EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1998
Study Shows Vitamin B2 Prevents Migraines ST. PAUL, MN (February 23, 1998) Taking vitamin B2 every day can help prevent migraines, according to a report in the February issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Participants who took vitamin B2, or riboflavin, experienced 37 percent fewer migraines than those who took a placebo during a three-month study. Participants took a high dose of the vitamin ñ 400 mg.
The vitamin had the most benefit on migraines after two months of daily use, according to neurologist and study author Jean Schoenen, MD, PhD, of the University of LiËge in Belgium. The vitamin also decreased the number of days the migraines lasted.
RiboflavinÃs effectiveness compares well with other drugs used to prevent migraines, and also has fewer side effects, Schoenen said. The double-blind, randomized study involved 55 patients in Belgium and Luxembourg who experienced between two and eight migraine attacks per month.
The vitamin may work because it increases the energy potential of mitochondria, the cellÃs main source of energy. Studies have shown that migraine sufferersà brains have reduced energy reserves between attacks, Schoenen said.
Schoenen said riboflavin may work best for those with moderate migraines occurring a few times a month who want to avoid drugs with potential side effects. Those interested in taking riboflavin to prevent migraines should discuss it with a physician; a prescription would be needed for the high dosage of the vitamin, according to neurologist and study co-author Marc Lenaerts, MD, of the University of Oklahoma.
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