Where is riboflavin stored in the body

The best way to get the daily requirement of essential vitamins is to eat a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods. Nutritional requirements. In: Kliegman RM, St. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; chap Markell M, Siddiqi HA. Vitamins and trace elements. Vitamins, trace minerals, and other micronutrients. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Editorial team. The following foods provide riboflavin in the diet: Dairy products Eggs Green leafy vegetables Lean meats Organ meats, such as liver and kidneys Legumes Milk Nuts Breads and cereals are often fortified with riboflavin.

Symptoms of a severe deficiency include: Anemia Mouth or lip sores Skin complaints Sore throat Swelling of mucous membranes Because riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin, leftover amounts leave the body through the urine. Dietary Reference Intakes for riboflavin: Infants 0 to 6 months: 0. Our tremendous staff gives back to our community by coordinating free health screenings, educational programs, and food drives. Learn more. A leading indicator of our success is the feedback we get from our patients.

Vitamin B2 , also called riboflavin, is a water-soluble vitamin. Water-soluble vitamins are stored in the body in very limited amounts and are excreted through the urine. Therefore, it is a good idea to have them in your daily diet. These coenzymes are important in energy production. Riboflavin deficiency occurs as part of multiple nutrient deficiency states. Since riboflavin occurs in a wide variety of foods, deficiency symptoms are rare.

Symptoms have been reported when daily riboflavin intake falls below 0. Symptoms of riboflavin deficiency include:. Riboflavin is relatively nontoxic. Although no adverse effects have been associated with high intakes of riboflavin from food or supplements, the potential may exist. Therefore, caution may be warranted with excessive amounts of riboflavin.

The following populations may be at risk for riboflavin deficiency and may require a supplement:. Evidence that links riboflavin to the prevention of cataracts is unclear. Two large studies showed decreases in cataract rates in people over 65 years taking multivitamins, minerals, riboflavin, and riboflavin with niacin. Although the studies showed decreased risk of cataracts, the mixing of the vitamins made it difficult to tell which supplement caused the benefits.

Talk to your doctor about using riboflavin supplements if you have migraine headaches. In some adults, mg per day may prevent migraines or reduce the number of migraine attacks. To help increase your intake of riboflavin, include some dairy products in your daily diet. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are all good sources of riboflavin. Here are some other examples of foods with riboflavin:.

Riboflavin is rapidly destroyed with exposure to sunlight. Therefore, foods containing riboflavin are best stored in a pantry, in bins, and, when perishable, in the refrigerator. Migraine prophylaxis in adults. Updated January 9, Similarly, the conversion of vitamin B6 to the coenzyme pyridoxal 5'-phosphate needs FMN. In addition, riboflavin helps maintain normal levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood [ 1 ]. Most riboflavin is absorbed in the proximal small intestine [ 4 ].

The body absorbs little riboflavin from single doses beyond 27 mg and stores only small amounts of riboflavin in the liver, heart, and kidneys. When excess amounts are consumed, they are either not absorbed or the small amount that is absorbed is excreted in urine [ 3 ].

Bacteria in the large intestine produce free riboflavin that can be absorbed by the large intestine in amounts that depend on the diet. More riboflavin is produced after ingestion of vegetable-based than meat-based foods [ 2 ]. Riboflavin is yellow and naturally fluorescent when exposed to ultraviolet light [ 1 ]. Moreover, ultraviolet and visible light can rapidly inactivate riboflavin and its derivatives.

Because of this sensitivity, lengthy light therapy to treat jaundice in newborns or skin disorders can lead to riboflavin deficiency. The risk of riboflavin loss from exposure to light is the reason why milk is not typically stored in glass containers [ 3 , 5 ].

Riboflavin status is not routinely measured in healthy people. A stable and sensitive measure of riboflavin deficiency is the erythrocyte glutathione reductase activity coefficient EGRAC , which is based on the ratio between this enzyme's in vitro activity in the presence of FAD to that without added FAD [ 1 , 6 , 7 ].

The most appropriate EGRAC thresholds for indicating normal or abnormal riboflavin status are uncertain [ 6 ]. Another widely used measure of riboflavin status is fluorometric measurement of urinary excretion over 24 hours expressed as total amount of riboflavin excreted or in relation to the amount of creatinine excreted [ 2 ]. Because the body can store only small amounts of riboflavin, urinary excretion reflects dietary intake until tissues are saturated [ 6 ]. Also, urinary excretion levels can decrease with age and increase with exposure to stress and certain drugs, and the amount excreted strongly reflects recent intake [ 1 ].

DRI is the general term for a set of reference values used for planning and assessing nutrient intakes of healthy people. These values, which vary by age and sex, include:. Table 1 lists the current RDAs for riboflavin [ 3 ]. For infants from birth to 12 months, the FNB established an AI for riboflavin that is equivalent to the mean intake of riboflavin in healthy, breastfed infants. Foods that are particularly rich in riboflavin include eggs, organ meats kidneys and liver , lean meats, and milk [ 2 , 4 ].

Green vegetables also contain riboflavin. Grains and cereals are fortified with riboflavin in the United States and many other countries [ 4 ]. The largest dietary contributors of total riboflavin intake in U. The riboflavin in most foods is in the form of FAD, although the main form in eggs and milk is free riboflavin [ 9 ]. Because riboflavin is soluble in water, about twice as much riboflavin content is lost in cooking water when foods are boiled as when they are prepared in other ways, such as by steaming or microwaving [ 11 ].

The U. Food and Drug Administration FDA developed DVs to help consumers compare the nutrient contents of foods and dietary supplements within the context of a total diet.

The DV for riboflavin is 1. FDA does not require food labels to list riboflavin content unless riboflavin has been added to the food. Department of Agriculture's USDA's FoodData Central [ 12 ] lists the nutrient content of many foods and provides a comprehensive list of foods containing riboflavin arranged by nutrient content and food name.

Riboflavin is available in many dietary supplements. Supplements containing riboflavin only or B-complex vitamins that include riboflavin are also available. In most supplements, riboflavin is in the free form, but some supplements have riboflavin 5'-phosphate. Most people in the United States consume the recommended amounts of riboflavin. An analysis of self-reported data from the — NHANES found that intakes of riboflavin were higher in lacto-ovo vegetarians 2.

Among children and teens, the average daily riboflavin intake from foods is 1. In adults, the average daily riboflavin intake from foods is 2. The average daily riboflavin intake from foods and supplements in children and teens is 2.