Riboflavin deficiency, its causes and health effects
What it found
Low riboflavin status is linked to anaemia and high blood pressure across life, and mild deficiency may be common even in richer countries.
The paper reviews evidence from human populations.
What they found
Studies in people
Severe deficiency signs
Severe riboflavin deficiency, mostly seen in low-income countries, shows up as cheilosis, angular stomatitis, glossitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and severe anaemia with erythroid hypoplasia.
Mild deficiency may be missed
Subclinical deficiency may be much more widespread, including in high-income countries, but usually goes undetected because riboflavin biomarkers are rarely measured in human studies.
Health consequences
Low and deficient riboflavin status throughout life is linked to adverse health outcomes including anaemia and hypertension, which could add substantially to the global burden of disease.
Other findings
What riboflavin does
In its cofactor forms FAD and FMN, riboflavin is involved in energy metabolism, the body's antioxidant potential, and interactions with other micronutrients such as iron, vitamin B6 and folate.
What the authors conclude
- They consider the available evidence on the causes, detection and consequences of riboflavin deficiency, from clinical signs to milder manifestations.
- They also consider related research, public health and policy priorities.
How it was done
Severe riboflavin deficiency is largely confined to low-income countries, but milder deficiency may be much more widespread and is rarely detected because riboflavin biomarkers are seldom measured in human studies.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- The paper is a review, so it cannot prove that low riboflavin directly causes anaemia or high blood pressure.
- It cannot say how common mild riboflavin deficiency is, because biomarkers are rarely measured in human studies.
Who paid
- Funding
- Funded by Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (from the PubMed record).
- Authors work at
- Ulster University, Northern Ireland
The paper
- Title
- Causes and Clinical Sequelae of Riboflavin Deficiency
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- McNulty H, Pentieva K, Ward M (2023). Causes and Clinical Sequelae of Riboflavin Deficiency. Annual review of nutrition. doi:10.1146/annurev-nutr-061121-084407PubMed 37603429DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error