Riboflavin, which is also known as vitamin B2, is an important nutrient. Your body uses it in digestion and the processing of oxygen. Without it, you might find it difficult to break down dietary carbohydrates, proteins and fats and your organs would not receive adequate oxygen from your blood. It also has antioxidant properties, which help with medical treatment of certain conditions, and it facilitates your body's processing of other vitamins and nutrients. Riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin, so your body can purge any excess without harm.
Antioxidant Functions
Riboflavin deficiency is associated with increased oxidative stress, which produces free radicals within your body. Free radicals are compounds or molecules with an unstable atomic structure, which attempt to bond with molecules, atoms or stray electrons in order to stabilize. This process can damage your cells, as free radicals bind with molecules in a healthy cell or appropriate its atoms, altering the structure of the cell and impairing its function. Several enzymes within your body use riboflavin to protect against free radical damage by generating molecules with which free radicals may bond harmlessly and catalyzing water-soluble antioxidants, which diminish the risk of damage from free radicals.
Nutrient Interactions
Riboflavin helps you process several other vitamins, including vitamin B6, niacin and folic acid; and many of your digestive enzymes and amino acids also depend on it. Riboflavin also plays a role in iron absorption, which increases your circulating hemoglobin levels and allows your blood to transport oxygen more efficiently. An increase in riboflavin has been shown to improve conditions related to iron deficiency and anemia. However, if you suffer from these conditions, do not attempt to treat them solely by altering your vitamin intake. Consult your doctor for advice on other available treatments as well.
Medical Applications
In addition to its effect on conditions related to iron-deficiency, riboflavin is also known to have some preventative action against age-related cataracts. Researchers attribute this relationship to riboflavin's antioxidant properties, which may protect against oxidative damage to the lens proteins in the eye. Some evidence also shows a potential to treat migraine headache symptoms, as riboflavin can counteract conditions in the brain which impair mitochondrail oxygen metabolism, which affects migraines. As with other medical conditions, the advice of your doctor or nutritionist is important in determining treatments and lifestyle changes, so consult your health care provider before attempting to treat these conditions on your own.
Riboflavin Deficiency
Riboflavin deficiency is uncommon in healthy adults, because the vitamin is common in a variety of foods. However, certain individuals experience a higher risk of deficiency for a variety of reasons. Alcoholism can interfere with your absorption of dietary riboflavin, as can long term stress and illness. Recovery from cancer, surgery and severe burns also puts you at risk for this deficiency, and conditions which impair your dietary intake also increase your risk. These include anorexia, in which you are deprived of all nutrients through self-imposed starvation, and lactose-intolerance, which prevents you from consuming milk and other riboflavin-rich dairy products.
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