What is Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) ?
Riboflavin (or vitamin B2) is a water-soluble B vitamin which has several important health benefits including:
- important for the growth, development, and functioning of the cells in your body.
- part of the coenzymes which help to turn the food you eat into energy.
- keeps the skin, eyes and nervous system healthy
- important in the formation of red blood cells,
- Necessary for activating vitamin B6 and folic acid,
- helps to maintain the mucous membranes in the digestive tract.
Dietary Sources of Riboflavin
Good dietary sources of riboflavin include:
- milk and plain yoghurt
- eggs
- legumes, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, and mushrooms
- Leafy greens such as spinach
- brewer’s yeast
- wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals
UV light can destroy riboflavin and so these foods should be kept out of direct sunlight.
How much riboflavin do I need?
The riboflavin requirements for adults are:
- 1.3mg daily for men
- 1.1mg daily for women
You should be able to get all the riboflavin you need from a healthy balanced diet. As riboflavin is water soluble it cannot be stored in the body, and so needs to be taken in your diet every day.
Certain groups of people may have difficulty obtaining enough riboflavin from their diet, such as:
- Athletes who are strict vegetarians (especially those who avoid eggs and dairy)
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women
- women who take oral contraceptives
- People who are vegan or who do not eat dairy.
Riboflavin is found in multivitamin supplements, in B-complex supplements, and in supplements containing only riboflavin. Some supplements have much more than the recommended amounts of riboflavin, but your body cannot absorb more than about 27 mg at a time
Riboflavin Deficiency
Riboflavin deficiency can cause skin disorders (e.g. dry scaly skin), sores at the corners of your mouth, swollen and cracked lips, hair loss, sensitivity to light, and disorders of the reproductive and nervous systems.
Severe, long-term riboflavin deficiency can cause fatigue due to a shortage of red blood cells (anaemia). It can also cause cataracts (clouding of the lens in your eyes) which affects vision.
What happens if I take too much riboflavin?
Riboflavin is safe as excess amounts are usually excreted in the urine (as it is a water soluble vitamin). Riboflavin may cause the urine to turn a dark yellow, but this is a harmless reaction.
Taking 40mg or less a day of riboflavin supplements is unlikely to cause any harm.
Vitamin B2 supplements can be found here.