Riboflavin and chromium

Riboflavin

Riboflavin is one of the B-complex vitamins that is involved in producing energy in all cells of the body. Riboflavin also help change the amino acid tryptophan into niacin. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins.

A deficiency is rare and consuming too much riboflavin does not cause any problems.

The RDA's for riboflavin are as follows:
Adult men - 1.3 mg daily
Adult women - 1.1 mg daily
Pregnant women - 1.4 mg daily
Breastfeeding women - 1.6 mg daily
(For the RDA's for children and adolescents, click on this link and scroll about halfway down)

The major sources of riboflavin are milk, dairy products, and organ meats (liver, kidneys, etc) . Enriched grain products, eggs, green, leafy vegetables, and nuts have smaller amounts. For other sources, click on this link and scroll about 2/3 of the way down.

Ultraviolet light, such as the sun, destroys riboflavin. That's why most milk is packaged in opaque, plastic, or cardboard containers, instead of glass.


Chromium

Chromium is a trace mineral that works with insulin to help your body use blood sugar (blood glucose).

A deficiency in chromium can look like diabetes, because chromium and insulin work closely together. Consuming too much chromium from the diet is unlikely.

The Adequate Intake (AI) levels for chromium have been set at:
Males age 14 to 50 - 35 micrograms (mcg) daily
Males age 51 and up - 30 mcg daily
Females age 14 to 18 - 24 mcg daily
Females age 19 to 50 - 25 mcg daily
Females age 51 and up - 20 mcg daily
Pregnant women - an additional 5 mcg daily
Breastfeeding women - an additional 20 mcg daily
(For additional Adequate Intakes, click this link and scroll about 1/3 of the way down)

The best sources of chromium are meat, eggs, whole-grain foods, and cheese. Most people get enough chromium from their normal diet. (To see more sources and how much chromium they contain, click this link and scroll about 2/3 of the way down.)

There is no evidence that a chromium picolinate supplement will improve physical performance, build muscle, or burn body fat. There is also no evidence that chromium supplements are an alternative to insulin for diabetics. However, research is ongoing to determine if chromium supplements could help control blood sugar in those with type 2 diabetes.