Riboflavin is yet again another B vitamin that plays an important role in energy metabolism and the conversion of food into fuel. It also protects our cell membranes from oxidative damage and safeguards our eyes, skin, and blood vessels. B2 works as an antioxidant and helps to fight free radicals.
Riboflavin is important for healthy vision and studies have shown promise for riboflavin’s use in the treatment of age-related cataracts [II]. Those who suffer from migraines might also find benefit from Vitamin B2, as it has been shown to reduce the severity and duration of them [I].
Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
Men 19 years and older,1.3 mg/day
Women 19 years and older, 1.1 mg/day
Women pregnant or breastfeeding, 1.4 mg/day
Upper Limit (UL), none has been established
Food Sources of Vitamin B2
Animal Sources: meat, fish, salmon, eggs, and cheese
Organ meats, especially, are loaded with this vitamin!
3 oz cooked lamb liver— 3.9 mg
3 cooked veal kidneys— 1.7 mg
3.5 ounces chicken giblets— 1.5 mg
3 oz cooked deer shoulder meat (venison)— 0.6mg
3 oz cooked king mackerel— 0.5 mg
3.5 oz smoked sockeye salmon— 0.5 mg
2 large raw egg— 0.2 mg
1 ounce gjetost cheese— 0.4 mg
1 ounce hard goat cheese— 0.3 mg
½ cup crumbled feta— 0.6 mg
Plant Sources: brewers yeast, nuts beans, mushrooms, and spirulina
1 cup dry roasted almonds— 1.2 mg
1 ounce almond nut butter— 0.2 mg
3.5 oz grilled Portobello mushroom— 0.5 mg
1 ounce dried shitake mushrooms— 0.4mg
1 tablespoon dried spirulina seaweed— 0.3 mg
If you haven’t worked up the courage to try organ meats yet, here is a classic seared salmon dish to include in your dinner recipe arsenal!
Resources
[I] Boehnke C, Reuter U, Flach U, Schuh-Hofer S, Einhäupl KM, Arnold G. “High-dose riboflavin treatment is efficacious in migraine prophylaxis: an open study in a tertiary care centre”. Eur J Neurol. 2004 Jul;11(7):475-7. Web. June. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15257686>.
[II] Mares-Perlman JA, Brady WE, Klein BE, Klein R, Haus GJ, Palta M, Ritter LL, Shoff SM. “Diet and nuclear lens opacities”. Am J Epidemiol. 1995 Feb 15;141(4):322-34. Web. June. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7840110>.
