Riboflavin's health benefits reviewed across many conditions
What it found
Riboflavin may help protect against several conditions, but most evidence comes from animal and lab studies, with few human trials.
What they found
Studies in people
Migraine prevention
A clinical study found riboflavin effective and low-cost for preventing migraines in children and adolescents. In adults, riboflavin combined with feverfew and magnesium reduced migraine attacks over 3 months.
Cataract risk
Higher riboflavin intake was linked to fewer nuclear lens opacities. A high dose of 400 mg per day appeared to have preventive or beneficial effects on age-related cataracts.
Premenstrual syndrome
Women who took in 2.52 mg of riboflavin per day had a 35% lower risk of developing PMS compared to those who took in 1.38 mg per day.
Animal and lab studies
Antioxidant effects
Riboflavin helps destroy reactive oxygen species and is needed for the enzyme glutathione reductase, which converts oxidized glutathione to its reduced form. In fruit flies, supplementation extended lifetime and improved reproduction by boosting antioxidant enzymes.
Sepsis and inflammation
In animal models, riboflavin reduced mortality from septic shock and lowered levels of inflammatory cytokines. Most evidence for anti-inflammatory effects comes from laboratory animals, with few human studies.
Studies in people and animals
Cancer risk
Some studies link higher riboflavin intake to lower risk of colorectal, lung, and cervical cancers, but the authors say the evidence is not yet convincing. In animals, riboflavin inhibited tumour growth and melanoma metastasis.
What the authors conclude
“RF is an important vitamin in the protection and treatment of various medical conditions.”
Also in their conclusions
- They state that riboflavin is an important vitamin in the protection and treatment of various medical conditions.
- They emphasise that due to the few available studies on humans, more data from human clinical trials are essential to conclude precise evidence and dosage information.
- They suggest that through consumption of functional riboflavin-enriched foods, many diseases could possibly be prevented according to currently available scientific evidence.
How it was done
The authors wanted to review the latest findings on riboflavin and various clinical conditions, and to re-evaluate its importance given its beneficial properties.
They reviewed published studies on riboflavin's effects in cells, animals, and people, covering conditions such as sepsis, cancer, migraine, and cataracts.
What it can’t tell you
- Most of the evidence for anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive effects comes from laboratory animal studies, so it may not apply to people.
- The link between riboflavin deficiency and cancer risk has not been satisfactorily established in humans.
- The overall outcomes in cancer studies are optimistic but not yet convincing, and further studies are needed.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions; University of Phayao (from the PubMed record).
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany; University of Phayao, Thailand; Trakia University, Bulgaria
The paper
- Title
- Riboflavin: The Health Benefits of a Forgotten Natural Vitamin
- 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
- Suwannasom N, Kao I, Pruß A, Georgieva R, Bäumler H (2020). Riboflavin: The Health Benefits of a Forgotten Natural Vitamin. International journal of molecular sciences. doi:10.3390/ijms21030950Free full textPubMed 32023913DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error