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Vitamin B2 known also as riboflavin is a member of the B-complex group and a member of the water-soluble vitamins. It is found naturally in the same foods in which other B vitamins are found. Riboflavin is a component of two coenzymes FMN (flavin mononucleotide and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide). The name comes from the Latin word flavin meaning “yellow’.

Vitamin B2 functions in the breakdown and utilization of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The vitamin is easily absorbed from the walls of the small intestine. Only negligible amounts are stored in the liver therefore, must be supplied in the diet regularly. Excess amounts are excreted in the urine and impart a bright flurecant yellow color to the urine. The amount excreted depends on the amount taken.

The amounts of vitamin B2 in foods are extremely small and often difficult to obtain a sufficient supply. Best sources are organ meats and liver, mushrooms and spinach. One –quarter of the riboflavin in our diet comes from milk products. The rest of riboflavin intake is from enriched foods and supplements. Riboflavin is stable in the presence of acid, oxygen and heat but it is extremely sensitive in the presence of alkali and ultraviolet light.

The Role of B2 Vitamin in Health

Riboflavin plays a special role in the prevention of visual disturbances. Its deficiency can create symptoms and conditions such as sand like filling inside the eyelids; eye fatigue; cracks, sores and lesions in the corner of the mouth and lips; inflammation of the tongue; sluggishness; dizziness; retarded growth; digestive problems; pellagra; seborrheic dermatitis; trembling and baldness.

There is no known toxicity of riboflavin and therefore no upper level. However, if the intake of large doses for long periods of time persists it may result in loses of other vitamin B vitamins such as Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5….through urine. Alcoholics, users of Phenobarbitals and those who don’t consume any milk or milk products risk a riboflavin deficiency.

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Thiamin or Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin that functions as a coenzyme necessary for the breakdown of carbohydrates that produce energy in the form of glucose. Thiamin it is referred some times as the “morale vitamin” because of its effect on a healthy nervous system and improving learning capacity.

The name Thiamin (Thiamine) comes from the words thio, meaning sulfur and amine referring to the nitrogen groups in the molecule. In more modern spelling the letter e is dropped from the word Thiamine. Christian Eijkman, Nobel Prize winner in Physiology or Medicine, 1929, first pointed out a component in the husk of rice, which was later named vitamin B1.

Thiamin is found in a wide variety of foods but generally in small amounts. Meats (except pork), milk, milk products, fish, sea food and most fruit contain very little vitamin B1. Some selfish and fish contain an enzyme (thiaminase) that actually destroys Vitamin B1 but, fortunately cooking destroys the enzyme. Thiamin is however sensitive to heat and high alkaline solutions (>7). Therefore, prolonged exposure to heat-overcooked foods- and the use of baking soda in green vegetables to retain their green color will destroy the functions of the vitamin.

Thiamin is absorbed rapidly in the upper and lower small intestine. It is not stored in the body in any worth mention quantity and therefore must be supplied daily. Smoking, alcohol and excess sugar will cause thiamin depletion. There is no upper level intake for this nutrient as it appears to be no adverse effects with excess intake from food or supplements. Foods with high Thiamin content are pork and pork products, legumes, sunflower seeds, watermelon, green beans, asparagus and mushrooms.

A decline in vitamin B1 levels will occur with age. Deficiency is most commonly found in alcoholic’s, people with malabsorption conditions, people with a very poor diet, children with congenital heart disease, people with chronic fatigue, people on regular kidney dialysis- here B1 deficiency can result in fatal complications. The classic Thiamin deficiency disease is beriberi.

The Role of B1 Vitamin in Health

Deficiency in vitamin B1 makes it hard for a person not only to digest carbohydrates but additionally leaves much pyruvic acid in the blood which causes oxygen deficiency and may result in loss of physical and mental alertness, cardiac damage, difficulty with breathing, fatigue, apathy, loss of appetite, emotional instability, heart irregularities, abdominal pains, constipation, optic nerve inflammation and dysfunction of the central nervous system (neurons) as it depends on glucose for energy. Vitamin B1 must be taken together with Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3….as part of a B-complex vitamin or a multivitamin supplement.

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The B vitamin family or other ways collectively known as vitamin B-complex are water-soluble substances. They were discovered in the early 1900s and can be cultivated from bacteria, yeasts and molds. The B-complex vitamins action is in providing the body with energy by converting carbohydrates to glucose. They are also vital in the metabolism of fats and proteins. In addition they are essential and perhaps the single most important factor for a healthy nervous system. They are very important for the maintenance of muscle tone of the gastrointestinal tract and the health of eyes, mouth, skin, hair, liver and brain.

Vitamin B is a complex of nine water soluble vitamins
The known B-complex vitamins are B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate, folic acid), B11 (Choline) and B12 (cyanocobalamin). B vitamins are important part of the diet and they are needed to help avoid many health conditions. Because they are water-soluble vitamin B-complex are not stored in the body-they excreted mostly through urine- must be continually replaced. The important think with B-complex vitamins is when taken they must be taken together.

Anyone taken in large doses may be of no therapeutic value or may create a deficiency of the others. In nature nowhere we find a B vitamin isolated from the rest. Need for B vitamins increases during stress and infection. Alcoholics require higher intake for proper metabolism. Additionally pregnant women, coffee users and those that consume excessive amounts of carbohydrates need extra B vitamins. Alcohol, sugar, sulfa drugs and estrogen can destroy B-complex vitamins. When taking B supplements it is important to remember that that the B vitamins exert deferent affects upon each other and any excesses or deficiencies may be harmful.

A balanced diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables should be sufficient to provide all the B vitamins. Unfortunately this is not always the case with everyone’s eating habits. For people over the age of 50-deficiency is common in this age group- the National Academies of Science (NAS) recommends the intake of B vitamin supplements, or B vitamin enriched foods. B-complex vitamin supplements are generally thought to be safe but still should not be taken in very large doses.

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