Lab marker · Low

Low Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): what it means

A Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) result below the normal range is considered low. Here is what a reduced Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) can point to, and when it is worth discussing with a doctor.

Reference range: assay-dependent; riboflavin is rarely measured directly — status is usually judged clinically or via a red-cell enzyme (EGRAC) test rather than a plain blood level

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What a low Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) can mean

  • Dietary deficiency — poor or restricted diet, especially low in dairy and animal foods.
  • Alcohol dependence — reduced intake and absorption.
  • Malabsorption — conditions affecting the gut.
  • Combined B-vitamin deficiency — B2 shortage often travels with B6, folate and others.
  • Increased needs — pregnancy and breastfeeding.

When to discuss with a doctor

Riboflavin is rarely tested on its own; more often a low B2 is suspected clinically from the classic signs — cracked, sore corners of the mouth, cracked lips, a sore smooth tongue and a scaly facial rash — particularly when these appear together and alongside a poor diet or alcohol use. Because B-vitamin shortages tend to cluster, a suspected riboflavin deficiency usually prompts a look at the wider picture (B6, B12, folate, iron) rather than treating B2 in isolation, and it corrects readily with a better diet or a B-complex supplement. Mediora.AI can surface a low or borderline riboflavin alongside the other B vitamins and the mouth/tongue symptoms so a combined-deficiency pattern is visible; confirming it and deciding on treatment belongs with your doctor.

Conditions this can relate to

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Mediora.AI is informational - interpretation, not a diagnosis. A single out-of-range value is common and often benign; always discuss decisions with your doctor.