Vitamin Supplements

Toward the end of the 19th century, a fluorescent pigment was detected in milk whey; subsequently, the pigment was found in other sources (liver and eggs) as well.

Riboflavin is important to the complex processes in your body that give you energy from the foods you consume. It is also needed to convert tryptophan to niacin.

Signs of Riboflavin Deficiency

Studies have shown that signs of deficiency can occur with a consumption of riboflavin at 0.55 mg per day or less. These signs won’t occur overnight, however, because your kidney and liver store small amounts of B2, thus postponing deficiency symptoms for some three to four months of deprivation.

The initial signs of riboflavin deficiency tend to be general in nature, including such things as lost appetite and impaired growth. Soon after, local problems can appear, such as sores and cracks on the nose, lips, and corners of the mouth; tongue swelling and loss of the sense of taste; scaly skin; anemia; reddened eyes and dimmed vision; and depression or hysteria (as a result of damage to the nervous tissue).

Because riboflavin is necessary for vitamin B6 and niacin to work in the body, a B2 deficiency can also produce symptoms related to shortages of these other B vitamins.

Who’s at Risk for Riboflavin Deficiency?

If you answer yes to any of the following questions, you have an above-average risk of developing a riboflavin deficiency.

• Do you chronically take medications such as diuretics, phobenicid (an antigout drug), or antidepressants (tricyclics)? Diuretics and phobenicid increase the excretion of riboflavin in the urine; antidepressants interfere with the metabolism of riboflavin.
• Do you have diabetes? Diabetics tend to excrete increased amounts of riboflavin in their urine.
• Do you exercise, even moderately? As you expend energy, you use riboflavin more rapidly.
• Are you pregnant or breast-feeding? The RDAs advise taking an additional .3 mg of riboflavin per day during pregnancy, an additional .5 mg per day during the first six months of breast-feeding, and an additional .4 mg for longer periods of breast-feeding.

How Much Riboflavin Do You Need?

Because your body stores only small amounts of riboflavin that can gradually become depleted, you need to replenish this B vitamin regularly.

Optimal Daily Riboflavin Allowance

We recommend an Optimal Daily Allowance of 1.8 mg of riboflavin per day, which corresponds to the highest RDA for this vitamin. We have seen no evidence to suggest that doses higher than 1.8 mg are necessary or optimal.

Food Sources

Generous amounts of riboflavin are available in milk and other dairy foods, including cheese, ice cream, and yogurt. (The higher the fat content of a dairy food, the less riboflavin it has.) Meats (especially liver and other organ meats) and fish (including salmon and tuna) are also good sources of riboflavin, as are enriched grain products and green leafy vegetables such as broccoli and spinach.

Exposure to sunlight and ultraviolet light can destroy riboflavin. It is important, therefore, to store riboflavin-rich foods in refrigerators, cupboards, and/or opaque containers that guard them from sunlight.

How much riboflavin do you need to achieve optimal health?

We recommend an optimal intake of 1.8 mg of riboflavin per day, No evidence indicates that you need more.

What special circumstances might affect the amount of riboflavin you need to take?

If you have diabetes, if you exercise, if you take certain medications (including diuretics or tricyclic antidepressants), or if you are pregnant or breast-feeding, be particularly conscientious about getting your ODA for riboflavin.

Is it possible to consume the optimal amount of riboflavin through diet alone?

Surveys show that, on average, men do consume their ODA of riboflavin through diet, and women tend to come close. These are averages, however; many people actually fall short and need a multivitamin supplement or B-complex tablet to help them get an optimal level of riboflavin.

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