Riboflavin Foods and its Benefits

Riboflavin is a micronutrient. It is required by the humans throughout their life in small quantities. But, it is not produced in the body and is to be supplied through dietary supplements. It plays a key role in the chemical reactions taking place inside the cells which sustain life. Also known as Vitamin B2, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of this vitamin is 1.3 mg/day for men and 1.1 mg/day for women. This vitamin comes out of the body through urine and can lead to its deficiency in the body. Awareness of the foods rich in Riboflavin can address this issue to a great extent.

The main benefits of taking riboflavin foods are:

• Improves anemia when it is used with iron therapy
• Helps in the growth of healthy hair, nail and skin
• Treats carpel tunnel syndrome when used with vitamin B6
• Reduces the effect of cataract formation if taken in the right amount
• Helps in development of healthy fetus
• Relieves cramps during pregnancy

Foods High in Riboflavin
Riboflavin can be included in the daily diet intake. It is also available in the supplement form. Some people may have to take riboflavin supplements due the different requirements or deficiencies.

Some people will benefit from taking riboflavin intake suck as women using contraceptive pills, diabetic patients, pure vegetarians, people on diet, people who consumes alcohol, smokers and elderly people.

The foods rich in riboflavin content are:

• Spinach, asparagus, broccoli
• Vegetables and vegetable products
• Cheese, Yeast, milk and other diary products
• Eggs, Yogurt and other poultry products
• Salmon
• Shell fish varieties
• Lamb’s liver, Beef, Chicken
• Almonds, nuts and other seeds
• Ethnic foods
• Breakfast cereals

The riboflavin in the food is easily absorbed easily with vitamins in the B family. It is an easily soluble vitamin in the water. Drugs which are used to treat depression, smoking, contraceptive pills etc lower the levels of riboflavin from the body.

Some other sources of Vitamin B2 are liver, kidneys, cheese, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, yeast and almonds. As per research studies, even excess consumption of these foods has not been found to be toxic in humans. However, it is important to remember that exposure of milk to the sun’s ultraviolet rays reduces the presence of this vitamin.

Facts on Vitamin B2 Foods:

It is found in baby foods, pastas, breakfast cereals, processed cheese, sauces, fruit drinks and energy drinks.

The daily recommended allowance of this nutrient for pregnant women is 1.4 mg / day.

During the lactation phase, a woman needs to consume 1.6 mg/day of this vitamin to fulfil her and her baby’s requirements.

While infants should be provided 0.3 – 0.4 mg / day of Vitamin B2, children should eat food items with 0.6 – 0.9 mg of riboflavin every day.

In adults, once the level of this vitamin reaches 2.5 mg per day, the body automatically starts excreting the excess through the urine.

People suffering from diabetes, eating disorders, HIV, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic heart disease, elderly people and women taking oral contraceptives are more vulnerable to suffer from deficiency of riboflavin.

People who do not eat adequate amounts of Vitamin B2 foods display symptoms like ulcers in the mouth, inflammation of the tongue and mouth linings, cracked and red lips, cracks in the corners of the mouth, watery, itchy, bloodshot and light-sensitive eyes.

Other signs of riboflavin food deficiencies are fluid in the mucous membrane, sore throat, dry and scaling skin and iron-deficiency anemia.

The milling of cereal grains results in the loss of Vitamin B2 up to 60 percent. This makes cereals one of the low concentrated foods of this nutrient. However, enrichment of the grains increases the presence of riboflavin in cereals.

For more than 30 years, supplements of Vitamin B2 along with light have been used to treat jaundice in infants.

Intake of 400 mg of riboflavin supplements along with 500mg of magnesium citrate on a daily basis is found to prevent the migraine condition.