Health and Fitness

Vitamin B₂ or riboflavin as its also known is one of the members of the vitamin B group. It plays a major role in the process of cellular oxidation. It is also a co factor with a number of enzymes that are involved in energy metabolism.

Dietary sources

The richest natural sources of Vitamin B₂ are eggs, milk, kidney, liver and green leafy vegetables. A small amount is present in fish and meat also. Cereals and pulses have relatively poor content of vitamin B₂. However, germination of the pulses increases this vitamin content and many breakfast cereal manufacturers actually add extra riboflavin.

Deficiency disorders

Deficiency of riboflavin is widespread in populations where rice is the staple food. The reason being that; cereals are a poor sources of Vitamin B₂. Riboflavin deficiency symptoms are almost always seen with the deficiency of other B complex vitamins like pyridoxine. It is a part of multiple vitamin deficiency disorder syndrome. The most common deficiency symptom of vitamin B₂ is Angular Stomatits. The other disorders that occur are glossitis, cheilosis, impaired wound healing, impaired neuromotor functions and may be increased vulnerability to cataract. Most of these signs and symptoms are seen among the malnourished both children and adults. The prevalence of these disorders is used as an index of the socio economic condition of the people and the state of nutrition of the children.

Daily requirement

Vitamin B₂ is not stored in the body. The daily requirement of the vitamin for the body is about 0.6 mg per 1000 Kcal of energy intake.