Vitamin B2 | Everything You Need to Know
Vitamin B2 is a vitamin that you cannot live without. It is not just important for your health, but it also helps to make energy in cells and supports the immune system.
It can be found in many different foods such as meat, eggs, milk, green vegetables and beans.
What is vitamin B2?
Vitamin B2 is also known as riboflavin and it plays a crucial role in the body’s production of energy. Riboflavin aids with the conversion of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy which can be used by cells throughout your body. It also helps red blood cells to carry oxygen to different parts of your body while simultaneously producing new cells.
Riboflavin deficiency can cause several health problems such as mouth sores, skin lesions, and cracked lips. Some symptoms of riboflavin deficiency are like those that accompany megaloblastic anemia (a type of anemia where red blood cells are abnormally large).
Sources of vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 can be found in protein-rich foods such as eggs and milk, in vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage, along with grains like rice. It is also found in fortified cereals or breads.
| Source | Milligrams (mg) per 100g | |
|---|---|---|
 | Beef liver | 3 |
 | Oats | 1.2 mg |
 | Yogurt | 0.6 mg |
 | Milk | 0.5 mg |
 | Beef | 0.4 mg |
 | Clams | 0.4 mg |
 | Mushrooms, portabella | 0.3 mg |
 | Almonds | 0.3 mg |
 | Cheese | 0.3 mg |
 | Rotisserie chicken | 0.2 mg |
 | Egg, 1egg | 0.2 mg |
 | Quinoa | 0.2 mg |
 | Bagel | 0.2 mg |
 | Salmon | 0.2 mg |
 | – Spinach raw – Apple, with skin – Kidney beans – Macaroni – Bread, whole wheat, 1 slice – Cod – Sunflower seeds – Tomatoes – Rice, white | 0.1 mg |
Dietary recommendations
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for men and women ages 19+ years is 1.3 mg and 1.1 mg daily, respectively- so get your recommended intake of iodine today! For pregnant or lactating mothers, the RDA amounts are increased to 1.4mg and 1.6mg respectively to ensure that you are getting enough nutritious vitamins while carrying a baby in utero or nursing an infant after birth.
A Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) is the maximum daily dose unlikely to cause adverse side effects in the general population. A UL has not been established for riboflavin, because a toxic level has never been observed from food sources or from longer-term intakes of high-dose supplements.
Pregnancy – Lactation
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| <19 years | 1.4 mg | 1.6 mg |
| >19 years | 1.4 mg | 1.6 mg |
Infants
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mgRAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | 0.3 mg | 0.3 mg |
| 7–12 months | 0.4 mg | 0.4 mg |
Children
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 years | 0.5 mg | 0.5 mg |
| 4–8 years | 0.6 mg | 0.6 mg |
Females
| Life stage group | RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, mg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 0.9 mg | 0.9 mg |
| 14–18 years | 1.0 mg | 1.0 mg |
| >19 years | 1.1 mg | 1.1 mg |
Males
| Life stage group | US RDAs or AIs (mg RAE/day) | Upper limits (UL, μg/day) |
|---|---|---|
| 9–13 years | 0.9 mg | 0.9 mg |
| 14–18 years | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg |
| >19 years | 1.3 mg | 1.3 mg |
Dietary supplements
Riboflavin is a vitamin that many people take as part of their daily routine. It is often found in multivitamin supplements, which commonly provide 1.3 mg riboflavin (100% of your DV). Supplements containing only riboflavin or B-complex vitamins are also available and can be taken on an empty stomach without food to increase absorption rates for increased health benefits!
A supplement may be necessary if the Vitamin B2 intake is too low or needs to be increased, such as with people who have digestive problems that prevent them from absorbing vitamin B in their food effectively.
Benefits of Vitamin B2
Support Eye Health
Riboflavin deficiency increases the risk for certain eye problems, including glaucoma. Glaucoma is a leading cause of loss of eyesight/blindness and vitamin B2 can help prevent it by increasing the strength within one’s cornea. Riboflavin drops are applied to patients suffering from an illness to penetrate through their lens so that they can heal faster than usual while also being more effective with treatment options available today–especially when coupled with modern technology such as lasers and other new techniques not previously used before.
It has Antioxidant Properties and Defends Against Cancer
Recent studies show that taking vitamin B2 is connected to lowering the risk of getting cancer. Vitamin B2 is important for the immune system because it helps protect the body from free radicals and chemicals. Taking vitamin B2 also helps to lower levels of glutathione, which is used in detoxing the liver.
Free radicals are chemicals that make us old. They can lead to various diseases when they go unchecked. Vitamin B2 helps fight these diseases by maintaining a healthy lining in the digestive system, where most of the immune system is stored. A healthy digestive tract allows your body to absorb and use as many nutrients from food as possible, which means that a riboflavin deficiency can mean less energy for your body.
Studies show that riboflavin may help to prevent cancer (This includes colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.). But more research is still needed. Riboflavin can reduce the effects of carcinogens and oxidative stress caused by free radicals.
Healthy Hair and Skin
Vitamin B2 can help your skin stay healthy. You need vitamin B2 to maintain collagen levels, which make up your skin and hair. Collagen is needed for you to look young and keep it that way, too. Without enough vitamin B2, we could start aging more quickly. There are some studies that show riboflavin can help with wound healing, reduce inflammation, and even slow the effects of aging on the body naturally.
Maintains energy levels
Riboflavin is one of the chemicals that helps our bodies use food for energy. Without it, we cannot grow or repair ourselves. We need a lot of riboflavin to make ATP (or adenosine triphosphate). Without enough riboflavin, this type of chemical called ATP does not work well and we cannot grow or repair ourselves.
Vitamin B2 is needed to break down proteins, fats and carbs into glucose. It helps convert nutrients from food into energy that our body uses. Riboflavin is also important to regulate the thyroid and adrenal glands. A deficiency in riboflavin can increase the chances of having thyroid disease and nerves that are always under stress. It also helps regulate the hormones that control appetite, mood, temperature and more.
Prevent Neurological Diseases
Recent evidence suggests that vitamin B2 may exert a neuroprotective effect and offer protection against some neurological disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease, migraines and multiple sclerosis. Researchers believe that this nutrient serves an important role in pathways hypothesized to be impaired with these types of diseases. For example: it functions as antioxidant which assists myelin formation, mitochondrial function or iron metabolism among others?
Scientists are discovering the many ways in which vitamin B2 helps protect our brains from damage associated with degenerative conditions like MS or migraine headaches!
Prevent and Treat Anemia
Riboflavin is a crucial part of the body’s ability to produce red blood cells and transport oxygen. It also helps with iron mobilization, as well as being involved in hormone production. For those who suffer from anemia due to riboflavin deficiency, it becomes more important than ever for them to get enough vitamin B2 through their diet or supplements- making sure they are not at risk for developing this condition without treatment!
People suffering from anemia caused by insufficient levels of riboflavin should be especially mindful about getting adequate amounts of that same nutrient through dietary intake or supplementation – because when left untreated, they are susceptible towards having worsened symptoms.
Prevent Headaches
Vitamin B2 is a proven remedy for preventing and treating painful migraine headaches. Physicians commonly prescribe riboflavin in high doses of 400 milligrams/daily for at least three months as preventive treatment or to those who regularly have severe migraines attacks. Supplementing with Riboflavin, especially if you are deficient in vitamin b2 has been shown be an effective headache cure that can help reduce the frequency of migraines while also decreasing symptoms during such episodes and shortening their duration.
Deficiency of vitamin B2
Riboflavin deficiency is rare. It can happen because of a lack of riboflavin in your diet or from other things like conditions with the thyroid hormone, or diseases. The signs and symptoms are skin disorders, hyperemia (excess blood) and edema of the mouth and throat, angular stomatitis (lesions at the corners of the mouth), cheilosis (swollen, cracked lips), hair loss, reproductive problems, sore throat, itchy and red eyes, and degeneration of the liver and nervous system.
People with riboflavin deficiency usually have other deficiencies. This means that the symptoms of riboflavin deficiency might also be caused by other nutrient deficiencies. If a person’s riboflavin condition is severe and prolonged, they can develop anemia and cataracts.
The early stages can be fixed with riboflavin supplements, but the later stages cannot be fixed. For example, cataract is hard to be fixed with riboflavin supplements.
Side effects and warnings for taking too much Vitamin B2
The side effects of taking too much vitamin B2 are rare, but they do exist. Some people have reported side effects including skin rashes and cases of allergic reactions to vitamin B2 supplements.
Also, some people can experience a yellow-orange color in their urine. This is called riboflavinuria and it is usually caused by too much of this vitamin. It does not cause any health problems, but if you are concerned about it then you should stop taking vitamin B supplements.
However, these types of adverse events are not common and there is no evidence that high doses of vitamin B2 cause long-term problems in otherwise healthy people or contribute to the development of diseases like cancer.”
Pregnancy and breast-feeding
Riboflavin is safe for pregnant or breast-feeding women when taken in the recommended amounts. This amount is 1.4 mg for pregnant women and 1.6 mg for those who are breastfeeding their baby. Riboflavin can be consumed safely at higher doses, short term and with caution.
Drug interactions with vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B may interact negatively with some medications, including acetaminophen and antiepileptic drugs like phenytoin or carbamazepine.
- Antibiotics (Tetracycline antibiotics): Tetracycline antibiotics may interfere with vitamin B absorption. Taking riboflavin with tetracyclines can lower how much of the tetracycline is absorbed by the body. To avoid this, take riboflavin 2 hours before or 4 hours after taking a dose of tetracycline.
- Drying medications (Anticholinergic drugs): Anticholinergic drugs may interfere with vitamin B2 absorption. Taking drying medications with riboflavin can increase the amount of vitamin B2 that is absorbed in your body. But it is not known if this interaction has any important benefits or consequences for you.
- Medications for depression (Tricyclic antidepressants): Vitamin B2 can be decreased using tricyclic antidepressants. Talk to your doctor about the need for vitamin B2 supplementation. However, this interaction only occurs when you take very large amounts of certain types of medication – so it is not something to worry about if you are taking small doses!
- Phenobarbital (Luminal): Riboflavin is broken down by the body, and Phenobarbital might increase how quickly it is converted in your system. It is not clear if this interaction has any significance at all though!
- Probenecid (Benemid): Probenecid (Benemid) can increase how much riboflavin is in the body. This might cause there to be too much riboflavin in the body, but this has not been medically confirmed and it may just lead to an increased risk of side effects that you are already experiencing from taking Benemid for its other intended purposes such as decreasing uric acid build-up or reducing gout flare ups.
Final Thoughts
Vitamin B2 is an essential water-soluble vitamin that plays a role in many aspects of health, especially energy production and neurological function. Vitamin B2 benefits include improvements to heart health, relief from migraine symptoms, protection against vision loss and neurological diseases as well as healthier hair and skin. Some other ways for you to benefit are through the prevention of certain types of cancer or simply by eating foods rich with this important nutrient such as shellfish (oysters), leafy vegetables like spinach and kale.
Meat, fish, dairy products and legumes are some of the best sources for vitamin B2? Riboflavin is also found in nuts, seeds and certain vegetables. However, if these foods are not available to you or they do not meet your needs then supplementation may be necessary with either a multivitamin containing more than just one type of each B-vitamin or individual capsules such as those which contain only riboflavin.
Although it is rare for people living in most developed nations not to have access to enough of this vital nutrient from food alone (though there are exceptions), many supplements come packaged together so meeting all three levels can be done without difficulty.
By NutriWins team
