IOM Dietary Reference Intakes · 29 nutrients · 22 life-stage groups
EAR Calculator — Estimated Average Requirement Checker
Enter your profile and daily intake to compare it against the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Reference Intakes: EAR (Estimated Average Requirement), RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance), AI (Adequate Intake), and UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) — for 29 vitamins and minerals, by age, sex, pregnancy, and lactation. 100% client-side: nothing leaves your browser.
1. Your profile
Reference group: 19–30 years · Female
EAR in italics; bold value is the RDA, or the AI (marked) where no EAR/RDA exists. UL = Tolerable Upper Intake Level; “not established” means the IOM could not set one, not that any intake is safe.
2. Enter your usual daily intake
Enter total intake from food plus supplements, in the unit shown. Leave blank any nutrient you do not track.
How the assessment works (EAR cut-point method)
- Adequate — intake at or above the RDA (covers 97–98% of the group).
- May be inadequate — intake at or above the EAR but below the RDA.
- Likely inadequate — intake below the EAR (the screening threshold).
- Likely adequate / Uncertain — for nutrients with only an AI: at/above the AI is likely adequate; below it, adequacy cannot be judged.
- Above UL — flagged separately whenever intake exceeds the Tolerable Upper Intake Level.
Caveats: the cut-point method assumes your entered intake reflects your usual intake and that requirement variation is modest — it is less reliable for iron in menstruating women because requirements are skewed. Smokers need +35 mg/day vitamin C. Values are for apparently healthy people; illness, medication, and genetics can change needs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR)?
The Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) is the average daily nutrient intake level estimated to meet the requirement of half (50%) of the healthy individuals in a particular life stage and sex group. It is one of the four Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values set by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies (formerly the Institute of Medicine).
What is the difference between EAR, RDA, AI, and UL?
EAR is the intake that meets the needs of 50% of healthy people in a group and is used to assess adequacy. RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) is set about two standard deviations above the EAR and covers 97 to 98% of the group; it is the goal for individual planning. AI (Adequate Intake) is used when evidence is insufficient for an EAR or RDA and is assumed to ensure adequacy. UL (Tolerable Upper Intake Level) is the maximum daily intake unlikely to cause adverse effects.
How does this EAR calculator assess my nutrient intake?
It uses the EAR cut-point method from the Institute of Medicine: your usual intake is compared with the EAR for your age, sex, and life stage. Intake at or above the RDA is rated adequate; intake at or above the EAR but below the RDA may be inadequate; intake below the EAR is likely inadequate. For nutrients with only an AI, intake at or above the AI is rated likely adequate, while intake below the AI is reported as uncertain, because adequacy cannot be judged from an AI. Results also flag intakes above the UL.
What does percent of EAR mean in my result?
Percent of EAR is your intake divided by the EAR, multiplied by 100. For example, 60 mg of vitamin C against an EAR of 60 mg is 100% of EAR. Because the EAR meets the needs of only half the population, 100% of EAR is not the target for an individual — the RDA is. Treat percent of EAR as a screening number, not a grade.
My intake is below the RDA but above the EAR. Am I deficient?
Not necessarily. Between the EAR and the RDA your intake may be inadequate — the probability of inadequacy rises as intake falls from the RDA toward the EAR. The RDA is deliberately set high, covering 97 to 98% of people, so falling short of it does not prove deficiency. Only intake below the EAR is classified as likely inadequate, and even that is a screening result, not a diagnosis.
Why do some nutrients show an AI instead of an EAR and RDA?
An Adequate Intake is set when the scientific evidence is not strong enough to determine an EAR. The AI is typically based on observed intakes of apparently healthy groups. Because there is no EAR, the calculator cannot estimate your probability of inadequacy for these nutrients — intake below the AI is reported as uncertain rather than inadequate.
What happens if my intake exceeds the UL?
The UL is the highest daily intake considered unlikely to cause adverse health effects; it is not a recommended target. Regularly exceeding it — usually via supplements, since food-only intakes rarely exceed the UL — increases the risk of adverse effects, and the calculator flags any intake above the UL. Note that some ULs apply to specific forms only: the vitamin A UL covers preformed vitamin A (retinol), the vitamin E UL covers supplemental alpha-tocopherol, the folate UL covers folic acid, and the magnesium UL covers supplemental magnesium.
Why is there no UL for nutrients like vitamin K, vitamin B12, or potassium?
UL not determined does not mean unlimited intake is safe. It means the Food and Nutrition Board found insufficient evidence of adverse effects from high intakes to set a number — for example, no adverse effects of high vitamin B12 or vitamin K intakes have been identified. The calculator shows not established for these nutrients and does not flag overages.
Do smokers need more vitamin C?
Yes. The DRI tables add 35 mg per day of vitamin C for people who smoke, because smoking increases oxidative stress and metabolic turnover of the vitamin. An adult male smoker therefore targets 125 mg per day instead of 90 mg. This calculator shows the standard values; add 35 mg if you smoke.
Why are requirements different during pregnancy and lactation?
Pregnancy and lactation raise the need for most nutrients to support fetal growth, expanded maternal tissue, and milk production. Iron rises sharply in pregnancy (RDA 27 mg versus 18 mg for non-pregnant adult women), folate rises to 600 mcg DFE, and iodine, zinc, and several B vitamins increase as well. This calculator includes separate pregnancy and lactation columns for ages 14 to 50.
Are these values the same as the percent Daily Value on food labels?
No. The Daily Value (DV) on Nutrition Facts labels is a single reference number set by the FDA for labeling — for example, the DV for vitamin C is 90 mg for everyone age 4 and older. The DRIs in this calculator vary by age, sex, and life stage and are the more precise reference. A food providing 20% DV is a high source, but your personal target may differ from the DV.
Is this calculator medical advice?
No. This is an educational screening tool based on published DRI reference values for apparently healthy people. It does not diagnose deficiency, and individual needs can differ because of health conditions, medications, or genetics. Talk to a clinician or registered dietitian before changing your diet or starting supplements, especially if you are pregnant, lactating, or managing a condition.
Reference values: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) of the Food and Nutrition Board, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) — vitamins & minerals summary tables, incl. the 2019 sodium & potassium update. Educational screening aid only; not medical advice.
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