Please note:

Any dietary or drug treatment with high doses of micronutrients may override the body's own control mechanisms; therefore, micronutrient therapies may be associated with potential side effects and toxicities. High-dosed micronutrients should not be used without medical supervision.

 

Migraine headaches

There is some evidence that impaired mitochondrial oxygen metabolism in the brain may play a role in the development of migraine headaches. Because vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is the precursor of flavocoenzymes required by the flavoproteins of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, supplemental riboflavin has been investigated as a treatment for migraine.

 

A randomized placebo-controlled trial examined the effect of 400 mg riboflavin/day for three months on migraine prevention in 54 men and women with a history of recurrent migraine headaches (13). Riboflavin was significantly better than placebo in reducing attack frequency and the number of headache days, though the beneficial effect was most pronounced during the third month of treatment.

 

Although these findings are preliminary, data from most studies to date suggest that riboflavin supplementation might be a useful adjunct to pharmacologic therapy in migraine prevention.