What is Vitamin B2?

Vitamin b2 riboflavin powder, also called Riboflavin, is an important vitamin that also acts as an antioxidant within the body. Vitamin B2 is responsible for maintaining healthy blood cells, helping to boost energy levels, facilitating in a healthy metabolism, preventing free radical damage, contributing to growth, protecting skin and eye health, and even more.

Because it's a water soluble vitamin like all B vitamins, Vitamin B2 must be obtained through a healthy diet and replenished often, ideally every day, in order to avoid a riboflavin deficiency. All B vitamins are used to help digest and extract energy from the foods you eat; they do this by converting nutrients from carbohydrates, fats, and proteins into useable energy in the form of “ATP”. For this reason, Vitamin B2 is needed for the functioning of every single cell within your body, and a riboflavin deficiency or lack of B vitamins in your diet can create a number of serious side effects.

Vitamin B2 is used in combination with other B vitamins, which make up the “B Vitamin Complex. In fact B2 must be present in high enough amounts in the body to allow other B vitamins including B6 and folic acid to properly do their jobs. All B vitamins are responsible for important functions including contributing to nerve health, heart and blood health, skin and eye health, reducing inflammation, hormonal function, and are used to maintain a healthy metabolism and digestive system.

Functions of Vitamin B2 Riboflavin Powder

1. Proven to Help Prevent Headaches including Migraines

It is a proven method for dealing with painful migraine headaches. Physicians commonly prescribe riboflavin in high doses of 400 mg. as a preventive treatment for headaches or as a cure for those who regularly experience serious  migraine attacks.

Supplementing with riboflavin has been shown to be a natural headache remedy and to reduce the frequency of migraines, plus it can also help decrease symptoms and pain during a migraine, as well as to shorten the duration.

2. Helps Support Eye Health

Studies have shown that riboflavin deficiency increases the risk for certain eye problems. Vitamin B2 can help prevent eye disorders including cataracts, keratoconus, and glaucoma Research has shown a correlation between people who consume plenty of riboflavin and decreased risks for eye disorders that can appear as someone ages.

To treat eye disorders, riboflavin drops are applied to patient’s corneal surface who suffer from glaucoma, allowing the vitamin to penetrate through the cornea and to increase the strength of the cornea when used with light therapy.

3. Can Help Prevent and Treat Anemia

Anemia is caused by several factors including decreased red cell production, the inability to carry oxygen to the blood, and blood loss. It is involved in all of these functions and helps to prevent and treat cases of anemia.

Vitamin b2 riboflavin powder is required for steroid hormone synthesis and red blood cell production. It also helps the transportation of oxygen to the cells and helps to mobilize iron. When someone experiences a riboflavin deficiency without enough Vitamin B2 present in the diet, they can become more at risk for developing anemia and sickle cell anemia.

Low-levels of vitamin B2 have been correlated with both of these conditions that involve an underutilization of oxygen and problems with red blood cell production. These conditions can result in fatigue, shortness of breath, inability to exercise, and more.

Research suggests that Vitamin B2 is also effective in helping to lower high amounts of homocysteine in the blood. This condition occurs when someone is unable to convert the chemical homocysteine present in blood into amino acids for the body to use. Supplementing with Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) has been shown to help correct this condition and to balance homocysteine levels.

4. Needed for Maintaining Proper Energy Levels

It is used by the body to metabolize food for energy and to maintain proper brain, nerve, digestive, and hormone function. Without high enough levels of riboflavin, riboflavin deficiency occurs and the molecules found in carbohydrate, fat, and protein foods are not able to be properly digested and used for “fuel” that keeps the body running. This is one reason why riboflavin is very important for growth and bodily repair.

It is needed in order to break down proteins into amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates in the form of glucose. This helps convert nutrients from food into usable bodily energy that helps to maintain a healthy metabolism.

Riboflavin is also needed to regulate proper thyroid activity and adrenal function and a riboflavin deficiency can increase the odds of thyroid disease. It is useful in calming the nervous system, battling chronic stress, and regulating hormones which control appetite, energy, mood, temperature, and more.

5. Provides Antioxidant Properties and Defends Against Cancer

Vitamin B2 acts as an antioxidant that controls the presence of damaging free radicals within our body. Vitamin B2 riboflavin is required for the production of an antioxidant called glutathione, which acts as a free radical-killer and also detoxes the liver.

Free radicals are what age the body and when they go uncontrolled, can result in the development of various disease. Vitamin B2 plays a part in defending against disease by maintaining a healthy lining within the digestive tract, where much of the immune system is stored. A healthy digestive system allows the body to absorb and use the most nutrients from your diet that it can, so a riboflavin deficiency can mean less nutrients properly being used for bodily energy.

Vitamin b2 riboflavin powder has been correlated in preliminary studies with helping to prevent certain types of cancer including colorectal cancer, esophageal cancer, cervical cancer, and prostate cancer . Although more research is still needed to know the exact role of riboflavin in cancer prevention, at this time researchers believe that Vitamin B 2 works to minimize the effects ofcancer-producing carcinogens and oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

6. Protects Healthy Hair and Skin

It plays a role in maintaining collagen levels, which makes up healthy skin and hair. Collagen is needed to maintain the youthful structure of skin and to prevent fine lines and wrinkles, so a riboflavin deficiency can make us look aged quicker. Some research suggests that riboflavin can decrease the time needed for wound healing, can reduce skin inflammation ans cracked lips, and can help naturally slow signs of aging.