Nutrition Facts

The daily recommended requirement of riboflavin is 0.6 mg per 1000 Kcal of energy intake. If a person is consuming 3000 Kcal of energy per day he/she will require approximately 1.8 mg of riboflavin per day. There is no body store of riboflavin and it has to be consumed daily to prevent deficiency disorders of riboflavin. Vitamin-health is incomplete without recommended intake of riboflavin every day.

Deficiency of riboflavin:

The deficiency of riboflavin is known as “ariboflavinosis”. Deficiency of riboflavin is common in many areas of the world. It is more common, especially in the developing countries where rice is the staple food. The reason is, riboflavin is destroyed during cooking of rice as riboflavin is a water soluble vitamin. Ariboflavinosis is sometimes used as an index of malnutrition (state of nutrition) during clinical survey of malnutrition.

The most common symptom associated with riboflavin deficiency is angular stomatitis (inflammation of angle of the mouth) and this occurs frequently among malnourished children (so used as index of malnutrition in malnutrition surveys). Other clinical signs of riboflavin deficiency are glossitis, nasolabial deformity etc. But these are not specific signs of riboflavin deficiency, unlike angular stomatitis.

In many under developed countries the sub-clinical deficiency of riboflavin (hypo riboflavinosis) is present in as many as 80% of the children among lower income groups. Sub clinical riboflavin deficiency is determined by a test known as “erythrocyte glutathione reductase activation test”. Hyporiboflavinosis do not incapacitate the child even if it is very severe, but it can cause many problems of function, especially neurological functions like impaired neuromotor function, impaired wound healing and increased susceptibility to develop cataract (possibly).

Deficiency of riboflavin generally occurs along with deficiency of other B-complex group of vitamins and presents as a part of multiple vitamin deficiency syndrome. But fortunately deficiency of riboflavin is becoming uncommon even in developing countries due to diversification of diet.

Riboflavin is the second among B complex group of vitamins to be identified and so named as vitamin B₂. The main use of riboflavin is in cellular oxidation. Riboflavin also plays a very important role in maintaining the structural integrity of the mucosal layers of the body. In the energy metabolism Riboflavin plays as a co-factor with many enzymes and is essential in maintaining vitamin-health of individuals.

Richest food sources of Riboflavin:

Among plant and animal foods the richest sources of Riboflavin are green leafy vegetables, eggs, liver, milk and kidneys.

Plant sources of Riboflavin:

Riboflavin is widely distributed in the plant kingdom. But some of the plant foods are particularly rich in Riboflavin like green leafy vegetables. Other plant sources of Riboflavin are different cereals (whole as well as milled, unlike thiamin which is present mainly in whole cereals and very less in milled cereals). Pulses are not very rich source, but it can be important source if consumed in larger quantity, as is seen in countries like India and other south Asian countries. The Riboflavin contents of pulses can be increased significantly by germination. For germination pulses (with husk) are soaked in water for approximately 24 hours and cooked after that. Excess cooking can cause loss of riboflavin in the foods.

Animal (meat) sources of Riboflavin:

Many animal foods are rich in Riboflavin. Examples of rich animal sources of Riboflavin are all type of meat, eggs (especially hens egg), liver (especially sheep liver), milk (especially cow’s milk) etc.

The deficiency of thiamin (vitamin B2) is not a common problem these days (which was prevalent in many areas of the world only a few decades ago) although it is still prevalent in many developing countries. Due to improved socioeconomic conditions in many parts of the world and diversification of diet has resulted in reduction of thiamin deficiency. But manifestations of minor degrees of thiamin deficiency are still seen in many areas during nutritional surveys, which are calf tenderness, absence of ankle and knee jerks etc. Deficiency of thiamin is seen among chronic alcoholics in Western countries.

Thiamin (vitamin B₁) deficiency is more common among rice eating population, where highly polished rice is eaten. The most of the thiamin in rice is present in the outermost layer of rice, which is removed during milling of rice and large portion of the vitamin is also lost during cooking (because thiamin is water soluble vitamin and destroyed during heating).

Thiamin (vitamin B₁) deficiency mainly causes two types of deficiency disorders beriberi and Wernick’s encephalopathy. Beriberi mainly occurs in three forms namely dry beriberi, wet beriberi and infantile beriberi.

Dry beriberi:

The manifestations of dry beriberi are mainly of nerve involvement like peripheral neuritis. Nutritional replacement of thiamin can solve the problem of peripheral neuritis.

Wet beriberi:

The manifestations of wet beriberi are mainly of cardiac type and it is also known as cardiac beriberi.

Infantile beriberi:

Infantile beriberi is mainly seen in infants of 2-4 months of age. The baby who suffers from infantile beriberi is generally fed by thiamin deficient mother. The mother generally shows signs of peripheral neuropathy (neuritis).

Wernick’s encephalopathy:

This is most commonly seen in chronic alcoholics who have many other nutritional deficiencies. The characteristics of Wernick’s encephalopathy are mental deterioration, polyneuritis, ophthalmoplegia, and ataxia. Wernick’s encephalopathy can also occurs in persons on fasting.