How did vitamin B2 (riboflavin) become one of the key natural migraine nutrients? Decades of research prove the efficacy and practicality of using vitamins, minerals, and herbs when migraines occur. Here’s the scoop on vitamin B2 as a natural nutrient for migraines.
What is vitamin B2?
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is one of several essential water-soluble B vitamins. It occurs naturally in protein-based foods like meat, fish, and eggs, in addition to many nuts and green vegetables.
Doctors often recommend riboflavin for a wide range of health benefits:
- Neurological health
- Eyesight
- Helps support cartilage and joint function
- Maintains immune system functioning
- Dermatological health
- Mitochondrial health
Vitamin B2 deficiency
Symptoms of riboflavin deficiency are:
- Chronic fatigue
- Headaches
- Hypersensitivity to bright lights (photophobia)
- Stomach cramps, indigestion, and diarrhea
- Mouth sores
- Purplish swollen tongue
- Eye fatigue
- Sore throat
Riboflavin benefits
Riboflavin is essential for mitochondrial health- it aids your body in boosting stamina and protecting cellular and tissue health.
Many scientists speculate that migraine headaches occur because of a mitochondrial disorder causing poor oxygen absorption in the brain cells. Based on that theory, riboflavin is a beneficial nutrient for migraine sufferers, as it boosts metabolism within the mitochondria of your most complex cell structures.
Riboflavin benefits your body in many other ways:
- Vitamin B2 provides antioxidants protection for healthy DNA.
- Riboflavin aids your body in absorbing other crucial vitamins, such as B6 and folate.
- Riboflavin is beneficial for healthy red blood cells production.
Suggested dose
The USRDA of riboflavin is a mere few milligrams per day- not enough to benefit migraine sufferers.
Doctors suggest 400 mg. of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) per day for optimum health. This recommendation stems from several studies focusing on riboflavin and migraine patients.
- In a placebo-based study, 55 migraine sufferers agreed to take either a placebo or a 400mg-dose of riboflavin per day.
- The results may be viewed at the Neurology.org site, high-dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis.
Please tell us…
Do you currently use natural ingredients such as riboflavin, magnesium, coenzyme Q10, or butterbur? Please share your success story with us!
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Read more about natural migraine prevention
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) for Chronic Pain
References:
Effectiveness of high‐dose riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis A randomized controlled trial
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