Reference tool
Recommended daily intake lookup
Pick your life stage to see the NHS reference daily intakes of folic acid, iron, vitamin D, calcium, iodine and vitamin C for women. These are the amounts most people need to avoid deficiency, and they change at some stages, with folic acid rising for conception and pregnancy and iron dropping after 50. Most people meet them from a balanced diet. Information only, not medical advice.
Full reference table
| Nutrient | Women 19 to 49 | Women 50 and over | Trying to conceive | Pregnant | Breastfeeding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folic acid (folate) | 200 mcg | 200 mcg | 400 mcg | 400 mcg | 260 mcg |
| Iron | 14.8 mg | 8.7 mg | 14.8 mg | 14.8 mg | 14.8 mg |
| Vitamin D | 10 mcg | 10 mcg | 10 mcg | 10 mcg | 10 mcg |
| Calcium | 700 mg | 700 mg | 700 mg | 700 mg | 1250 mg |
| Iodine | 140 mcg | 140 mcg | 140 mcg | 140 mcg | 140 mcg |
| Vitamin C | 40 mg | 40 mg | 40 mg | 50 mg | 70 mg |
- Folic acid (folate): The 400 mcg figure for trying to conceive and pregnancy is a supplement of folic acid, taken before conception and until 12 weeks. Some women need a higher 5 mg prescribed dose; ask your GP. NHS, B vitamins and folic acid; NHS pregnancy vitamins.
- Iron: Iron needs do not formally rise in UK pregnancy guidance, but deficiency is common; ask your GP about a ferritin test rather than self-prescribing. NHS, Iron.
- Vitamin D: The NHS advises a 10 mcg daily supplement for everyone in autumn and winter, and all year for pregnant and breastfeeding women. NHS, Vitamin D.
- Calcium: The breastfeeding figure reflects the higher NHS reference intake while breastfeeding. NHS, Calcium.
- Iodine: Iodine is important for fetal brain development; the NHS reference intake is 140 mcg, and most people get this from a balanced diet including dairy and fish. NHS, Iodine.
- Vitamin C: The small rise in pregnancy and breastfeeding follows NHS reference intakes. NHS, Vitamin C.
How we built this
Adult-women figures use NHS reference nutrient intakes; the trying to conceive, pregnancy and breastfeeding columns follow NHS pregnancy and breastfeeding guidance. Folic acid at 400 micrograms is a supplement of folic acid for conception and early pregnancy, not a dietary target. These are population reference figures for healthy women, not personal prescriptions. Reference figures as of 2026-06-13.
Information only, not medical advice. This tool is educational and is not a substitute for a registered clinician. It does not diagnose anything and does not recommend that you take any supplement. Always read product labels and speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting, stopping or combining supplements. Some women need more than the reference intake, for example a 5 mg prescribed dose of folic acid; that is a clinical decision for your GP.
Read more
Use the upper safe limit checker for the other end of the scale, see our guides on how much vitamin D you need and iron for women, and the verified figures on our statistics page. More tools are on the tools hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is a reference daily intake?
It is the amount of a nutrient most people need each day to avoid deficiency, set by UK and EU bodies. The NHS publishes reference intakes for women, and they change at some life stages: folic acid rises to 400 micrograms when trying to conceive and in early pregnancy, iron drops after 50, and calcium rises while breastfeeding. A reference intake is a population figure, not a personal prescription.
Does hitting the reference intake mean I need a supplement?
Usually not. The NHS view is that most people get the nutrients they need from a balanced diet, with a few specific exceptions: vitamin D in autumn and winter for everyone, and folic acid plus vitamin D for women trying to conceive or pregnant. The lookup shows the target; whether you are short of it is a question of your diet and health, best answered with your GP or a blood test rather than guesswork.
Why do some figures not change much between life stages?
Because for several nutrients UK reference intakes are broadly stable across adult women, with changes concentrated where the evidence is strongest: folic acid for conception and early pregnancy, calcium for breastfeeding, and small rises in vitamin C. Where a figure stays the same, that reflects the NHS guidance, not a gap in the tool.
I take more than the reference intake. Is that a problem?
Not necessarily, but there is an upper end. Reference intakes are about avoiding too little; tolerable upper intake levels are about avoiding too much. Use the upper safe limit checker alongside this lookup, and if you are stacking several supplements, add up each nutrient across all of them and speak to your pharmacist.
Editor, Her Vitals
Oliver leads Her Vitals's editorial coverage of women's life-stage health and supplements. He curates and reviews existing branded products across trying to conceive, pregnancy, postnatal, perimenopause, menopause and the senior years, weighing what the evidence supports against guidance from bodies such as EFSA, the NHS and NICE, and is clear that the content is information rather than medical advice.
Last reviewed: 13 June 2026