Can riboflavin prevent or treat migraines? Original paper

Vitamin B₂ (B2), also known as riboflavin, has been hypothesized to prevent or alleviate migraines by enhancing the function and efficacy of mitochondria in the brain.^[1]

This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of B2 in preventing and alleviating migraines. As a secondary outcome, the researchers also compared the effectiveness of B2 with other migraine medications. In total, 9 studies (8 randomized controlled trials and 1 clinical trial) assessing 678 participants were included.

The participants took 400 mg/day of B2 with no other vitamins in 6 studies, 100 mg/day in 1 study, and 400 mg/day combined with other vitamins in 2 studies. Three studies used a placebo as a control group, and 1 study used 25 mg of B2 (to mimic urine color). Four studies compared B2 to other migraine medications (propranolol, sodium valproate, metoprolol, bisoprolol, or aspirin).

B2 was effective in all 5 studies that assessed the number of migraine days, 4 of 5 studies that evaluated migraine duration, all 7 studies that assessed migraine frequency, and 7 of 9 studies that assessed severity. Quantitative analyses confirmed these beneficial effects of B2.

Four studies compared B2 to other migraine medications. Of the 4 studies, 3 found no differences between groups, and 1 study found that although both B2 and beta-blockers decreased migraine frequency, only beta-blockers decreased migraine intensity.