Q.What is Riboflavin?
A.Riboflavin is a type of B vitamin. It is water soluble, which means it is not stored in the body. You must replenish the vitamin in your body every day.

Q.What are the conditions that may increase the need of Riboflavin?
A.Some conditions may increase your need for riboflavin. These include:
• Alcoholism
• Burns
• Cancer
• Diarrhea (continuing)
• Fever (continuing)
• Illness (continuing)
• Infection
• Intestinal diseases
• Liver disease
• Overactive thyroid
• Serious injury
• Stress (continuing)
• Surgical removal of stomach

Q. What are the potential advantages of taking Vitamin B2?
A.The advantages of this vitamin are many. Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, regulates red blood cell growth and helps maintain a strong immune system by protecting the body from free-radical damage. Vitamin B2 promotes healthy hair, skin, nails, and vision. Without riboflavin, the other B vitamins, especially niacin (vitamin B3) and pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cannot do their job, and a host of chemical processes necessary to keep the body alive would come to a grinding halt. You also need vitamin b2 to produce flavin mononucleotide and flavin adenine dinucleotide, two enzymes that help the body convert fats, carbohydrates, and proteins into energy. Without enough riboflavin, these two enzymes are unable to work together to ensure your cells can both reproduce correctly and supply the body with the fuel it needs stay alive. Vitamin B2 is important to other chemical processes in the body as well. Folate (a naturally occurring form of folic acid) and pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) are transformed by riboflavin into the neurotransmitters crucial for thinking and memory. In fact, people with high levels of vitamin b2 have been shown to perform better on memory

Q.What conditions or problems is vitamin B2 used for?
A.Vitamin b2, or riboflavin, may help treat the following conditions: carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, and migraines. Vitamin b2 may also be helpful in slowing the progression of AIDS. Finally, some athletes take b2 riboflavin supplements to speed recovery from intense training sessions.

Q.Can you get enough Vitamin B2 from food and dietary sources?
A.Since vitamin b2 is readily available in food and dietary sources, very few people are deficient in this vitamin. But those that smoke, take oral contraceptives, or regularly consume alcohol may want to supplement this vitamin, as these substances decrease the amount of b2 your body is able to absorb. Also, the elderly, those who perform regular strenuous exercise, diabetics, and the lactose intolerant may not be able to absorb enough riboflavin from their diet to meet their needs, and may want to consider taking extra riboflavin, or vitamin b2.