Riboflavin and multiple sclerosis: what the research shows
What it found
In people with MS, some trials and case-control studies found that riboflavin supplements or higher dietary riboflavin improved neurological motor disability, but one six-month trial found no improvement.
Animal studies show riboflavin deficiency causes nerve damage, and riboflavin may protect nerves.
What they found
Studies in people
Riboflavin and MS risk
One randomized controlled trial found that riboflavin supplements significantly reduced disability scores and improved cognitive function in MS patients. Another double-blind trial giving 10 mg per day for six months found no improvement in disability status. A case-control study found that higher riboflavin intake was linked to a lower risk of MS.
Animal and lab studies
Nerve damage in animals
Animals fed a riboflavin-deficient diet developed signs of nerve damage, including demyelination and swelling in peripheral nerves. These changes appeared over time and affected the sciatic, cervical, and lumbar nerves.
Immune effects
In mice with an MS-like disease, riboflavin reduced motor disability and increased levels of certain immune and nerve-growth factors in the brain and spinal cord. In lab tests, macrophages (a type of immune cell) were sensitive to riboflavin deficiency, which reduced their ability to fight pathogens.
Antioxidant role
Riboflavin is needed for the normal function of glutathione reductase, an antioxidant enzyme. Deficiency leads to oxidative damage, which may contribute to myelin degeneration.
Studies in people and animals
Genes and transport
Mutations in genes that transport riboflavin into cells are linked to severe inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Treatment with riboflavin can stop disease progression in most patients with these transporter disorders.
What the authors conclude
- They say riboflavin may be considered a probable complementary agent to reduce the harmful effects of neurological disability in MS and animal models.
- They state that the mechanism by which riboflavin protects against demyelination possibly involves neurotrophins, especially BDNF.
- They conclude that further interventional studies on human populations are required to establish the effects of riboflavin.
How it was done
Riboflavin is needed for myelin formation, and a lack of it has been suggested as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis. The authors wanted to review the evidence on whether riboflavin helps in MS.
They searched medical databases for clinical trials, experimental studies, and case-control studies from 1976 to 2017 that looked at riboflavin and MS or demyelination. They included both human and animal studies, with no limits on age, gender, or ethnicity.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the research so far is in animals or cells, so it cannot show what happens in people.
- The human studies are few and some have conflicting results, so it is not clear whether riboflavin helps MS in people.
- This review cannot prove that riboflavin prevents or treats MS; more human trials are needed.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Abadan School of Medical Sciences, Iran; Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran; Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Update on riboflavin and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review
- 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
- Full text
- Cite
- Naghashpour M, Jafarirad S, Amani R, Sarkaki A, Saedisomeolia A (2017). Update on riboflavin and multiple sclerosis: a systematic review. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences. doi:10.22038/IJBMS.2017.9257Free full textPubMed 29085589DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error