Vitamin B2
Alternate Names : Riboflavin
What food source is the nutrient found in?
Good sources of riboflavin include:
milk and dairy products
meat and eggs
leafy, dark green vegetables
whole-grain or enriched breads and cereals
organ meats such as liver, kidney, and heart
In the United States, milk products supply about half of
the riboflavin that people get. Ultraviolet light, such as sunlight,
destroys riboflavin. This is why milk is stored in opaque plastic or
cardboard containers. Unlike other vitamins, riboflavin is not destroyed
by cooking.
However, when grains are milled, or refined, most of the
riboflavin and other nutrients are removed. This makes whole-grain foods,
such as oatmeal and whole wheat, better choices. Enriched refined foods
are also healthy choices because the riboflavin lost in refining has
been added back in. Refined - but non-enriched foods, such as white rice,
do not supply riboflavin in any significant amount. The content of
riboflavin in some common foods is as follows:
1 cup of milk = 0.4 milligram (mg)
1 cup of cottage cheese = 0.37 mg
1 cup of yogurt = 1.6 mg
3-ounce pork chop = 0.24 mg
3 ounces of beef liver, braised = 3.5 mg
How does the nutrient affect the body?
Riboflavin helps keep the body healthy in a number of ways,
including the following:
It helps to convert food into energy.
It is also needed to convert an amino acid called tryptophan
into niacin.
It works closely with other B vitamins.
It helps make red blood cells and it keeps body tissues healthy,
especially the skin and eyes.
It is key to healthy growth and development.
It helps the body make and control certain hormones.
The recommended daily allowances, called RDAs,
for this nutrient are:
adult men from age 19 to 50: 1.7 milligrams (mg)
men older than age 50: 1.4 mg
adult women from age 19 to 50: 1.3 mg
women older than age 50: 1.2 mg
pregnant women: 1.6 mg
breastfeeding women: 1.8 mg during the first six months and 1.7
mg the next six months after the baby's birth
Several servings per day of riboflavin-rich foods are
needed to meet requirements. Because riboflavin is found in so
many foods, a balanced diet will usually provide enough.
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