Information on Vitamin B2
Vitamin B2 is more commonly known as riboflavin. Like all B vitamins, riboflavin is water soluble, so it is not stored in the body and must be consumed every day. Riboflavin can be found in most multi and B complex vitamins, as well as food sources.
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What B2 Does in the Body
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Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is responsible for cell growth and energy production. B2 is especially helpful in converting carbohydrates into energy, and is essential to red blood cell production. Vitamin B2 is also used to metabolize fats, carbohydrates and protein.
How Much You Need
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Vitamin B2 is a water soluble vitamin. This means that when there is too much in the body, it leaves through the urine, making this vitamin non-toxic to the body, even in large doses. Deficiency is not common due to the availability of foods containing this vitamin in developed countries. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for males fourteen years and older is 1.3mg/day. The RDA for females ages fourteen to eighteen is 1.0mg/day, and 1.1mg/day after nineteen years of age. For pregnant women the RDA is 1.4mg/day.
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Food Sources
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Vitamin B2 is found in many different plant and animal products. Milk and dairy products and most meats (especially liver) are high in B2. (Many chemical reactions take place in animal livers, so they are naturally high in vitamin A and B vitamins.) Other food sources include eggs, nuts, enriched grains and most green vegetables, especially asparagus and broccoli.
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References
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