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The tolerable upper intake level (UL), or upper limit, for choline is 3,500 mg a day for adults 19 and older. That is the most a day that is unlikely to cause harm for almost everyone; above it, the chance of side effects goes up. It is a ceiling, not a target. The limit counts choline from food, water and supplements together.
Check your amount
Servings a day
This limit is the same for adults 19 and older, including pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Type the amount from your label to compare it with the upper limit.
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Choline upper limits by age
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 7-12 months | Not set | Not set | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 1,000 mg | 1,000 mg | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 2,000 mg | 2,000 mg | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 3,000 mg | 3,000 mg | 3,000 mg | 3,000 mg |
| 19-30 years | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg |
| 31-50 years | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg |
| 51-70 years | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | – | – |
| 71+ years | 3,500 mg | 3,500 mg | – | – |
No upper limit could be set for babies; the National Academies say their intake should come from food and formula only.
How much Choline you need
| Age | Males | Females | Pregnancy | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months | 125 mg* | 125 mg* | – | – |
| 7-12 months | 150 mg* | 150 mg* | – | – |
| 1-3 years | 200 mg* | 200 mg* | – | – |
| 4-8 years | 250 mg* | 250 mg* | – | – |
| 9-13 years | 375 mg* | 375 mg* | – | – |
| 14-18 years | 550 mg* | 400 mg* | 450 mg* | 550 mg* |
| 19-30 years | 550 mg* | 425 mg* | 450 mg* | 550 mg* |
| 31-50 years | 550 mg* | 425 mg* | 450 mg* | 550 mg* |
| 51-70 years | 550 mg* | 425 mg* | – | – |
| 71+ years | 550 mg* | 425 mg* | – | – |
* Adequate Intake (AI): the amount set when there isn’t enough evidence for an RDA.
What counts toward the Choline limit
The limit counts choline from food, water and supplements together.
The adult limit of 3,500 mg is 3.5 grams.
What happens with too much Choline
The National Academies' 1998 DRI report says choline doses "orders of magnitude greater than estimated intake from food have been associated with body odor, sweating, salivation, hypotension, and hepatotoxicity in humans". It chose hypotension as the critical effect: a LOAEL of 7.5 g/day divided by an uncertainty factor of 2, rounded down to 3.5 g/day for adults.
Sources: Health Canada, Dietary Reference Intakes tables (the joint U.S.-Canada values); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998); National Academies, Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (1998). Limits checked November 8, 2026. More from the NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements Choline fact sheet.
If you think you or a child took too much of a supplement, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (U.S., free, 24 hours) or use poison.org. In an emergency, call 911.
General information, not medical advice. Your doctor may recommend a different amount, for example to treat a deficiency. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication or have a medical condition.