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Ingredient guide

Riboflavin for women: needs, pregnancy and breastfeeding

Written by the Full Measure editorial team, which sells supplements. Approved for publication by the Full Measure owners. Updated .

Drafted with AI assistance from the sources listed below. How we write these

Quick answer

US guidelines give women 1.1 mg of riboflavin a day, 1.4 mg in pregnancy and 1.6 mg while breastfeeding. European values are higher, at 1.6 to 2.0 mg. Women average 1.8 mg a day from food, but those who eat little dairy or meat are more likely to run short.1,2,3

Key facts

  • In a UK trial, young women with low status who took 2 or 4 mg a day for 8 weeks raised their riboflavin status in line with the dose.4
  • A breastfeeding mother passes about 0.29 mg of riboflavin a day into her milk.3
  • Counting supplements, women in the United States average 4.7 mg of riboflavin a day.2
  • Teen girls aged 14 to 18 need 1.0 mg a day.1

How much women need

Adult women need 1.1 mg a day in the US, the same at every age from 19 on. Pregnancy raises the amount to 1.4 mg and breastfeeding to 1.6 mg.1,2

EFSA explains its extra amounts: in pregnancy, for the riboflavin taken up by the baby and stored in the placenta, and while breastfeeding, for the riboflavin that goes into milk. That is how it reaches 1.9 mg a day in pregnancy and 2.0 mg while breastfeeding, against 1.6 mg for other adults.3

During pregnancy, riboflavin moves efficiently across the placenta to the baby.3

What women actually get

Women in the United States average 1.8 mg a day from food alone, comfortably above 1.1 mg, and most get enough. The women more likely to fall short are those who eat little meat or dairy, especially when pregnant or breastfeeding.2

Pregnant and breastfeeding women who rarely eat meat or dairy foods are more likely to run short of riboflavin.2

What a trial in young women found

Contributes to the maintenance of normal red blood cells and the normal metabolism of iron*3,4,5

Moderate evidence

Two statements in the EU list of permitted nutrient-function statements, accepted after EFSA review. EFSA explains that low riboflavin is thought to hinder the release of stored iron for making red blood cells. In a UK trial, 123 women aged 19 to 25 with low riboflavin status took 2 mg, 4 mg or a placebo daily for 8 weeks: riboflavin raised their status in line with the dose, and hemoglobin rose most in women whose status was lowest at the start. Iron intake and iron absorption did not change.

Amount studied: 2 or 4 mg a day for 8 weeks in women with low riboflavin status

The women in that trial were recruited because blood tests showed low riboflavin status, and the trial measured blood markers, not energy or how the women felt. It says nothing about women whose status is already normal.4

Riboflavin and breastfeeding

Riboflavin in breast milk rises with the mother's intake, including from supplements, though only slightly. Milk from well-nourished mothers carries about 180 to 800 mcg per liter.2,3

In mothers who took no supplements, mature milk averaged about 360 mcg of riboflavin per liter. Unlike thiamin, whose level in milk barely moves with the mother's intake, riboflavin in milk does follow what she eats and takes.3,6

Pregnancy cautions

Low riboflavin intake in pregnancy, under about 1.2 mg a day, has been linked with a higher chance of riboflavin deficiency and of certain birth defects in the baby, such as defects of the heart's outflow tract. Deficiency in pregnancy may also raise the chance of preeclampsia. The limited evidence on riboflavin supplements in pregnancy is mixed.2

  • Ask your doctor or midwife before taking riboflavin beyond what a prenatal vitamin provides
  • Ask first about high doses, such as the 400 mg a day used for migraine1
  • Tell your doctor if you are vegan or eat no dairy and are pregnant or breastfeeding2

Questions people ask

Is riboflavin safe during pregnancy?

Riboflavin is a normal part of a pregnancy diet, and the recommended amount rises to 1.4 mg a day. No upper limit is set, but ask your doctor or midwife before taking more than a prenatal vitamin provides.2

Is riboflavin safe to take while breastfeeding?

Riboflavin passes into breast milk, and the recommended amount rises to 1.6 mg a day while breastfeeding. Supplements raise the level in milk only slightly. Ask your doctor before taking high doses.2,3

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Sources

  1. Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Consumers. Updated May 11, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
  2. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Riboflavin: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated May 11, 2022. Opened 2026-10-07.
  3. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Dietary Reference Values for riboflavin. EFSA J. 2017;15(8):e04919. Opened 2026-10-07.
  4. Powers HJ, Hill MH, Mushtaq S, et al. Correcting a marginal riboflavin deficiency improves hematologic status in young women in the United Kingdom (RIBOFEM). Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93(6):1274-1284. Opened 2026-10-07.
  5. European Commission. Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 of 16 May 2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods. Official Journal of the European Union, L 136, 25.5.2012, p. 1. Text from the Publications Office of the European Union. Opened 2026-10-07.
  6. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Dietary reference values for thiamin. EFSA J. 2016;14(12):e04653. Opened 2026-10-07.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This page is information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own situation.