Here I close the short series on the top natural remedies for fighting migraine pain. This story involves riboflavin and feverfew.
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Mitochondria, the powerhouse inside the cell, generate high-energy chemicals. In between migraine attacks, this important function is much reduced. Riboflavin has been shown to be beneficial in the prevention of migraine attacks to help affect this specific action. Here are three clinical studies worth taking a look at:
1. Fifty-five migraine patients received either 400 mg of riboflavin or placebo for three months. Riboflavin treatment was much better than placebo treatment in reducing the frequency of attacks and the number of headache days (59% in riboflavin vs. 15% in placebo).
2. Twenty-six migraine patients were randomly assigned to receive either a beta-blocker (metoprolol, at 200 mg a day) or 400 mg of riboflavin a day for four months. Both beta-blocker and riboflavin reduced the frequency of headache.
3. Forty-nine migraine patients were given either 25 mg of riboflavin a day or 400 mg of riboflavin, 300 mg of magnesium and 100 mg of feverfew a day. Both groups had reduced migraine by approximately 42%.
Feverfew
Feverfew is the most popular natural medicine used to prevent migraine headache. The exact mechanism by which this herb reduces migraine attacks is unknown. In lab studies, feverfew has been shown to prevent platelets from sticking together, block the spasms of blood vessels supplying blood to the brain, and stop many inflammatory chemicals from being created.
In a big study of all clinical trials from 1974 to 2003 — with 343 migraine patients — researchers concluded: “There is insufficient evidence from randomized, double-blind trials to suggest an effect of feverfew over and above placebo for preventing migraine.”
The Bottom Line
Except for feverfew, current evidence show promising results using magnesium, coenzyme Q10, riboflavin, and butterbur in the treatment and/or prevention of migraine headache in children and adults. Future better-designed and larger double-blind, placebo-controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary results.
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