Have you started noticing strange cracks at the corners of your lipline? You even tried
moisturizers, lip balms, and organic skin care products to erase them, but nothing seemed to
work. If this has been your situation for a while now, you could be vitamin B2 deficient!
Today’s video will be spilling beans about the various roles performed by
vitamin B2 in your body; we will get to know some lesser-known facts about it;
the possible signs of its deficiency; sources we can get it from, and a lot more.
First off, let’s discuss Vitamin B2’s role in energy production.
Your body is fueled by energy derived from food. Whatever you eat, crispy chips or veggies,
all of it gets converted into energy. Vitamin B2 is a water-soluble vitamin;
its role in providing your body with energy is to metabolize fats, proteins, and carbohydrates from
your food and break them down into glucose. The body then absorbs glucose and converts it
into energy-carrying molecules called Adenosine triphosphate or ATP (the cell's energy currency).
To boost your energy levels, you’ll need to up your B2 intake,
but that’s not all this vitamin can do for you; let’s look at the benefits of Vitamin B2.
Vitamin B2 boosts your immune responses.
Did you know your body has a defense system to
keep harmful pathogens away? We call it the immune system! Your immune system is
responsible for fighting off infections and allergies and keeping you healthy.
It does so with the help of immune cells such as white blood cells, B cells, and T cells. Studies
have shown that dietary intake of vitamin b2 (also referred to as riboflavin) strengthens
your immune responses and gives the much-needed push to your immune system to ward off illnesses.
Do you ever wish for soft, supple, and glowing skin?
As you age, it’s normal for your skin to start showing signs of wrinkles, fine lines, dark spots,
and pigmentation. However, If you’re looking to “erase” the marks of time, try vitamin B2!
Your body needs free radicals to perform various cellular functions, but when produced in excess
amounts, they can cause oxidative stress making your skin dull and dry. Riboflavin is an excellent
antioxidant that can scavenge these free radicals in your skin and restore its youthful charm. It
is also beneficial in protecting your skin against pollution and UV damage.
Do you experience frequent migraines?
One of the main functions of vitamin B2 is treating migraine headaches.
Studies have shown that riboflavin supplements are beneficial for headaches
in adults and children because it plays a crucial role in mitochondrial function,
which is quite central to neurological or brain-related processes. Its insufficiency
can cause severe disruptions in nerve cell communication and hamper your brain-body links.
So the next time an intense headache hits you with throbbing pain,
remember it could be your low B2 levels causing it.
Moving on, vitamin B2 can help prevent cancers.
Studies have shown that riboflavin can help prevent and treat cancer.
The free radicals present in your body can sometimes inflict severe damage on the DNA,
which is one of the leading causes of cancer.
Vitamin B2 neutralizes free radicals and saves you from such life-threatening illnesses.
Research on nonsmokers found that increasing riboflavin in their diets significantly lowered
their risk of developing lung cancer. But don’t take that as a sign to continue smoking; vitamin
B2 won’t balance the side effects of smoking, and you still can eventually develop lung cancer;
it’s better to up and quit altogether while introducing more riboflavin into your diet.
Guess what? B2 can help improve your vision!
Studies have shown that vitamin B2 supplementation is excellent
at combating diseases like cataracts and glaucoma.
Cataracts occur when your eye's lens becomes cloudy and your vision becomes blurred. Your eye
lens is a light-sensitive membrane that functions like the lens in a camera. It is responsible for
focusing the light that passes through your eyes and onto the retina to form clear images.
Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions clubbed together that can result in blurred vision,
pain, puffiness, and redness, and sometimes, you tend to see colored
halos around lights. Glaucoma occurs if damage is caused to the optic nerve,
which is crucial for establishing links between your brain and eyes.
Increasing your riboflavin intake in your diet can help you prevent
these diseases and stop them right in their growing stages.
Lastly, it also helps in keeping your heart healthy.
Studies have shown that riboflavin is essential in regulating blood pressure,
a significant risk factor for heart disease. A vitamin B2-rich diet reduces the strain on
your arteries and heart muscles and prevents the development of coronary heart disease.
Research shows that riboflavin supplementation also reduces your homocysteine levels by 25%,
an amino acid whose high levels can trigger a stroke or heart attack.
Fun Facts about vitamin B2
Riboflavin contains a yellow-green fluorescent pigment, which causes
urine to turn yellow. The yellow color of your urine indicates that
your body is absorbing the nutrient well and everything is in order.
Here’s another: Do you take birth control pills as a contraceptive?
Then you are one step closer to experiencing riboflavin deficiency.
Research suggests that women who take birth control pills are more likely to
have low vitamin B2 reserves due to impaired absorption caused by these medications!
But how do we know that we are running deficient in this nutrient? Well,
you need to watch out for the following:
1. Dry skin: does your skin feel flaky, rough, and itchy? If yes, then this could be a sign
of vitamin B2 deficiency. It’s a common condition and affects those of all ages.
The location of these dry patches can vary from person to person and are often accompanied by
a strong urge to scratch. This condition is also known as xerosis or xeroderma. Sometimes,
overbathing, harsh soaps, and sun damage can trigger xeroderma.
2. Cracked lips: if the weather is warm and you still experience chapped lips, then take it as a
sign you have low reserves of vitamin B2. Simple self-care and lip balms can help you deal with
cracked lips. However, if the situation doesn’t improve over time, it could be cheilitis, a severe
condition where your lips become highly cracked and dry. Cheilitis is often characterized by dark
red or pink colored lips, fissures on the ends, lumpy texture, and white plaques on the surface.
3. Mouth ulcers: sometimes, a vitamin B2 deficiency can develop a tiny,
shallow canker sore in the inner lining of your mouth or near your gums.
These are called mouth ulcers. They can give you a hard time while eating, drinking,
and talking. It usually takes them a week to subside, and they are rarely contagious.
With the onset of mouth ulcers, drinking cold and hot beverages can become challenging.
4. Sore throat: Did you know a scratchy voice is a hallmark sign of vitamin B2
insufficiency? That’s right! A lousy throat can cause difficulty swallowing, breathing, and even
opening your mouth. Sometimes it can also lead to an unexplained earache. A sore throat mostly
goes away on its own. However, seek advice from a doctor if the issue persists for a few weeks.
5. Scrotal dermatitis: In males, riboflavin deficiency can trigger a skin infection
called scrotal dermatitis. It is characterized by severe itching and scaling in the genital area;
sometimes, it can leave your skin with red patches. You have to be careful about
not giving in to scratching urges, which could open your sores and cause bacterial infections.
6. Iron- deficiency anemia: do you feel tired throughout your day? Does everything
around you seem blurred? Does your head feel dizzy when you wake up from a deep
sleep? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this could indicate that you are
anemic or have low iron levels. Studies have shown that vitamin B2 deficiency can
lead to impaired iron absorption or anemia, which is why their symptoms often overlap.
7. Sensitive eyes: if a small gush of wind makes your eyes watery;
bright light hampers your vision; or you feel a constant urge to rub them,
then this could be because of a vitamin B2 deficiency. Low reserves of riboflavin can
make your eyes extra sensitive, and you might face trouble with your vision.
How do we make up our low B2 reserves? What are some good sources?
An average adult requires a minimum of 1 milligram of vitamin B2. You can
find B2 in your favorite breakfast options: eggs, milk, and cereals.
Vegetables like spinach can also be excellent go-to options.
For meat lovers, organ meats like kidneys and liver are the best alternatives. Of these,
pan-fried beef liver is often considered the most abundant source of riboflavin which contains
almost 3 milligrams of vitamin B2 per serving. That’s three times the daily recommended amount!
Other great sources of riboflavin are oats, mushrooms, chicken, quinoa,
bagels, salmon, cheese, apple, kidney beans, sunflower seeds, clam, and rice.
It’s pretty surprising that even though meats contain the most B2,
the total riboflavin intake in the U.S. is fulfilled by milk,
bread, and ready-to-eat cereals, making riboflavin deficiency extremely rare in the United States.
From energy production to preventing strokes, vitamin B2 is definitely an
all-around beneficial vitamin. Make sure to include sources of this vitamin in your daily
diet and say hello to healthy living. Want to learn more about nutritional deficiencies?
Check out 8 Warning Signs You’re DEFICIENT In VITAMIN B1 (Thiamine)
Or What Happens To Your Body When You’re Lacking Vitamin C!
Go ahead. Click one. Or better yet, watch both. Did you notice
any signs of riboflavin deficiency? Let us know in the comments section.