Supplement

Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)

Riboflavin, or vitamin B2, is a vitamin that helps cells turn food into energy. People mainly look at it for headache after a spinal puncture, but the evidence there is limited and few clear trial results have been reported. A trial of 181 people with migraine found no clear difference in frequency, while four small studies found blood pressure improved.

Sources: PMID 9484373

Updated 30 September 2026
How we grade
11 studies cited

Best evidence: Grade C
Conditions studied: 7
Outcomes: 18
Graded outcomes: 0015

Evidence by condition

Strong
Moderate
Limited
Very limited

7 conditions

General Cardiovascular Health

General Cardiovascular Health: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Blood Pressure Small Improvement	Improves (the measure goes down)	Small effect	4 studies	320 people
Studies that measured blood pressure Riboflavin supplements for blood pressure lowering in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 41123035 Riboflavin offers a targeted strategy for managing hypertension in patients with the MTHFR 677TT genotype: a 4-y follow-upAm J Clin Nutr · PMID 22277556 Riboflavin lowers blood pressure in cardiovascular disease patients homozygous for the 677C-->T polymorphism in MTHFRJ Hypertens · PMID 19952781 Blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype is responsive to intervention with riboflavin: findings of a targeted randomized trialHypertension · PMID 23608654
	Homocysteine	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	84 people
Studies that measured homocysteine Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin statusEur J Clin Nutr · PMID 12209373 Riboflavin supplementation and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the elderlyJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 19390751 Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphismCirculation · PMID 16380544 Riboflavin supplementation to patients with multiple sclerosis does not improve disability status nor is riboflavin supplementation correlated to homocysteineInt J Vitam Nutr Res · PMID 25305223

Migraine Headache

Migraine Headache: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Migraine Frequency No effect		NoneNo effect	1 study	181 people
Studies that measured migraine frequency Effectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. A randomized controlled trialNeurology · PMID 9484373
	Migraine Duration No effect		NoneNo effect		145 people
	Migraine Severity	Improves (the measure goes down)		2 studies	90 people
Studies that measured migraine severity Medium-dose riboflavin as a prophylactic agent in children with migraine: a preliminary placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, cross-over trialCephalalgia · PMID 20974610 High-dose riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in children: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trialJ Child Neurol · PMID 18984840

Metabolic Health

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Homocysteine: improves
Ferritin: improves

Metabolic Health: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect		NoneNo effect		42 people
	Homocysteine	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	172 people
Studies that measured homocysteine Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin statusEur J Clin Nutr · PMID 12209373 Riboflavin supplementation and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the elderlyJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 19390751 Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphismCirculation · PMID 16380544 Riboflavin supplementation to patients with multiple sclerosis does not improve disability status nor is riboflavin supplementation correlated to homocysteineInt J Vitam Nutr Res · PMID 25305223
	Ferritin	Improves (the measure goes up)			42 people
	Uric Acid	Improves (the measure goes down)			42 people

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile
Homocysteine: improves
Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms: improves

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	Anti-Oxidant Enzyme Profile No effect		NoneNo effect		29 people
	Homocysteine	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	29 people
Studies that measured homocysteine Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin statusEur J Clin Nutr · PMID 12209373 Riboflavin supplementation and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the elderlyJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 19390751 Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphismCirculation · PMID 16380544 Riboflavin supplementation to patients with multiple sclerosis does not improve disability status nor is riboflavin supplementation correlated to homocysteineInt J Vitam Nutr Res · PMID 25305223
	Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms	Improves (the measure goes down)			29 people

Hyperuricemia

C-Reactive Protein (CRP)
Homocysteine: improves
Ferritin: improves

Hyperuricemia: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People
	C-Reactive Protein (CRP) No effect		NoneNo effect		42 people
	Homocysteine	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	42 people
Studies that measured homocysteine Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin statusEur J Clin Nutr · PMID 12209373 Riboflavin supplementation and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the elderlyJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 19390751 Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphismCirculation · PMID 16380544 Riboflavin supplementation to patients with multiple sclerosis does not improve disability status nor is riboflavin supplementation correlated to homocysteineInt J Vitam Nutr Res · PMID 25305223
	Ferritin	Improves (the measure goes up)			42 people
	Uric Acid	Improves (the measure goes down)			42 people

High Blood Pressure

Blood Pressure: improves

High Blood Pressure: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Blood Pressure	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	320 people
Studies that measured blood pressure Riboflavin supplements for blood pressure lowering in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 41123035 Riboflavin offers a targeted strategy for managing hypertension in patients with the MTHFR 677TT genotype: a 4-y follow-upAm J Clin Nutr · PMID 22277556 Riboflavin lowers blood pressure in cardiovascular disease patients homozygous for the 677C-->T polymorphism in MTHFRJ Hypertens · PMID 19952781 Blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype is responsive to intervention with riboflavin: findings of a targeted randomized trialHypertension · PMID 23608654

Cardiovascular Disease

Blood Pressure: improves

Cardiovascular Disease: outcomes studied for Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Grade	Outcome	Effect	Size	Studies	People	Studies list
	Blood Pressure	Improves (the measure goes down)		4 studies	60 people
Studies that measured blood pressure Riboflavin supplements for blood pressure lowering in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 41123035 Riboflavin offers a targeted strategy for managing hypertension in patients with the MTHFR 677TT genotype: a 4-y follow-upAm J Clin Nutr · PMID 22277556 Riboflavin lowers blood pressure in cardiovascular disease patients homozygous for the 677C-->T polymorphism in MTHFRJ Hypertens · PMID 19952781 Blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype is responsive to intervention with riboflavin: findings of a targeted randomized trialHypertension · PMID 23608654

Key findings

Blood PressureImproves (the measure goes down)
Migraine FrequencyMigraine Headache
Migraine DurationMigraine Headache

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Grade C

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Studies cited

11 studies from PubMed

Effect of riboflavin supplementation on plasma homocysteine in elderly people with low riboflavin statusEur J Clin Nutr · PMID 12209373
Riboflavin supplementation and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease in the elderlyJ Nutr Health Aging · PMID 19390751
Riboflavin lowers homocysteine in individuals homozygous for the MTHFR 677C->T polymorphismCirculation · PMID 16380544
Riboflavin supplements for blood pressure lowering in adults.Cochrane Database Syst Rev · PMID 41123035
Riboflavin offers a targeted strategy for managing hypertension in patients with the MTHFR 677TT genotype: a 4-y follow-upAm J Clin Nutr · PMID 22277556
Riboflavin lowers blood pressure in cardiovascular disease patients homozygous for the 677C-->T polymorphism in MTHFRJ Hypertens · PMID 19952781
Blood pressure in treated hypertensive individuals with the MTHFR 677TT genotype is responsive to intervention with riboflavin: findings of a targeted randomized trialHypertension · PMID 23608654
Riboflavin supplementation to patients with multiple sclerosis does not improve disability status nor is riboflavin supplementation correlated to homocysteineInt J Vitam Nutr Res · PMID 25305223
Medium-dose riboflavin as a prophylactic agent in children with migraine: a preliminary placebo-controlled, randomised, double-blind, cross-over trialCephalalgia · PMID 20974610
High-dose riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in children: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trialJ Child Neurol · PMID 18984840
Effectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. A randomized controlled trialNeurology · PMID 9484373