Vitamin B2: Benefits, Dosage, Contraindications
Other name(s)
Riboflavin
Scientific name(s)
Riboflavin
Family or group:
Vitamins
Indications
Rating methodology
EFSA approval.
Vitamin B2 Deficiency ✪✪✪✪✪
Nutritional deficiency of vitamin B2 is rare and clinical signs are mild. Skin or mucous membrane lesions (seborrheic dermatitis, angular cheilitis, stomatitis with a 'purple tongue') and sometimes eye involvement with photophobia due to corneal and retina involvement, and hyper-vascularization of the conjunctiva, growth retardation, anemia, kidney damage, and degenerative changes of the nervous system may be observed. Vitamin B2 deficiency may occur in overall deficiencies, including unbalanced diets lacking in protein, or by using unsupplemented artificial milk. In ariboflavinosis, riboflavin has been used at 5 to 30 mg per day in divided doses.
Posologie
Oral
5 - 30 mg
1 - years
Adults
McEvoy GK, ed. AHFS Drug Information. Bethesda, MD: American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, 1998.
B vitamins: structures and roles in metabolism, nutritional deficits
Riboflavin status of adolescent southern Chinese: riboflavin saturation studies.
Biochemical indices and neuromuscular function tests in rural Gambian schoolchildren given a riboflavin, or multivitamin plus iron, supplement.
Eye Health ✪✪✪✪✪
Riboflavin plays a role in vision as it contributes to the formation of photoreceptors and structurally protects the eyes. FAD (derived from vitamin B2) is a cofactor of the activity of glutathione reductase. The increase in glutathione levels produced by this enzyme may play a role in cataract prevention. Glutathione reductase reduces oxidized glutathione to its reduced form, GSH. GSH is thought to protect the lens against oxidative damage. Thus, affected patients appear to have low levels of GSH.
Posologie
Oral
1.6 mg
Oxidative Stress ✪✪✪✪✪
Riboflavin is an essential vitamin used to produce two flavocoenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These coenzymes are primarily involved in oxidation-reduction reactions in the body. FAD plays a significant role in the body's antioxidant system, acting as a cofactor for glutathione reductase (an enzyme that regenerates glutathione, essential for resistance against oxidative stress and maintaining intracellular pH).
Posologie
Oral route
1.6 mg
Hyperhomocysteinemia ✪✪✪✪✪
Homocysteine appears to be reduced by riboflavin supplementation, but this effect has only been observed in subjects with a specific genetic mutation (TT genotype) that reduces the activity of the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) involved in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Indeed, taking 1.6 mg of riboflavin per day for 12 weeks increases riboflavin levels and reduces homocysteine levels by 22% to 40% in individuals with the TT genotype. On the other hand, taking 75 mg of riboflavin per day, in combination with 0.4 mg folic acid and 120 mg pyridoxine, in people with hyperhomocysteinemia due to antiepileptic drug use, reduces total plasma homocysteine by 26% from baseline.
Posologie
Oral route
1.6 - 75 mg
12 - weeks
Adults
Riboflavin as a determinant of plasma total homocysteine: effect modification by the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism.
Effect of riboflavin status on the homocysteine-lowering effect of folate in relation to the MTHFR (C677T) genotype.
Migraine ✪✪✪✪✪
In most clinical research evaluating riboflavin supplementation, migraine prophylaxis in migraine adults shows that daily intake of 400 mg for up to 3 months may reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks compared to placebo. In children suffering from migraines, a daily dose of 200 mg over 4 weeks does not significantly improve migraine frequency. The effect of 400 mg of riboflavin per day in children with migraines has not been studied.
Posologie
Oral route
200 - 400 mg
3 - months
Adults
Prophylactic treatment of migraine with beta-blockers and riboflavin: differential effects on the intensity dependence of auditory evoked cortical potentials.
High-dose riboflavin treatment is efficacious in migraine prophylaxis: an open study in a tertiary care centre.
High-dose riboflavin for migraine prophylaxis in children: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Effectiveness of high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis. A randomized controlled trial.
Cataract ✪✪✪✪✪
Daily intake of 3 mg riboflavin and 40 mg niacin in combination over 5 to 6 years seems to be associated with a lower risk of developing nuclear cataracts compared to placebo.
Posologie
Oral route
3 - 40 mg
6 - years
Adults, Seniors
Hypertension ✪✪✪✪✪
Riboflavin appears to reduce blood pressure in subjects with a specific genetic mutation (TT genotype) that reduces the activity of the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) involved in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine. Preliminary clinical research suggests that taking 1.6 mg of riboflavin per day for 16 weeks reduces systolic blood pressure by 9 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure by 6 mmHg compared to placebo in subjects with a TT genotype and early cardiovascular disease.
Posologie
Oral route
1.6 mg
16 - weeks
Adults
Acid-Base Balance ✪✪✪✪✪
There is preliminary clinical evidence that riboflavin may be helpful in treating lactic acidosis due to nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) treatment in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The mechanism is not clear.
Posologie
Oral route
1.6 mg
Sports Performance ✪✪✪✪✪
Riboflavin contributes to normal energy metabolism, the maintenance of normal red blood cells, normal iron metabolism, suggesting its importance for athletes. In human research, riboflavin intake restriction has resulted in a significant reduction in sports performance (aerobic), the onset of blood lactate accumulation, and oxygen consumption. However, the role of riboflavin deficiency in these performances is not clear.
Posologie
Oral route
1.6 mg
Anemia ✪✪✪✪✪
Riboflavin plays a role in erythropoiesis (red blood cell formation), enhances iron absorption and helps to mobilize ferritin from tissues. Studies have shown that a riboflavin deficiency interferes with iron utilization, but not absorption, and observed anemia was not due to a lack of iron but an impairment in hemoglobin synthesis. More recent Chinese data show that insufficient riboflavin intake is associated with an increased risk of persistent anemia. There was a positive association between riboflavin consumption and anemia in women, particularly those under 50. Therefore, correcting a riboflavin deficiency may be one element of anemia prevention. Further trials are needed for this purpose.
Posologie
Oral route
10 mg
Cancer ✪✪✪✪✪
Studies suggest that riboflavin (vitamin B2) may play a protective role against certain cancers. An association has been observed between high riboflavin levels in the blood and a reduced risk of precancerous lesions in the colon, as well as oral and pharyngeal cancers. Furthermore, a treatment combining riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, and niacin has shown a reduction in breast cancer markers, suggesting a potential to decrease the risk of cancer recurrence. These findings open up interesting perspectives on the role of riboflavin in cancer prevention.
Posologie
Oral route
10 mg
[Chemoprevention of Cervical Cancer--Intervention Study of Cervical Precancerous Lesions by Retinamide II and Riboflavin]
Riboflavin and health: A review of recent human research
[Long-term Effect of Treating Patients With Precancerous Lesions of the Esophagus]
Dietary Intake of Selected B Vitamins in Relation to Risk of Major Cancers in Women
Diet and Premalignant Lesions of the Cervix: Evidence of a Protective Role for Folate, Riboflavin, Thiamin, and Vitamin B12
Riboflavin Deficiency and Esophageal Cancer: A Case Control-Household Study in the Caspian Littoral of Iran
Properties
Essential
Riboflavin is an essential vitamin used in the production of two flavocoenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) involved in energy production and nutrient utilization. These enzymes protect cells from aggressive (oxidizing) substances produced during chemical reactions of metabolism. Small amounts of riboflavin are present in most animal and plant tissues. Riboflavin is found in many foods, including milk, meat, eggs, nuts, enriched flour, and green vegetables. Riboflavin deficiency is very rare in Western countries. Insufficient intake can result in, for example, cracked lips and mouth corners, oily skin, or sore throat. It is more commonly observed in people with alcoholism or those with a very unbalanced diet.
Usages associés
Antioxidant
Riboflavin is an essential vitamin used to produce two flavocoenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These coenzymes are primarily involved in redox reactions in the body. FAD plays an important role in the body's antioxidant system as a cofactor of glutathione reductase (an enzyme that regenerates glutathione, an essential molecule for resistance against oxidative stress and for maintaining intracellular pH).
Usages associés
Vision
Riboflavin plays a role in vision as it contributes to the formation of photoreceptors and structurally protects the eyes. FAD (derived from vitamin B2) is a cofactor of the activity of glutathione reductase. The increase in glutathione levels produced by this enzyme may play a role in cataract prevention. Glutathione reductase reduces oxidized glutathione to its reduced form, GSH. GSH is thought to protect the lens against oxidative damage. Thus, affected patients appear to have low levels of GSH.
Usages associés
Neurological
Riboflavin is necessary for the metabolism of essential fatty acids. Furthermore, riboflavin is involved in myelin formation in both the central and peripheral nervous systems. In riboflavin-deficient patients, nerve components, including lipids, are reduced, which may affect brain development. On the other hand, decreased riboflavin levels appear to play a role in the pathophysiology of migraines. Indeed, mitochondrial dysfunction is present in migraines, and riboflavin is necessary for normal mitochondrial function. Thus, it is assumed that riboflavin supplementation may decrease pain or potentially prevent migraines.
Usages associés
Anticancer
In epidemiological research, plasma riboflavin has been inversely associated with the risk of advanced colorectal adenoma lesions. Riboflavin has also been shown to be inversely related to the risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer. However, in a separate study, dietary intake of B vitamins, including riboflavin, was not associated with the risk of breast, endometrial, ovarian, colorectal, lung, or thyroid cancer. In human research, a treatment plan containing riboflavin, coenzyme Q10, and niacin decreased breast cancer tumor markers, carcinoembryonic antigen, and carbohydrate antigen, decreased angiogenesis markers and cytokines, increased levels of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, and resulted in the disappearance of methylation patterns of the RASSF1A gene. RASSF1A is a tumor suppressor gene that modulates the cell cycle and apoptosis. It is often inactivated by promoter hypermethylation in various cancer types. This could indicate a reduced risk of cancer recurrence and metastasis. However, the influence of riboflavin alone is unclear.
Usages associés
Cardiovascular
Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), derived from riboflavin, is a cofactor of the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) involved in the remethylation of homocysteine to methionine (homocysteine is known as a cardiovascular disease risk factor). In patients with a specific gene mutation that reduces MTHFR enzyme activity, MTHFR concentrations are decreased (due to reduced MTHFR enzyme binding to its riboflavin cofactor (FAD). This leads to increased plasma homocysteine levels. It is assumed that riboflavin supplementation decreases homocysteine levels and may restore MTHFR concentrations.
Usages associés
Safety dosage
Adult from 18 years: 1.6 mg
Infant up to 12 months: 0.4 mg
Child from 1 to 3 years: 0.6 mg
Child from 4 to 6 years: 0.7 mg
Child from 7 to 10 years: 1 mg
Child from 11 to 14 years: 1.4 mg
Child from 15 to 17 years: 1.6 mg
Lactating woman from 18 years: 2 mg
Pregnant woman from 18 years: 1.9 mg
Interactions
Médicaments
Tetracyclines: moderate interaction
Riboflavin may reduce the effectiveness of tetracycline antibiotics.
Plantes ou autres actifs
Vitamin B2: moderate interaction
Riboflavin supplements may enhance the hematological response to iron supplements in some individuals with anemia. It is believed that riboflavin is involved in the mobilization of iron from ferritin (a protein that stores iron) for the synthesis of heme and globin, but does not appear to significantly influence iron absorption. The effect of riboflavin on iron utilization is likely significant only in individuals who are riboflavin deficient.
