07 September 2011
According to a new study from the UK, riboflavin supplementation may increase hemoglobin levels.
In the randomized controlled trial, 119 women aged between 19 and 25 with moderate riboflavin deficiency were randomly given either 2 or 4 mg of riboflavin or a placebo over the course of two months (1). Study results showed that both riboflavin groups displayed improvements in riboflavin status, with the higher dose producing a greater increase. An increase in hemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count was observed in women who received supplemental riboflavin. Dietary iron intake and iron absorption did not change during the study.
The researchers commented that riboflavin seems to play a role in iron metabolism. The mechanisms by which riboflavin status influences blood status are, however, uncertain. Earlier studies reported a deficiency of iron-containing hemoglobin ( anemia) associated with acute riboflavin deficiency.
Dietary riboflavin is present in liver, egg yolk, milk, and meat. It is also used to fortify various food products such as bread and breakfast cereals. Vitamin B2 deficiency is not only common in developing countries, but also reported to be common among the elderly and young adults in some industrialized nations.
1 August 2012
Inappropriate study designs may be the only reason why randomized controlled trials may not have found B vitamins and vitamin E to be effective in decreasing cardiovascular risk, suggests a new review.
14 July 2009
There are no important advantages in terms of health and nutritional benefits gained from eating organic food when compared to food produced using conventional techniques, says the UK’s Food Standards Authority (FSA), with the recent publication of a scientific study.
1 February 2016
Professor Kathryn Dewey of the Nutrition Department of the University of California, Davis, was the principal investigator of a cluster-randomized controlled effectiveness trial in Bangladesh which demonstrated that a small, lipid-based micronutrient supplement could help reduce stunting in newborn babies.
