Vitamin B2 is important for healthy vision, is a key in energy production, is needed for growth and repair of all body tissues, maintains mucous membrane in the digestive tract and around lips, mouth and tongue, helps prevent migraines, helps protect cells from free radical damage, is needed to create antibodies, is needed to form red blood cells, is needed to absorb iron and B6, supports healthy levels of other B vitamins in the body, helps treat carpal tunnel, is important for fetal development, and helps lower cardiovascular disease by helping to reduce homocysteine levels in the body. Sources include eggs, green vegetables, dairy products, mushroom, meats, and almonds.
Quick Facts
-Required to produce energy, for fat metabolism, and cell function
-Produces molecules FAD and and FMN, which act as coenzymes for many processes in the metabolism
-Helps maintain skin, nervous system, red blood cells, vision, and mucous membranes
[47]
-Important for healthy vision and to prevent eye fatigue, may prevent cataracts, key in energy production, needed for growth and repair of all body tissues, maintains mucous membrane in digestive tract and around lips, mouth and tongue, helps prevent migraines, helps protect cells from free radical damage, needed to create antibodies, needed to form red blood cells, needed to absorb iron and B6, supports healthy levels of other B vitamins in the body, helps treat carpal tunnel, important for fetal development, helps lower cardiovascular disease by helping to reduce homocysteine levels in the body [160]
RDI
Males 19 – 30 yrs: 1.3 mg
Females 19 – 30 yrs: 1.1 mg
[128]
Deficiency
-Eczema, peeling skin around nose, cracks or sores at corners of mouth or on lips, swollen or sore throat, shiny red-purple or inflamed or sore tongue, loss of taste, loss of appetite, damage to fetus during pregnancy, anemia, nervousness or irritability or depression due to nerve damage, burning, itching, or bloodshot eyes, sensitivity to bright light [160]
Toxicity
-Unlikely to reach toxicity, especially from food alone. Excessive urination and yellow-orange urination (not harmful), diarrhea [164].
Sources
Eggs, green vegetables, dairy products, mushroom, meats, and almonds [47], liver, spinach, beans, fish, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, romaine lettuce, turnip greens [160]
