B2-Riboflavin

Vitamin B2:

-helps produce energy

-is an antioxidant working to rid the body of free radicals (helps liver in detox process)

-Needed to help the body change vitamin B6 and folate into usable forms.

-Body growth and red blood cell production

- Prevention of migraine headaches

It is hard not to get technical when talking about some of the B vitamins. Luckily Health Mastery Institute’s nutrition program is very thorough! Riboflavin takes the form of flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or flavin mononucleotide (FMN) when active in the body’s energy pathways. Among many of FAD’s roles, one is to be a cofactor for an enzyme called methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). Being a cofactor means FAD is required to be present for the creation of MTHFR. This is important because MTHFR is involved in the breakdown of homocysteine, and high levels of homocysteine have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

Energy production and metabolic processes in the body require the use of oxygen. However, oxygen containing molecules are highly reactive and can cause harm to many structures in the body, including blood vessel linings and joint tissues. Glutathione helps to prevent this damage and, glutathione must be constantly recycled. Vitamin B2 allows this to happen, as it is a cofactor for the enzyme glutathione reductase, which reduces the oxidized form of glutathione back to its reduced version.

It is best to get this vitamin through your diet rather than in supplement form.

Sources: The best sources of riboflavin include almonds, whole grains, wild rice, mushrooms, soybeans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

Riboflavin is destroyed by light and boiling. Best absorbed when eaten on their own as a mono meal (just brussels sprouts, just broccoli)2 types of deficiency: If a person is getting no food with riboflavin or has intestinal issues and can’t digest their food in the intestine he or she will have very cracked lips in corner of mouth, dry skin, mouth ulcers