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Blog author, Solai Buchanan is an experienced Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator with an MS from Columbia Teachers College. She specializes in treating heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, polycystic ovarian syndrome,and other chronic diseases. She is a provider at a full-service cardiology practice accepting most insurance and staffed with a primary care MD, pediatrician, and cardiologist. Call: 718.894.7907. NYCC is lead by Interventional Cardiologist Sanjeev Palta, MD, FSCAI, FACC. He trained at Cornell-Columbia Presbyterian Hospital and the State University Hospital of Brooklyn. He currently is an Attending Cardiologist at New York Methodist Hospital and Maimonides Medical Center. He is also an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Having performed over 2000 invasive cardiac procedures Dr. Palta’s patients know they are in trusted hands.

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

RIBOFLAVIN SUPPLEMENTATION HELPS REDUCE MIGRAINES

A recent review of existing experimental studies found that daily supplementation with riboflavin can significantly reduce migraine frequency.    Migraine headaches are a common but debilitating neurological disorder.  Approximately 12% of Americans suffer from migraines and it is estimated the condition costs our healthcare system over 78 billion dollars annually. Migraine symptoms are typically characterized by intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head and are often accompanied by visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sensitivity to light and sound, and/or tingling in the extremities and face. 

The pathophysiology of migraine headaches is complex and involves many diverse dysfunctional areas in the brain. One of the major genetic disorders that has been linked to migraine headaches is dysfunctional mitochondria (the powerhouses of our cells).  Riboflavin, also known as B2, catalyzes the activity of flavoenzymes in mitochondria and it is via this mechanism that riboflavin is believed to aid in better functioning of neural cell metabolism and migraine relief.  Previous research suggests a high percentage of migraine sufferers have at least mild deficiencies in riboflavin.

What to do:  Riboflavin supplementation will not help all sufferers of this diverse condition but it does appear remarkably effective for some and, unlike most migraine medications, it has the benefits of being very safe and inexpensive.  So, if you suffer from migraines consider supplementing with 300-400mg of riboflavin daily for 2-3 months.  Foods that are especially rich in riboflavin include eggs, meat, and dairy. In the U.S. flour is also fortified with riboflavin.

Adapted from article available at:
http://www.physiciansbriefing.com/Article.asp?AID=722587
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Riboflavin-HealthProfessional/

Source:

Thompson DF, Saluja HS. Prophylaxis of migraine headaches with riboflavin: A systematic review. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy & Theraputics 2017;00:1–10.  Published online ahead of print May 8, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpt.12548
Posted by Solai Buchanan, MS, RD, CDE & Sanjeev Palta, MD, FACC at 3:06 PM

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