Oh, so many B vitamins… folic acid, B6, B12… And our bodies need them all! Vitamin B2 was discovered by accident in the early part of the 20th century when nutritionists were looking for an enzyme that promoted growth in food. What they found instead was a yellow substance that we know now as riboflavin — also known as vitamin B2!
Along with the other B-complex vitamins, vitamin B2 helps your body make energy from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Riboflavin especially promotes the production of energy in the brain! Researchers believe that vitamin B2 may be able to help bring relief to migraine sufferers and help prevent cataracts. A recent study of older women found that those who ate more vitamin B2 had the lowest level of cataract formation.
Vitamin B2 works with glutathione — an enzyme that helps clear free radicals out of the body. When glutathione levels are low, riboflavin can help the enzyme regenerate. Glutathione is also important to people with sickle-cell disease; five milligrams of riboflavin daily can help increase the amount of glutathione and iron in the blood. Riboflavin can improve iron levels in people with iron-deficiency anemia, as well.
Even in large quantities, riboflavin is not toxic. Some people only need five to ten milligrams per day; the average adult needs between one and two milligrams per day — but the body can absorb as much as twenty milligrams at a time. However, this vitamin has a fluorescent yellow color that can affect the color of your urine. Not sure if you’re getting enough vitamin B2 in your diet? Some signs of a vitamin B2 deficiency include hypersensitivity to light and greasy, scaly, dry skin.
The single best source of vitamin B2 is milk. Other dairy products like cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, and ice cream are also good sources of riboflavin. You can get plenty of vitamin B2 from other sources, like meats (especially organs like liver and kidney), leafy green veggies, and enriched breads and cereals. Keep in mind that light can destroy riboflavin in foods — as much as 50% of the riboflavin content in milk, for example, can be lost in just four hours of light exposure.