LAFYA Wellness+
Ingredient library

Vitamin

Folate

Folate is a B-vitamin that is naturally present in many foods. NIH publishes reference intake amounts for Folate by life stage, listed in the table below. Read 2026-08-16.

What is Folate?

"Folate is a B-vitamin that is naturally present in many foods."

How much Folate does NIH publish?

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate — Consumer. Read 2026-08-16.
Life stageAmountPrinted table
Birth to 6 months65 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Breastfeeding teens and women500 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Children 1–3 years150 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Children 4–8 years200 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Children 9–13 years300 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Infants 7–12 months80 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Pregnant teens and women600 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Teens 14–18 years400 mcg DFERecommended Amount
Birth to 6 monthsNot establishedUpper Limit
Children 1–3 years300 mcgUpper Limit
Children 4–8 years400 mcgUpper Limit
Children 9–13 years600 mcgUpper Limit
Infants 7–12 monthsNot establishedUpper Limit
Teens 14–18 years800 mcgUpper Limit

Children and teens

Rows for children and teens appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.

Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Rows for pregnant and breastfeeding life stages appear in the table above, in NIH's own wording.

What upper limit does NIH publish for Folate?

  • Birth to 6 months: Not established
  • Children 1–3 years: 300 mcg
  • Children 4–8 years: 400 mcg
  • Children 9–13 years: 600 mcg
  • Infants 7–12 months: Not established
  • Teens 14–18 years: 800 mcg

Which foods contain Folate?

NIH's fact sheet for Folate carries no line we quote here about foods.

Where these numbers come from

Every quote and every amount on this page comes from National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Folate — Consumer. Public domain (U.S. Government work). LAFYA read the sheet 2026-08-16.

Read the full fact sheet at NIH Office of Dietary Supplements

What LAFYA does not say about Folate

LAFYA publishes no claim that folate does anything in the body, because we cannot prove one.

Quotes are word-for-word from National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Public domain (U.S. Government work). LAFYA does not interpret, summarise, or add to them.

NIH source read 2026-08-16.