Chromium
What it is · too little · too much · daily reference values by country
For reference only. This is not a diagnosis or a prescription. If you have concerns, talk to a doctor or pharmacist.
What it is
- Chromium is known to play an important role in controlling blood sugar and maintaining insulin sensitivity. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Getting too little
- There is no clear marker of chromium deficiency, and deficiency has not been reported except in patients on total parenteral nutrition (TPN). (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Getting too much
- Clear criteria for harmful effects of excessive chromium intake are lacking. Japan has proposed a minimum toxic dose, but the scientific evidence is insufficient. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
- Korean intake standards have not set a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for chromium. (Korea Ministry of Health and Welfare · Korean Nutrition Society)
Daily reference values by country
Korea · US · EU — tap to open
These tables are daily reference values for healthy people. Numbers in the text above are a different kind of value, and you cannot diagnose yourself from them. How to read RDA, AI and UL
Korea — 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans (Ministry of Health and Welfare)
| Group | AI |
|---|---|
| 0–5 months | 0.2 μg |
| 6–11 months | 4 μg |
| 1–2 years | 9 μg |
| 3–5 years | 11 μg |
| Male · 6–8 years | 15 μg |
| Male · 9–11 years | 20 μg |
| Male · 12–14 years | 30 μg |
| Male · 15–18 years | 35 μg |
| Male · 19–29 years | 30 μg |
| Male · 30–49 years | 30 μg |
| Male · 50–64 years | 30 μg |
| Male · 65–74 years | 25 μg |
| Male · 75+ years | 25 μg |
| Female · 6–8 years | 15 μg |
| Female · 9–11 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 12–14 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 15–18 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 19–29 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 30–49 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 50–64 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 65–74 years | 20 μg |
| Female · 75+ years | 20 μg |
| Pregnancy | +5 μg |
| Lactation | +20 μg |
US — NASEM (National Academies)
| Group | AI | UL |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 0.2 μg | — |
| 7–12 months | 5.5 μg | — |
| 1–3 years | 11 μg | — |
| 4–8 years | 15 μg | — |
| Male · 9–13 years | 25 μg | — |
| Male · 14–18 years | 35 μg | — |
| Male · 19–30 years | 35 μg | — |
| Male · 31–50 years | 35 μg | — |
| Male · 51–70 years | 30 μg | — |
| Male · 71+ years | 30 μg | — |
| Female · 9–13 years | 21 μg | — |
| Female · 14–18 years | 24 μg | — |
| Female · 19–30 years | 25 μg | — |
| Female · 31–50 years | 25 μg | — |
| Female · 51–70 years | 20 μg | — |
| Female · 71+ years | 20 μg | — |
| Pregnancy · 14–18 years | 29 μg | — |
| Pregnancy · 19–30 years | 30 μg | — |
| Pregnancy · 31–50 years | 30 μg | — |
| Lactation · 14–18 years | 44 μg | — |
| Lactation · 19–30 years | 45 μg | — |
| Lactation · 31–50 years | 45 μg | — |
EU — EFSA (European Food Safety Authority)
| Group | UL |
|---|---|
| 18+ years | — |
| Pregnancy · 18+ years | — |
| Lactation · 18+ years | — |
Sources
- EFSA DRV Finder — nutrient descriptions · checked 2026-10-07
- EFSA Overview on Tolerable Upper Intake Levels (v11, August 2025) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans, Vol. 3: Minerals (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- 2025 Dietary Reference Intakes for Koreans — summary tables (Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare · The Korean Nutrition Society; in Korean) · checked 2026-10-07
- NASEM Dietary Reference Intakes summary tables (Appendix J, 2019) · checked 2026-10-07
The sentences are plain-language summaries of official sources written by SuppleBoard. Each English sentence was checked against the source text by an AI reviewer before publishing. The agencies do not endorse this site. Published 2026-10-16.