Use the table below to determine the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the individuals you may encounter during counseling.  Note: Recommendations for folate refer to food folate.  Recommendations in the footnotes refer to synthetic folic acid.

Dietary Reference Intakes for Folate*

If the person is a...	RDA of Folate(mcg/day)	Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) (mcg/day)
Woman, 19 – 50 years of age, not currently pregnant	400	1000
Woman, Hispanic, 19 - 50 years of age, not currently pregnant	400	1000
Woman, planning a Pregnancy	600	1000
Woman, Breastfeeding	500	1000
Man, at least 19 years of age	400	1000
Adult, beyond age 50	400	1000
Adolescent (14-18)	400	800
Adolescent (9-13)	300	600
Child (4-8)	200	400
Child (1-3)	150	300
Infant (0-1)	No extra supplementation required
* As dietary folate equivalents (DFEs).  1 DFE = 1 mcg of food folate = 0.6 mcg folic acid (from fortified food or supplement consumed with food) = 0.5 mcg synthetic (supplemental) folic acid taken on an empty stomach
In view of evidence linking folate intake with neural tube defects in the fetus, it is recommended that all women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 mcg from supplements or fortified foods in addition to intake of food folate from a varied diet.[73]
The U.S. Preventive Services Taskforce recommends that all women planning pregnancy take a daily multivitamin or multivitamin-multimineral supplement containing folic acid at a dose of 400-800 mcg, beginning 1 month prior to conception and continuing through the first trimester, to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.[71]