vitamin B2 - riboflavin

Foods Richest in vitamin B2 - riboflavin

About vitamin B2 - riboflavin

Basic description

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is the only vitamin that produces a visible marker of its passage through the body: excess riboflavin turns urine bright yellow. The flavin in riboflavin derives from flavus, the Latin word for yellow.

Like other B vitamins, riboflavin participates in energy metabolism. More recent research has also established its involvement in iron metabolism.

Well over half of WHF foods provide at least 5% of the DRI for riboflavin. Five qualify as excellent sources, 12 as very good, and 21 as good.

Role in health support

Promotes energy production

Riboflavin is a precursor to two coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), that carry electrons in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and in beta-oxidation of fatty acids. FAD is also required for the enzymatic activation of folate and vitamin B6, linking riboflavin to the broader B-vitamin network.

Offers antioxidant protection

FAD is a cofactor for glutathione reductase, the enzyme that regenerates reduced glutathione (GSH) from its oxidized form (GSSG). GSH is the cell’s primary thiol antioxidant.

Effective antioxidant defense requires multiple nutrients working in concert rather than any single compound. Spinach (0.42 mg B2 per cup), beet greens (0.42 mg), and broccoli (0.19 mg) supply riboflavin alongside other antioxidant nutrients including vitamin C and carotenoids.

Promotes iron metabolism

Marginal riboflavin status impairs erythropoiesis, producing anemia. The mechanism is debated. One hypothesis holds that riboflavin is needed to mobilize stored iron for incorporation into hemoglobin; another suggests that riboflavin deficiency impairs intestinal iron absorption. Both mechanisms may contribute.

Ensuring adequate intake of all hematopoietic nutrients (iron, B2, B6, B12, folate) matters more than focusing on any single one. Recipes like Baked Chicken Breast with Honey Mustard Sauce and 10-Minute Rosemary Lamb Chops combine iron and riboflavin in meaningful amounts.

Summary of food sources

People eating a standard Western diet receive about one-quarter to one-third of their dietary vitamin B2 from milk and other dairy products. If you look at the chart below, you’ll see milk and yogurt represented as good sources of vitamin B2. To this day, dairy is probably the best publicized source of this nutrient.

We would encourage you, though, to explore other sources of vitamin B2. For example, crimini mushrooms are an excellent source of vitamin B2, and many leafy green vegetables also end up as good to excellent sources, as well.

In terms of food groups, we see almost all of them containing foods that are contributors to vitamin B2 nutrition. Many non-dairy animal foods—including turkey, sardines, and eggs—end up in the top third of our B2-rich foods. Legumes—and particularly soy foods—are also well represented.

Many types of vegetables are rich in vitamin B2. In addition to leafy greens, which are rich sources of a wide array of nutrients, we see other Brassica vegetables (including broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts), peppers, root vegetables, and squash on the list of vitamin B2-rich foods.

You can even get vitamin B2 in some natural sweeteners like maple syrup , which contains about 6% of the RDA in just one teaspoon. Our Ginger Yogurt with Fruit is quite rich in vitamin B2, providing almost 40% of the RDA.

As an example of how easy it can be to build a daily meal plan that meets your vitamin B2 needs, let’s do it with three sample meals. For breakfast, we’ll choose Huevos Rancheros. For lunch, we’ll whip up a Healthy Chef’s Salad with Walnuts and French Dressing. For dinner, we’ll choose the Healthy Chicken Caeser Salad. This gives you about one and one-half times the RDA for vitamin B2.

Nutrient rating chart

Introduction to nutrient rating system chart

Read more background information and details of our rating system

WHF ranked as quality sources of
vitamin B2

Food

Serving
Size

Cals

Amount
(mg)

DRI/DV
(%)

Nutrient
Density

World’s
Healthiest
Foods Rating

Spinach

1 cup

41.4

0.42

32

14.0

excellent

Beet Greens

1 cup

38.9

0.42

32

15.0

excellent

Mushrooms, Crimini

1 cup

15.8

0.35

27

30.6

excellent

Asparagus

1 cup

39.6

0.25

19

8.7

excellent

Sea Vegetables

1 TBS

10.8

0.14

11

17.9

excellent

Eggs

1 each

77.5

0.26

20

4.6

very good

Cow’s milk

4 oz

74.4

0.21

16

3.9

very good

Collard Greens

1 cup

62.7

0.20

15

4.4

very good

Broccoli

1 cup

54.6

0.19

15

4.8

very good

Swiss Chard

1 cup

35.0

0.15

12

5.9

very good

Green Beans

1 cup

43.8

0.12

9

3.8

very good

Mushrooms, Shiitake

0.50 cup

40.6

0.12

9

4.1

very good

Bok Choy

1 cup

20.4

0.11

8

7.5

very good

Turnip Greens

1 cup

28.8

0.10

8

4.8

very good

Kale

1 cup

36.4

0.09

7

3.4

very good

Mustard Greens

1 cup

36.4

0.09

7

3.4

very good

Bell Peppers

1 cup

28.5

0.08

6

3.9

very good

Soybeans

1 cup

297.6

0.49

38

2.3

good

Tempeh

4 oz

222.3

0.40

31

2.5

good

Yogurt

1 cup

149.4

0.35

27

3.2

good

Almonds

0.25 cup

132.2

0.23

18

2.4

good

Turkey

4 oz

166.7

0.23

18

1.9

good

Green Peas

1 cup

115.7

0.21

16

2.5

good

Sweet Potato

1 cup

180.0

0.21

16

1.6

good

Sardines

3.20 oz

188.7

0.21

16

1.5

good

Tuna

4 oz

147.4

0.16

12

1.5

good

Winter Squash

1 cup

75.8

0.14

11

2.6

good

Brussels Sprouts

1 cup

56.2

0.12

9

3.0

good

Grapes

1 cup

104.2

0.11

8

1.5

good

Cabbage

1 cup

43.5

0.09

7

2.9

good

Carrots

1 cup

50.0

0.07

5

1.9

good

Summer Squash

1 cup

36.0

0.07

5

2.7

good

Romaine Lettuce

2 cups

16.0

0.06

5

5.2

good

Cauliflower

1 cup

28.5

0.06

5

2.9

good

Celery

1 cup

16.2

0.06

5

5.1

good

Chili Peppers

2 tsp

15.2

0.05

4

4.5

good

Miso

1 TBS

34.2

0.04

3

1.6

good

World’s Healthiest
Foods Rating

Rule

excellent

DRI/DV>=75% OR
Density>=7.6 AND DRI/DV>=10%

very good

DRI/DV>=50% OR
Density>=3.4 AND DRI/DV>=5%

good

DRI/DV>=25% OR
Density>=1.5 AND DRI/DV>=2.5%

Impact of cooking, storage and processing

Arguably, the biggest impact on vitamin B2 nutrition in the food processing chain is due to damage from exposure to light. In fact, one of the reasons your milk is likely to come in a paper carton is to reduce the light damage to the vitamin B2 content.

As light damages the vitamin B2, it produces an off-flavor that makes it taste less fresh. It doesn’t take much of this effect to become noticeable. A 10% change occurs over a few days in glass exposed to light and studies show that milk drinkers can taste the difference.

Luckily, the dairy industry has developed methodology throughout the packaging and delivery chain to reduce this problem. You can help retain the most vitamin B2 in your dairy products by purchasing it in opaque containers whenever it will be exposed to light. It’s also important to note here that the B2 in cheese, yogurt, and other dairy foods is equally susceptible to damage from light, and those foods need opaque storage containers as well.

Vitamin B2 is surprisingly stable to heat and refrigeration. One recent research group found a negligible loss of vitamin B2 over three days of refrigeration.

Historically, vitamin B2 was believed to be the heat stable fraction of vitamin B. That said, there is some loss of vitamin B2 with prolonged cooking techniques. For example, in one research study, milk boiled for 15 minutes loses 27% of its initial vitamin B2 content.

Like most of the other B vitamins, processing of grains from whole to refined robs them of much of the vitamin B2 content. For example, 60% extraction flour, (the kind most commonly used in ordinary white bread, where 40% of the whole grain is lost during processing), contains only one-fifth of the vitamin B2 content of whole unprocessed wheat. The majority of states in the U.S. require “enrichment” of these highly processed flours with B2 (as well as B1, B3, folic acid, and iron). And manufacturers in all states generally comply with the Food and Drug Administration’s voluntary guideline for enrichment of processed flour, which has been around since the 1940’s.

In short, then, the best way to ensure good vitamin B2 content of foods is to eat them fresh, keep them (dairy in particular) from prolonged exposure to light, and keep cooking times brief. Following the meal plans on our site you’ll be encouraged to do all three.

Risk of dietary deficiency

The risk of deficiency of vitamin B2 in the United States is not very high. It appears that only about 2% of American adults fail to reach the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin B2.

There is an emerging concern about vitamin B2 intake in adolescents, especially adolescent girls. This is the combined result of a reduced intake of dairy products and a well-known aversion to fruits and vegetables in this age group.

A varied whole-foods diet readily meets the riboflavin DRI. One serving of soybeans or tempeh provides about 25% of the daily target. Adding spinach or yogurt brings the total past 50%. The remaining gap is easily filled by any combination from the dozens of good riboflavin sources available.

Other circumstances that might contribute to deficiency

As noted above, the risk of vitamin B2 deficiency is not very high and usually requires some special circumstances. Aggressive medication protocols for cancer and AIDS have been reported to cause vitamin B2 deficiency. Vitamin B2 deficiency has also been noted in some indigenous populations that eat diets devoid of plant foods.

Relationship with other nutrients

Vitamin B2 deficiency can impair blood cell production. Although there is some debate about how this happens, it appears that vitamin B2 is necessary to incorporate dietary iron into the forming red blood cell. It has also been hypothesized that deficient vitamin B2 stores impair the absorption of dietary iron.

However this interaction occurs, two separate research groups have shown improvements in blood cell counts through restoring vitamin B2 to the diet in people who had low levels of the vitamin.

As noted above, the stability of vitamin B2 in foods is questionable during storage, particularly if the food is exposed to light. Researchers have recently learned that having other antioxidants in the food, particularly vitamin C, may help to spare the vitamin B2 content.

Vitamin B2 is necessary to convert vitamin B6 to its active form. Hence, deficiency of vitamin B2 could potentially reduce your ability to use vitamin B6, even when there is plenty in your diet.

Risk of dietary toxicity

No credible reports of riboflavin toxicity exist in the literature. The National Academy of Sciences found no evidence of health risk and accordingly did not establish a Tolerable Upper Intake Limit (UL).

Research trials have administered supplemental doses exceeding 20 times the DRI without adverse effects. Dietary toxicity from riboflavin is essentially implausible.

One warning, though—vitamin B2 can tend to make the urine appear very yellow. Diets rich in vitamin B2 may induce this effect. It is not considered harmful, but it may appear unusual at first.

Disease checklist

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Migraine headache
• Congestive heart failure
• High homocysteine
• Cataract
• Parkinson’s disease
• Hypertension

Public health recommendations

In 1998, the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) established a set of Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for vitamin B2 that included Recommended Dietary Intakes (RDAs) by age and gender. Note that the standards for infants under one year of age are Adequate Intake (AI) standards. These are summarized below.

• 0-6 months: 0.3 mg
• 6-12 months: 0.4 mg
• 1-3 years: 0.5 mg
• 4-8 years: 0.6 mg
• 9-13 years: 0.9 mg
• 14-18 years, female: 1.0 mg
• 14-18 years, male: 1.3 mg
• 19+ years, female: 1.1 mg
• 19+ years, male: 1.3 mg
• Pregnant women: 1.4 mg
• Lactating women: 1.6 mg

Given the lack of demonstrated toxicity of vitamin B2, the NAS chose not to establish a Tolerable Upper Limit (UL) for vitamin B2 intake.

The Daily Value (DV) for vitamin B2 is 1.7 mg per 2000 calories. This is the value that food labels use as a reference point.

As our WHF recommendation for daily intake of vitamin B2, we chose the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) level for men 14 and older of 1.3 milligrams. (This level is about 20% higher than the DRI for women 19 and older of 1.1 milligrams, and we chose it to make sure that both men and women would be covered by the guideline.)

Description

How it functions

Deficiency symptoms

Toxicity symptoms

Factors that affect function

Nutrient interactions

Health conditions

What health conditions require special emphasis on vitamin b2?

Vitamin B2 may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:

• Anemia
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cataracts
• Migraine
• Rosacea
• Vaginitis

Food sources

References

1. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, vitamin B2, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998;58-86.
2. Hall NK, Chapman TM, Kim HJ, et al. Antioxidant mechanisms of Trolox and ascorbic acid on the oxidation of vitamin B2 in milk under light. Food Chem 2010;118:534-9. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114507742666
3. Jamieson JA, Kuhnlein HV. The paradox of anemia with high meat intake: a review of the multifactorial etiology of anemia in the Inuit of North America. Nutr Rev 2008;66:256-71. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2008.00030.x
4. Olsen JR, Ashoor SH. An assessment of light-induced off-flavors in retail milk. J Dairy Sci 1987;70:1362-70. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(87)80157-1
5. Powers HK. Vitamin B2 (vitamin B2) and health. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:1352-60.
6. Powers HK, Hill MH, Mushtag S, et al. Correcting a marginal vitamin B2 deficiency improves hematologic status in young women in the United Kingdom (RIBOFEM). Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:1274-84. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21030950
7. Ribeiro DO, Pinto DC, Lima LMTR, et al. Chemical stability study of vitamins thiamine, vitamin B2, pyridoxine and ascorbic acid in parenteral nutrition for neonatal use. Nutr J 2011;10:47. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-47
8. Tarar OM, Ali SA, Jamil K, et al. Study to evaluate the impact of heat treatment on water soluble vitamins in milk. J Pak Med Assoc 2010;60:909-12.
9. Vinodkumar M, Rajagopalan S. Efficacy of fortification of school meals with ferrous glycine phosphate and vitamin B2 against anemia and angular stomatitis in children. Food Nutr Bull 2009;30:260-4.
10. Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary reference intakes for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, biotin, and choline. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1998;58-86.
11. Hall NK, Chapman TM, Kim HJ, et al. Antioxidant mechanisms of Trolox and ascorbic acid on the oxidation of riboflavin in milk under light. Food Chem 2010;118:534-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2009.05.017
12. Powers HK. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and health. Am J Clin Nutr 2003;77:1352-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415x.2022.2126760
13. Powers HK, Hill MH, Mushtag S, et al. Correcting a marginal riboflavin deficiency improves hematologic status in young women in the United Kingdom (RIBOFEM). Am J Clin Nutr 2011;93:1274-84. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.110.008409
14. Ribeiro DO, Pinto DC, Lima LMTR, et al. Chemical stability study of vitamins thiamine, riboflavin, pyridoxine and ascorbic acid in parenteral nutrition for neonatal use. Nutr J 2011;10:47. https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-10-47
15. Vinodkumar M, Rajagopalan S. Efficacy of fortification of school meals with ferrous glycine phosphate and riboflavin against anemia and angular stomatitis in children. Food Nutr Bull 2009;30:260-4. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010224
16. Belko AZ. Effects of exercise on riboflavin requirements of young women. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;37:509-517. 1983. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/37.4.509
17. Bender DA. Nutritional biochemistry of the vitamins. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992. 1992. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511615191
18. Beutler E. Nutritional and metabolic aspects of glutathione. Ann Rev Nutr 1989;9:287-302. 1989. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.09.070189.001443
19. Feinman L, Lieber CS. Nutrition and liver disease. Hosp Med 1990 Apr:150-166. 1990. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0261-5614(97)80022-2
20. Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995. 1995.
21. Guerrant NB, O'Hara MB. Vitamin retention in peas and lima beans after blanching, freezing, and processing in tin and in glass, after storage and after cooking. Food Technol 1953;7:473-477. 1953.
22. Inoue K, Katsura E, Kariyone S. Secondary riboflavin deficiency. Vitamin 1956;10:69. 1956. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/17.1.63
23. Jacques PF, Kalmbach R, Bagley PJ et al. The relationship between riboflavin and plasma total homocysteine in the Framingham Offspring cohort is influenced by folate status and the C677T transition in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. J Nutr 2002 Feb;132(2):283-8. 2002. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/132.2.283
24. McNulty H, McKinley MC, Wilson B et al. Impaired functioning of thermolabile methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is dependent on riboflavin status: implications for riboflavin requirements. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Aug;76(2):436-41. 2002. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/76.2.436
25. Merrill AH, Lambeth JD, Edmonson DE, et al. Formation and mode of flavoproteins. Ann Rev Nutr 1981;1:281-317. 1981. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.01.070181.001433
26. Woodcock EA, Warthesen JJ, Labuza TP. Riboflavin photochemical degradation in pasta measured by high performance liquid chromatography. J Food Sci 1982;47:545-555. 1982. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1982.tb10120.x
27. Belko AZ. Effects of exercise on riboflavin requirements of young women. Am J Clin Nutr 1983;37:509-517 1983. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/37.4.509
28. Bender DA. Nutritional biochemistry of the vitamins. Cambridge University Press, New York, 1992 1992. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511615191
29. Beutler E. Nutritional and metabolic aspects of glutathione. Ann Rev Nutr 1989;9:287-302 1989. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.09.070189.001443
30. Feinman L, Lieber CS. Nutrition and liver disease. Hosp Med 1990 Apr:150-166 1990. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0261-5614(97)80022-2
31. Groff JL, Gropper SS, Hunt SM. Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism. West Publishing Company, New York, 1995 1995.
32. Guerrant NB, O'Hara MB. Vitamin retention in peas and lima beans after blanching, freezing, and processing in tin and in glass, after storage and after cooking. Food Technol 1953;7:473-477 1953.
33. Inoue K, Katsura E, Kariyone S. Secondary riboflavin deficiency. Vitamin 1956;10:69 1956. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/17.1.63
34. Jacques PF, Kalmbach R, Bagley PJ et al. The relationship between riboflavin and plasma total homocysteine in the Framingham Offspring cohort is influenced by folate status and the C677T transition in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase. J Nutr 2002 Feb;132(2):283-8 2002. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/132.2.283
35. McNulty H, McKinley MC, Wilson B et al. Impaired functioning of thermolabile methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase is dependent on riboflavin status: implications for riboflavin requirements. Am J Clin Nutr 2002 Aug;76(2):436-41 2002. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/76.2.436
36. Merrill AH, Lambeth JD, Edmonson DE, et al. Formation and mode of flavoproteins. Ann Rev Nutr 1981;1:281-317 1981. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nu.01.070181.001433
37. Woodcock EA, Warthesen JJ, Labuza TP. Riboflavin photochemical degradation in pasta measured by high performance liquid chromatography. J Food Sci 1982;47:545-555 1982. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1982.tb10120.x