study gave choline chloride to seven patients with Alzheimer dementia; it also caused nausea and diarrhea, and a fishy body odor was seen in other treatment studies. [4] Those study amounts are much larger than food or typical supplement amounts and are not a recommended level. Children's ULs were scaled down from the adult value by body weight. [1]US label Daily Value
On US food and supplement labels, the Daily Value for choline is 550 mg. [5] It is a label reference, not a requirement.Related
Choline overview · Foods high in choline · Choline in pregnancyFrequently asked questions
How much choline do adults need?
No requirement can be calculated, so bodies publish AIs: 550 mg (men) and 425 mg (women) a day in the US and Canada, and 400 mg for adults in the EU. [2] [3]
What is the upper limit for choline?
The US and Canadian UL is 3,500 mg a day for adults, 3,000 mg for ages 14 to 18, 2,000 mg for ages 9 to 13 and 1,000 mg for ages 1 to 8. [2]
Why do the US and EU figures differ?
Different methods were used: the US value used a small depletion study in men, EFSA used observed EU intakes plus a depletion-repletion study. [1] [4]
Is there an AI for babies?
Yes: 125 mg (0 to 6 months) and 150 mg (7 to 12 months) in the US and Canada; EFSA gives 160 mg for 7 to 11 months. [2] [3]
What does the Daily Value on a label mean?
It is a US label reference of 550 mg for choline, not a personal requirement. [5]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety and clinician questions
References
- Dietary Choline Intake: Current State of Knowledge Across the Life Cycle. Nutrients 2018 (review). Read 2026-10-23.
- Health Canada. Dietary reference intakes tables: Reference values for vitamins. Page dated 2025-11-19; the choline values are the US and Canada Dietary Reference Intakes. Read 2026-10-23 through a web-fetch tool.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Dietary reference values: EFSA publishes advice on choline. Published 17 August 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
- European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), NDA Panel. Draft scientific opinion on Dietary Reference Values for choline (public consultation draft, February 2016). A consultation draft, not the final opinion; the final opinion page could not be read. Read 2026-10-23.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels. Content current as of 03/05/2024. Read 2026-10-23.