Vitamin B-2 (riboflavin) supercharges your lungs' capacity to remove oxygen from the air. It also helps in the movement of oxygen from your blood into your cells. Even within the cell, vitamin B-2 is important for the effective use of the oxygen it has helped deliver. Sufficient levels of vitamin B-2 in your lungs will help protect you from the effects of air pollution. As well, working with the other B vitamins, vitamin B-2 helps to metabolize fats, carbohydrates and proteins to supply the body with energy. It is essential for a healthy nervous system and brain, hormone function and a healthy immune system. It helps prevent cataracts, protects against toxins and improves skin conditions such as psoriasis.

Like other vitamins, B-2 is quite unstable and therefore is largely destroyed when food is processed. B-2 is even destroyed by light, especially fluorescent light. Milk is one of the best sources of vitamin B-2, but if it is sold in translucent or transparent containers it loses most of its vitamin B-2 by the time it is consumed.

Foods are your best sources of all nutrients. If your chart shows deficiencies of any B vitamins, increase your intake of vitamin B-rich foods, take a good multivitamin/mineral capsule or a B-complex tablet daily (with a meal) and follow all recommendations to improve your digestion.

Riboflavin (vitamin B-2) is not found in a wide variety of foods and it is easily destroyed. Good sources are dairy foods, fortified grains, mushrooms, leafy green vegetables, fish, eggs, almonds and meat. It is more readily absorbed from meat than vegetables. It's important to cut back on refined sugar and alcohol as they both destroy vitamin B-2 in the body.

Most people have no trouble absorbing vitamin B-2 and excesses are excreted in the urine -- the bright yellow urine you notice when you take B vitamin supplements. Serious deficiencies of B-2 are rare but people who are lactose intolerant or anyone who eats no dairy products or meat would be more at risk. Low levels may be caused by insufficient stomach acid and it's more common in the elderly and those with chronic illness. Pregnancy and breast feeding increase your need for riboflavin (B-2).