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Riboflavin is continuously excreted in the urine of healthy individuals, making deficiency relatively common when dietary intake is insufficient. However, Riboflavin deficiency is always accompanied by deficiency of other vitamins
B2 Vitamin DeficiencyA deficiency of riboflavin can be primary - due to not getting enough of the vitamin from the diet - or secondary, which may be a result of conditions that affect absorption in the intestine, the body not being able to use the vitamin, or an increase in the excretion of the vitamin from the body.
In humans, signs and symptoms of riboflavin deficiency (ariboflavinosis) include
- cracked and red lips
- inflammation of the lining of mouth and tongue
- mouth ulcers
- cracks at the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis)
- sore throat
A deficiency may also cause dry and scaling skin, fluid in the mucous membranes, and iron-deficiency anemia. The eyes may also become bloodshot, itchy, watery and sensitive to bright light.
These overt signs of riboflavin deficiency are rarely seen among inhabitants of the developed countries. However, about 28 million Americans exhibit a common ‘sub-clinical’ stage.
Riboflavin Deficiency in ChildrenAlthough the effects of long-term sub-clinical riboflavin deficiency are unknown, in children this deficiency results in reduced growth.
Subclinical riboflavin deficiency has also been observed in women taking oral contraceptives, in the elderly, in people with eating disorders, and in disease states such as HIV, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes and chronic heart disease.
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