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B-2 is excellent for supporting metabolism
Vitamin B-2, also known as riboflavin, is key to the functions that keep energy flowing. Along with the other B vitamins, vitamin B-2 metabolizes fatty acids, protein, and carbohydrates.
Working with B-3 (niacin) and B-6 (pyridoxine), riboflavin is essential to keep your eyes, skin, hair, and nails healthy, your mucous membranes moist, and your red blood cells in optimum condition. A water-soluble vitamin that's excreted in your urine, riboflavin must be obtained through your diet.
First discovered in milk, riboflavin plays a number of roles in the body, including acting as an antioxidant. Besides producing energy in your cells, it also takes care of the toxic exhausts caused by cell respiration.
Quick Facts About Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin)
- RDA is 1.3 to 1.8 mg per day for healthy adults.
- Some foods rich in riboflavin are dairy products, eggs, leafy green vegetables, liver, soybeans, and whole grain products.
- Some signs of riboflavin deficiency are insomnia, vertigo, and normocytic anemia.
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You May Need More B-2 if You Have (or Have Had)
- A history of excessive alcohol or drug use
- Chronic malnutrition
- Thyroid impairment
- Diabetes
- Biliary atresia
- Hemodialysis
- Lactose intolerance (difficulty digesting milk or other dairy products)
- A portion of your gastrointestinal tract removed
- Recent injury or severe burns
- Recent surgery
Or if You're
- Pregnant or breastfeeding
- Taking oral contraceptives or estrogen
- Over age 55
- Under excessive stress
- Taking tricyclic antidepressants
What Works Best -- and Worst -- with B-2
- B vitamins compete in your intestines for absorption, so never take high doses of a single B vitamin without increasing the amount you take of all other B vitamins. For example, if you're taking double the RDA of niacin, you should double the RDA of all other B vitamins.
- Tobacco decreases absorption, so smokers may require supplemental B-2.
Forms Available
- An individual supplement in 50 or 100 mg as tablets or chewables
- B-complex supplements in a wide range of potencies
- A multivitamin supplement
- As brewer's yeast in a low-potency food supplement.
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Chemical Forms
RiboflavinComments on Vitamin B-2
- Riboflavin functions as two coenzymes: flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD).
- Both of these forms are available as riboflavin in foods.
- FMN is involved in cellular metabolism, such as the breakdown of fatty-acids and vitamins to convert phosphorylated pyridoxine to the functional coenzyme.
- FAD-dependent hydroxylase is involved in both energy production and the conversion of tryptophan to niacin.
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Known Benefits of Vitamin B-2
- Helps metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
- Essential for promotion of proper growth and development.
- Supports the nervous system, skin, and eyes.
- Protects from oxidative damage as an enzyme cofactor.
- Maintains healthy mucous membranes.
Unproven Claims
- Reduces incidence of esophageal cancer.
- Helps treat migraines.
- Reduces stress.
- Aids in treatment of anemia.
Vitamin B-2 May Prevent These Signs of Deficiency
- Anemia due to reduced amounts of bone marrow
- Cataracts
- Cracked and scaled lips
- Dry skin with scaling
- Increased blood flow to parts of the body or organs (hyperemia)
- Inflammation of the membranes lining the nose and throat
- Inflammation of the tongue and corners of the mout.
- Inflamed tongue
- Seborrhea
- Sore throat
Recommended Dosage Range for Vitamin B-2
- Our pharmacists suggest that healthy adults may take between 1.7 to 50 mg.
- RDA values were set as the minimum needed to offset deficiency or disease, not as an actual value needed for optimum health.
- In the United States, the average consumption of riboflavin is:
- For men, 2.08 mg per day
- For women, 1.34 mg per day
- For children (ages 1 to 5), 1.57 mg per day
- Consult your physician before starting any high-dose supplement regimen.
Dietary Sources
Food Tips
- Riboflavin does not break down as easily as other B vitamins from heat. But it still is lost during cooking with water.
- Cook foods in minimal amount of water to decrease loss of the riboflavin.
- Riboflavin from animal sources is more easily absorbed than from vegetable sources.
- Light reacts with riboflavin to produce free radicals that can degrade other nutrients.
| Foods High in B-2 | Serving Size | Amount of B-2 | Units |
|---|
Almonds, dry roasted
Avocado, California
Beef, ground
Beef liver
Cottage cheese, low-fat
Egg
Milk, low-fat
Mushrooms, cooked
Spinach, cooked
Wheat germ
Yogurt, low-fat
|
1 ounce
1 medium
3 ounces
3 ounces
1 cup
1 large
1 cup
1/2 cup
1/2 cup
1/4 cup
8 ounces
|
0.22
0.22
0.2
3.6
0.42
0.26
0.52
0.23
0.21
0.23
0.49
|
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
mg
|
When and How to Take Vitamin B-2
- Take with food or after meals to enhance absorption.
- Large daily doses should be divided into three to four smaller doses throughout the day for better absorption.
- Take supplements with meals to absorb more riboflavin and reduce stomach irritation.
- Swallow tablets whole with a full glass of liquid.
What to Take with Vitamin B-2
- B vitamins compete for absorption in your intestines. Therefore, each dose of B-2 should be taken with a proportionate amount of the other B vitamins (i.e., if you are consuming double the RDA of one B vitamin, you should take double the RDA of the other B vitamins).
- Riboflavin helps metabolize pyridoxine.
- Riboflavin can partially replace needs for cobalamin.
What Not to Take with Vitamin B-2
- Baking soda degrades riboflavin (but not when found in baked goods).
- Alcohol and tobacco interfere with B-2 absorption.
- Copper, zinc, cobalt, iron, manganese, and cadmium bind to riboflavin and inhibit absorption.
Storage
- Keep vitamin B-2 in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight and air.
- Don't freeze vitamin B-2.
- Don't store vitamin B-2 in your bathroom medicine cabinet. Heat and moisture may make it less effective.
- Store safely out of children's reach.
Recommended Daily Allowance
| AGE/GROUP | RDA |
|---|
Infants
0 to 6 months
6 to 12 months
1 to 3 years
4 to 6 years
7 to 10 years
Males
11 to 14 years
15 to 18 years
19 to 24 years
25 to 50 years
51+ years
Females
11 to 14 years
15 to 18 years
19 to 24 years
25 to 50 years
51+ years
Pregnant
Lactating
1 to 6 months
6 to 12 months
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mg (milligrams)
0.4
0.5
0.8
1.1
1.2
1.5
1.8
1.7
1.7
1.4
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.3
1.2
1.6
1.8
1.7
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Warnings
Consult a physician before use or do not use vitamin B-2 if:- You're about to start a high-dose supplement program.
May Have Interactions with the Following
- Magnesium deficiency: decreases tissue thiamin levels and disturbs thiamin function.
- Phenothiazines: decrease the effect of riboflavin.
- Probenecid: decreases the effect of riboflavin.
- Tobacco: decreases absorption and uptake of riboflavin.
- Tricyclic antidepressants: decrease the effect of riboflavin.
Side Effects
- Dark or bright yellow urine may occur when taking large doses of vitamin B-2.
- An intake of several hundred mgs may cause you to become drowsy.
Signs of Overdose
There are no known reports of riboflavin toxicity.What to Do in Case of Overdose
If you are concerned about the side effects of riboflavin, contact your healthcare provider.
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Sources & Further Reading
Books
- 1. Basu, TK and Dickerson, JW.Vitamins in Human Health and Disease. CAB INTL, UK 1996.
2. Bendich, A and Deckelbaum, RJ.Preventive Nutrition: The Comprehensive Guide for Health Professionals. Humana Press. Totowa, NJ 1997.
3. Dell, BL and Sunde, RA.Handbook of Nutritionally Essential Mineral Elements. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY 1997.
4. Fauci et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Fourteenth Ed. McGraw-Hill Co., Inc. 1998.
5. Groff, JL, Gropper, SS, Hunt, SM.Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, Second Ed. West Pub. Co. St. Paul, MN 1995.
6. Hendler, SS.The Doctors' Vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia. Fireside. New York, NY 1990.
7. Kastrup EK et al. Drug Facts and Comparisons. Facts and Comparisons.
8. Lieberman, S and Bruning, N.The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book, Second Ed. Avery Publishing Group. Garden City, NY 1997.
9. Machlin, LJ.Handbook of Vitamins, Second Ed. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New York, NY 1991.
10. Meletis, CD and Jacobs, T.The Practitioner's Guide to Drug-Nutrient and Nutrient-Nutrient Interactions. 1996.
11. Papas, AM et al. Antioxidant Status, Diet, Nutrition and Health. CRC Press, LLC. Boca Raton, FL 1999.
12. Pence, BC and Dunn, DM.Nutrition & Women's Cancers. CRC Press, LLC. Boca Raton, FL 1998.
13. Werbach, MR.Nutritional Influences on Illness, Second Ed. Third Line Press. Tarzana, CA 1996.
Find more books on health and wellness at  barnesandnoble.com.
Articles
- 1. Ajayi OA; George BO; Ipadeola T.Clinical trial of riboflavin in sickle cell disease. East Afr Med J, 70(7):418-21 1993 Jul.
- 2. Madigan SM; Tracey F; McNulty H; Eaton-Evans J; Coulter J; McCartney H; Strain JJ.Riboflavin and vitamin B-6 intakes and status and biochemical response to riboflavin supplementation in free-living elderly people. Am J Clin Nutr, 68(2):389-95 1998 Aug.
- 3. Roe DA; Kalkwarf H; Stevens J.Effect of fiber supplements on the apparent absorption of pharmacological doses of riboflavin. J Am Diet Assoc 1988 Feb;88(2):211-3.
- 4. Schoenen J; Jacquy J; Lenaerts M.Effectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. A randomized controlled trial. Neurology, 50(2):466-70 1998 Feb.
- 5. Suboti"canec K; Stavljeni'c A; Schalch W; Buzina R.Effects of pyridoxine and riboflavin supplementation on physical fitness in young adolescents. Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 60(1):81-8 1990.
- 6. van der Beek EJ; van Dokkum W; Wedel M; Schrijver J; van den Berg H.Thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin B6: impact of restricted intake on physical performance in man. J Am Coll Nutr, 13(6):629-40 1994 Dec.
- 7. Webster RP; Gawde MD; Bhattacharya RK.Modulation of carcinogen-induced DNA damage and repair enzyme activity by dietary riboflavin. Cancer Lett, 98(2):129-35 1996 Jan 2.
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