Riboflavin and its links to health conditions in people
What it found
Riboflavin plays a role in preventing migraines, anemia, cancer, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, diabetes, and oxidative stress.
A lack of it affects iron absorption, gut health, brain function, and skin.
What they found
Studies in people
Disease prevention roles
Riboflavin may help prevent migraines, anemia, cancer, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, diabetes, and oxidative stress. These effects were seen directly or indirectly across the studies reviewed.
Effects of low riboflavin
Not getting enough riboflavin strongly affects how the body handles iron and certain amino acids. It is also linked to problems with cell energy, the gut, the brain, other vitamins, and the skin.
Studies in people and animals
Uses in medical treatments
Riboflavin can be used to inactivate viruses because of how it reacts to light. It also shows promise as a helper treatment alongside radiation and drugs for cancer.
Other findings
Gut absorption knowledge
Scientists now know much more about how the gut takes in riboflavin and controls that process. This understanding has grown a lot in recent years.
What the authors conclude
- They say that riboflavin helps prevent many diseases and that lacking it harms several body systems.
- Their review highlights that riboflavin can be used to inactivate viruses and support cancer treatments.
- They conclude that learning more about how riboflavin works is needed to build better treatments in the future.
How it was done
Scientists have recently learned more about how riboflavin works inside cells and how the gut takes it in. The authors wanted to gather what is known about its role in health and disease.
The authors gathered and summarized published research on riboflavin. They looked at how the body absorbs and uses it, what happens when levels are low, and its links to various diseases. They also examined its use alongside cancer treatments.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This work gathers past studies rather than running new tests, so it cannot prove riboflavin causes these health changes on its own.
- Some findings come from lab settings, which may not match what happens in people taking riboflavin daily.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, India
The paper
- Title
- Riboflavin and health: A review of recent human research
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Thakur K, Tomar SK, Singh AK, Mandal S, Arora S (2017). Riboflavin and health: A review of recent human research. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition. doi:10.1080/10408398.2016.1145104PubMed 27029320DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error