How does Riboflavin 400Mg help Migraine Prevention? (Riboflavin Migraine FAQs)

Migrasoothe riboflavin 400 mg used for migraine relief and neurological support. Recommended by the National Institute of clinical excellence.

Learn about the effectiveness of high dose Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin for migraine relief (Migrasoothe)

Having migraine headaches lately? The global prevalence of the condition is about 1 in every 7 people! You’ve probably come across natural remedies and supplements that help ease migraine. Riboflavin or vitamin B2 is one of the few vitamins that is proven to help prevent migraine headaches and provide migraine relief. The sad thing is most GPs and Health Professional don't know about it

Let us learn more about riboflavin and how it helps prevent migraines!

What You Need to Know About Riboflavin for Migraine Prevention

But first, what is riboflavin, the so called 'energy vitamin'?

Riboflavin or vitamin B2 keeps energy production run smoothly to help cells function and develop properly. Vitamin B2 is essential to keep your body healthy. 

However, the human body is not capable of producing riboflavin, it is a so called essential vitamin. You can get vitamin B2 from dietary supplements or food.

Info graphic showing that how patient will struggle with migraine because NHS neurologist at the National clinical Institute advise to take riboflavin but most GPs don't know about it so the patients continue to suffer

Forms of Riboflavin Supplements from Bespoke Biotics

  • Migrasoothe-Pro - contains 400 mg of Riboflavin Vitamin B2 and 220 mg of L-Tryptophan. Enhanced with B6, B12 and Folic Acid. We include tryptophan to support serotonin level which are lower in Migraineur's. There is also  evidence indicating that B6 B12 and folic acid can be prophylactic for migraine auras. 
  • Migrasoothe-B - contains 400 mg of Riboflavin Vitamin B2. Recommended for migraines, fatigue, and brain energy.

FAQs about Riboflavin or Vitamin B2 for Migraine 

Are there side effects of Riboflavin?

Riboflavin has no serious adverse effects! A few studies have shown that taking high doses of riboflavin can cause polyuria (excessive pee), diarrhoea, as well  yellow-orange urine (like you might get after taking other multivitamins or berocca etc) but isn’t a sign of medical issue. 

migrasoothe high dose riboflavin vitamin B two suitable and clinically proven to treat migraine headaches not treatable by High Street formulations

Am I getting enough riboflavin or vitamin B2?

 

The amount of riboflavin you should get will depend on your age and sex. Generally, healthy adults are recommended to have at least 1 mg per day according to the recommended dietary allowance or to the National Institutes of Health’s RDA.

Most people get the vitamin B2 they get from the food they eat., but there are medical conditions or dietary restrictions such as veganism or thyroid hormone deficiency that can put some people at risk of vitamin B2 deficiency. 

Can riboflavin really prevent migraine attacks?


Does getting enough riboflavin from your diet help prevent migraine attacks? Not really as it's not possible to get a significant dose. If you want to prevent migraines, you may need to increase the intake of riboflavin.  (The dose that is recommended is about 400 times more than you found in most high street vitamin preparations.)
Based on a study, participants were asked to increase their riboflavin intake to at least 400 mg. The participants showed a reduced number of attacks they experienced each month. 
Riboflavin is still being recommended in preventing migraine because the potential side effects are rather low and booth anecdotal and  scientific   success is high. It has been recommended in Canada, Australia United States, etc. In the UK for example A government body NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) advised doctors to use riboflavin 400mg for the prevention of migraine headaches. 

"Riboflavin 400 mg once a day — may be effective in reducing migraine frequency and intensity for some people (avoid if planning a pregnancy or pregnant)". NICE GD150

Types of food that contain riboflavin vitamin B2 however he should be realise that the dose that you would get from eating food would not be enough in the clinical context to support helping migraine headachesWhat are good sources of riboflavin?

  • Eggs

  • Lean meats

  • Green vegetables

  • Milk and other dairy products

Some grains and cereals are fortified with riboflavin, but it won’t be enough to prevent migraine attacks.

If you’re not getting enough riboflavin from food, you can take supplements. Keep in mind though that you need at least 400 mg of riboflavin to prevent migraine attacks which is both very difficult to achieve and also very difficult to measure through natural food sources.

Other Conditions that Riboflavin Can Help With

There are many claims on the internet that riboflavin is a “miracle cure” for different conditions, but there it is difficult to back this up with wide-scale scientific studies (local double blind placebo). But it is well known that  riboflavin is good for your vision, helps the skin, helps prevent cataracts (and as such maybe anti-aging). 

From a neurological point of you you will find many papers of research pointing out how riboflavin can help with other neurological conditions, like PD and tremors. 

However the officially allowed claims (outside of migraines) are the following: 

  • Riboflavin contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system
  • Riboflavin contributes to the maintenance of normal mucous membranes
  • Riboflavin contributes to the maintenance of normal red blood cells
  • Riboflavin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin
  • Riboflavin contributes to the maintenance of normal vision
  • Riboflavin contributes to the normal metabolism of iron
  • Riboflavin contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress
  • Riboflavin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue

Does the NHS support taking Riboflavin 400 Mg for Migraines?

Yes NICE the National Institute of clinical excellence that advises doctors and hospitals on good practice & Consultants recommend the usage of Riboflavin 400mg e.g. University Hospital Southampton Factsheet below

An extract from an NHS paper from the University Hospital Southampton advising patients in a fact sheet how they can use riboflavin as a treatment for migraine and severe headaches

Who shouldn’t take Vitamin B2 or riboflavin Migrasoothe supplements?

Vitamin B2 supplements are safe for most people. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you should consult your doctor before taking them. 

How does riboflavin work?

Riboflavin is an essential component of two major coenzymes, flavin mononucleotide (FMN; also known as riboflavin-5’-phosphate) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). These coenzymes play major roles in metabolism,  energy production; cellular function, growth, and development. Although The exact mechanism of action is not clear. However, there is a hypothesis that riboflavin increases the amount of mitochondria in the brain cells. Mitochondria can be thought of as the energy releasing “batteries” in every biological cells. The boost of energy provided by riboflavin with this energy seems to be helpful for reducing the migraine attacks.

Is it possible to take riboflavin with other migraine medications?

Taking riboflavin is generally considered to be  safe to take along with other preventive or acute migraine medications. Consult your doctor before taking any other supplements. 

How long does it take to see results for Riboflavin 400mg and headaches?

Typically the scientific literature suggests to allow two months to measure success, and with most of our supplements we recommend trying for a minimum of 42 days / six weeks.
Over that kind of time period you should be able to tell the difference.  A few of our customers anecdotally suggest they see the results more quickly. but it will depend on a case-by-case basis, your metabolism, your general health, if you had any illness recently and age.

Also Taking extra supplements with riboflavin tends to make it work faster and better (see below for suggestions). 


What should I do if riboflavin doesn’t work for me?

 Have you been taking riboflavin for a couple of months and haven't seen  enough improvement? 
It may be that you are lacking some other very important supplements that work synergistically to improve migraine headaches.
We strongly recommend taking:
  • Magnesium 2/4 caps per day
  • CoQ10 (at least 300mg/day) 
  • L-Tryptophan - This is included in the Migrasoothe Pro product - this helps with the production of serotonin and melatonin.
  • N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which is a precursor to the energy providing antioxidant glutathione it is widely associated with good brain health. (Glutathione itself is not easily absorbed and therefore is not one of the products we develop).

Is it worth trying probiotics along with Riboflavin?

Recently you may have read more and more research is appearing about the link between the gut, the gut bacteria so-called biome and the brain and its chemistry and neurology. (People also call it the gut brain axis)

Whilst the subject is evolving and is called psychobiotics, if you live on a modern diet in an urban environment, this can be very degrading to our gut bacteria (just imagine all of the disinfectant, fragrances, antibiotics and hand gels we use). This in turn affect our brain health.

It may be wise then to try some probiotics along with riboflavin. Our strongest probiotic is 20 billion formula and unlike many other probiotics it also has the prebiotics  that help feed the positive bacteria in our guts and as a bonus it does not require refrigeration.

Is Riboflavin a good prophylaxis for migraine?

Yes The scientific studies indicate that it is a good prophylaxis reducing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. 

Is riboflavin a good antioxidant?

In simple terms the answer is yes. Whilst  most people are familiar with the usual suspects like vitamins A, C and E, It’s a little-known fact that Riboflavin is a great antioxidant . This means it helps your body deal with oxidative stress – the damage from "free radicals" that has been linked to conditions such as early onset aging, wrinkles and far more serious conditions like heart disease and cancer.

Is riboflavin 5 phosphate preferable to natural  Riboflavin for migraine?

Flavin mononucleotide, or riboflavin-5′-phosphate, is a biomolecule produced from riboflavin by the enzyme riboflavin kinase .

Some experts consider riboflavin 5 phosphate to have better absorption properties  than standard riboflavin. Unfortunately there are no studies to back this up in the context of migraine and the dose  at which it might be effective is simply unknown. Therefore leading companies generally do  not sell riboflavin 5 phosphate  for the treatment of migraines or other neurological issues.

Pregnancy concerns: Can I use riboflavin 400 mg to help me with migraines during my pregnancy?

Even very high doses of riboflavin are considered to be safe; it is one of the nutritional supplements that flushes through the body relatively quickly. However during pregnancy  it is strongly advised NOT to take riboflavin at dose like 400mg by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence as the research is limited.    Your doctor would be better able to advise you on the right approach.

However there is some good news! In pregnancy up to 80% of women will notice an improvement in frequency and severity of attacks in the second and third trimestersParticularly those individuals who have migraine associated with Premenstrual or period and migraine without aura. 

How much riboflavin per day for migraines? How many mg of Riboflavin is required?

Not less than 400mg. For reasons that are not fully clear at this time smaller doses have been shown to be ineffective.


What is the best brand to buy Riboflavin?

There are only a few  British companies that supply  the right dose and format of riboflavin for  the treatment of migraines. High Street bramds like Holland and Barrett or Vitabiotics typically mix riboflavin with other ingredients and have very low concentrations of riboflavin. Taking a combination of them you could easily overdose on on other parts of the mixture. For example you would need to many tens of tablets of multivitamins to even get close to the dose of one riboflavin 400 mg like Migrasoothe. Similarly it would be practically possible to eat natural foods to obtain the same high concentration of riboflavin.

Riboflavin 400 mg capsules showing the bright yellow colour of pure riboflavin Migrasoothe pro with serotonin boosters which I believed support my goodness even more effectivelyRiboflavin tablets for migraine or capsules?

Most formularies and experts would advise not to have tablets of riboflavin, instead preferring vegetarian capsules. This is because because riboflavin is quite a difficult substance to make into strong tablets. Also it can degrade and rub off in transport, leaving a bright messy residue  powder looking quite like turmeric. In addition when you make the tablet they require unnecessary binders which can affect the quality of the product.

Is Riboflavin 400mg a good Nootropic?

First we should define what a Nootropic is!  Nootropics are brain-boosters: they are known to enhance cognitive performance & improve brain health. They can either be nutritional supplements or actual drugs like the ‘smart drug’ shows modaf*nil. (perhaps you could think of the movie limitless imagine the world of the smart drugs).

The short answer a "biohacker "or "nuerohacker" would say  is yes. But there are  caveats. At these high levels of dose like Migrasoothe, anecdotally a wide range of people find improved energy levels in the brain and cognitive abilities as well as better concentration. And by all accounts the same is true for migraine sufferers who claim approved cognitive ability. However, it is important to recognise that as riboflavin is a natural nutritional food supplement it does not get the funding like other drugs which make drug companies money. Therefore the evidence in wide-scale scientifically orientated (double-blind placebo) studies is lacking.

If your you're interested in the subject of natural  nootropics  check out the supplements like Nooropower  l-theanine, n-acetylcysteine. L-tyrosine and Choline-inositol or our combo called Neuro-study.

Can Riboflavin 400mg boost mood?

When energy is low naturally our mood can be deflated and suboptimal. Indeed a 2016 paper indicated fatigue, personality change, and even brain dysfunction can be caused by low levels of riboflavin. The mechanism by which riboflavin helps boost mitochondrial energy is reported as being uplifting but it depends on your particular circumstances. Scientifically the necessary scientific studies are sparse.

But what is known is that migraine sufferers have a lower levels of serotonin  one of the key so called happiness hormones. Low serotonin generally affects mood, and "satisfaction". With this in mind we created the Migrasoothe-Pro product which has L-tryptophan an amino acid which is a precursor to serotonin and helps boost serotonin levels to help the migraine sufferer.

Migraine Bundle

For simplicity at BB we also sell a migraneurs triple pack with the three most helpful supplements, in a simple daily dose.

A triple pack of supplements designed to help people suffering with migraine headaches by providing alternative to painkillers and Botox which have long-term undesired effects

Why Migrasoothe by Bespoke Biotics?

  • Migrasoothe-B and Migrasooth-Pro has been exclusively developed by Bespoke Biotics  
  • Unique Formulation - Proportionally compact (Smaller capsules than american-made alternatives)
  • Fermentically synthesised free form for optimal purity (or Bacterially)
  • New and improved Biotechnology and metabolic engineering techniques to increase vitamin B2 yield.
  • Optimised bioavailability for a convenient 1 a dose and fast absorption
  • Easy to swallow small Capsules
  • Made in Great Britain in a GMP standard production facility (same grade as pharmaceutical drugs)

Need more help - just mail us for further support

Section break picture before depicting the types of migraine headache.

What types of migraine attacks can be helped by Riboflavin Migrasoothe?

There are various forms of migraine headache which can be relieved with riboflavin especially when combined with Magnesium and CoQ10

  • intractable migraine
  • period and periodic migraine
  • hormonal migraine
  • ocular/optic migraine
  • familial migraine
  • hemiplegic migraine
  • plain hemiplegic migraine
  • ophthalmoplegic migraine
  • episodic migraine
  • sinus related migraine
  • vestibular migraine
  • migraine with aura
  • chronic migraines
  • silent migraine
  • complex migraine
  • abdominal migraine
  • cyclical migraine
Info graphic showing the symptoms of migraine with a woman surrounded by 12 different issues that occur in migraine headaches

 

It's always worth speaking to a neurologist if you need to understand the type of migraine you actually have. Clinical research indicates that these over-the-counter supplements do help with what can be a very debilitating condition. But in addition there may be alternative therapies for example like exercise, massage, acupuncture or prescription remedies.

 

Disclaimers

Advice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please consult a doctor or healthcare professional before trying any remedies.

Information provided by this post and our company  is not a substitute for direct, individual medical treatment or advice. It is the responsibility of you and your healthcare providers to make all decisions regarding your health.

https://www.migrainedisorders.org/podcast/s3ep30-vitamins-and-supplements-for-migraine-management/

Note

  • 🥬 VEGAN and VEGETARIAN
  • 🥬 Gluten Free and Hypoallergenic 
  •  ♻️ Bottle & lid: food grade HDPE-2 polymer. Please recycle after use.