Vitamin B-2 – Boosts Bone Health
Vitamin B2, also called riboflavin, is a member of the vitamin B family. Your body does not produce riboflavin and must obtain it from your diet. Vitamin B2 is critical for many physiological processes such as energy production, proper vitamin B6 and folate function, and antioxidant protection. Because it is water-soluble, the body cannot store vitamin B2 like it can with fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D. Without a way to store this vitamin for future use, the only time the body can get the health benefits of B2 is when we ingest it. Strict vegetarians are at greater risk for deficiency given the absence of animal products in their diet.
Musculoskeletal Benefits of Vitamin B2
1. Vitamin B2 is Key for Energy Production
Vitamin B2 is necessary to metabolize the proteins, sugars, and fats that the body uses as energy sources and basic building blocks. Muscle and bone are metabolically hyperactive, constantly building and breaking down. Any disruption in these processes causes a shift to an overall state of breakdown or “catabolism.” Many musculoskeletal diseases, such as osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and sarcopenia, can be conceptualized as situations in which the cellular machinery that destroys overwhelms the cellular machinery that builds. Insufficient vitamin B2 can magnify and accelerate this catabolic process.
2. Vitamin B2 Boosts the Body’s Natural Antioxidant Defenses
Vitamin B2 is key for the optimal function of glutathione reductase, a potent antioxidant that helps protect the body from high-energy oxygen molecules called reactive oxygen species. Unrestrained cellular attack by reactive oxygen species is a known risk factor for chronic muscle, bone, joint, and tendon diseases. Glutathione reductase neutralizes these free radical oxygen molecules and lessens their damaging effects.
3. Vitamin B2 Helps Minimize Chronic Inflammation
Vitamin B2 is necessary for the normal functioning of vitamin B6 and folate. Vitamin B6 and folate are required for converting homocysteine into the key amino acids cysteine and methionine, respectively. High levels of homocysteine have been associated with oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, increased fracture risk, decreased bone mineral density, and collagen dysfunction. These factors are associated with chronic musculoskeletal diseases.
Selected Evidence
Vitamin B2 Boosts Bone Health
Korean researchers examined the association of vitamin B2 intake with osteoporosis risk. The investigators found that decreased riboflavin intake was associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis. (Kim et al. Poor Socioeconomic and Nutritional Status Are Associated with Osteoporosis in Korean Postmenopausal Women: Data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2009. J Am Coll Nutr. 2015;34(5):400-7.)
Vitamin B2 Promotes Joint Health
German researchers examined the effect of vitamin B2 on cartilage health in a rat model of osteoarthritis. The investigators found that a diet higher in B2 helped protect against osteoarthritis. The authors suggested vitamin B2 improves collagen strength indirectly via its interaction with vitamin B6. (Kurz et al. Dietary vitamins and selenium diminish the development of mechanically induced osteoarthritis and increase the expression of antioxidative enzymes in the knee joint of STR/1N mice. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage (2002) 10, 119-126)
Precautions
Riboflavin from natural foods is generally well tolerated. RDA amounts can usually be obtained from a balanced, healthful diet. Upper limits for riboflavin consumption have not been established given riboflavin’s low potential for toxicity. However, any consideration of supplementation should be discussed with a qualified health professional familiar with your unique medical history.
References
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- Powers, H. J. (1999). Current knowledge concerning optimum nutritional status of riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 58(2), 435-440. https://doi.org/10.1079/PNS19990061
- McCormick, D. B. (1989). Two interconnected B vitamins: Riboflavin and pyridoxine. Physiological Reviews, 69(4), 1170-1198. https://doi.org/10.1152/physrev.1989.69.4.1170
- Madigan, S. M., Tracey, F., McNulty, H., et al. (1998). Riboflavin and vitamin B-6 intakes and status and biochemical response to riboflavin supplementation in free-living elderly people. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 68(2), 389-395. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/68.2.389
- Jacques, P. F., Kalmbach, R., Bagley, P. J., et al. (2002). 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 gene. Journal of Nutrition, 132(2), 283-288. https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/132.2.283
- Yazdanpanah, N., Uitterlinden, A. G., Zillikens, M. C., et al. (2008). Low dietary riboflavin but not folate predicts increased fracture risk in postmenopausal women homozygous for the MTHFR 677 T allele. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 23(1), 86-94. https://doi.org/10.1359/jbmr.071010
- University of Maryland Medical Center. (n.d.). Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Retrieved from http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/vitamin-b2-riboflavin
- Nutrients Review. (n.d.). Vitamin B2 (riboflavin). Retrieved from http://www.nutrientsreview.com/vitamins/vitamin-b2-riboflavin.html
- MedlinePlus. (n.d.). Riboflavin (vitamin B2). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/957.html
