Riboflavin / Vitamin B2 Review & Information
Riboflavin or vitamin B2, is one of a complex of vitamins that plays a significant role in releasing energy from the nutrients in food. Like all of the B vitamins, riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin.
Two forms of B2, known as FMN and FAD, are coenzymes that participate in chemical reactions that produce energy. These coenzymes can accept and then donate hydrogen atoms, an important process during energy metabolism.
Riboflavin is also essential to the proper function of the immune system and the nervous system. It helps the body build antibodies for defense against illness, and it helps to keep nerve cells intact. Vitamin B2 also helps to produce red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body, and it can also help to heal wounds and burns.
The recommended daily amount of riboflavin is .6 mg per 1000 calories of food or a minimum of 1.2 mg per day. Optimal intake is 1.7 mg/day for men and 1.3 mg per day for women. These amounts can easily be obtained from the diet.
Riboflavin is found in milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, green leafy vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals.
Supplements of riboflavin are used for a variety of conditions in amounts that are much greater than the minimum required for general health.
B2 is often part of a B-complex supplement that can contain 50-75 mg of riboflavin or more. These supplements are used to treat a range of conditions, including numbness, tingling, anxiety, stress and fatigue. Riboflavin is also thought to play a role in treating disorders of the nervous system, including epilepsy and Alzheimer’s disease.
Supplements of vitamin B2 can also be used to treat several other conditions. For example, certain substances in riboflavin may help combat the development of cataracts by limiting the damage free radical oxidation causes to the lenses of the eyes.
Migraines have been successfully treated with high doses of riboflavin, which appears to reduce the frequency and intensity of these debilitating headaches. This may be due to the fact that the brains of people who suffer from migraines have an inadequate supply of energy to stave off migraine attacks, and vitamin B2 may play a role in replenishing that energy supply.
Further, riboflavin appears to be useful in treating skin blemishes caused by rosacea by helping the skin to produce mucus that can help clear up the condition.
And what about riboflavin side effects?
As a water-soluble vitamin, large doses of riboflavin have no known side effects. Excess amounts are simply excreted. The recommended dosage of riboflavin supplements range from 50 to 400 mg, depending on the condition being treated.
For stress management, including immune system enhancement and protection of the nervous system, daily doses in the 50 to 75 mg range appear to be adequate. For migraine sufferers, a dosage of 400 mg of riboflavin per day is often recommended. Riboflavin is available in tablets and capsules and should be stored in dark containers due to the vitamin’s extreme sensitivity to light.
