I was reading old posts about lipofuscin and came across this post by haidut.
raypeatforum.com
This study demonstrates that riboflavin prevents the build-up of lipofuscin, but didn’t answer the question of whether riboflavin removes existing lipofuscin. So I went searching and found this study demonstrating that riboflavin removes existing lipofuscin.
“Here we show that substitution with the radical generator riboflavin, which is naturally present in phagosomes 4and melanosomes, can remove lipofuscin from the RPE.”
RPE = retinal pigment epithelium
Now onto the somewhat irresponsible experiment:
So for the past few weeks, I have been taking fairly large amounts of riboflavin(I would guess some where between 400-1200 mg per day with a few off days here and there). I was taking it for various reasons, but mainly because I enjoyed the feeling of relaxed energy that it gave me. However, I went to give blood earlier today and was surprised when they told me that I had a hemoglobin level of 18.1 g/dL. Considering the normal range for men is 13.8 to 17.2 grams per deciliter and that my hemoglobin was 15.1 during my last blood donation in December, I found this somewhat odd. I am in good health and have had no symptoms to suggest the usual web md diagnoses(cancer, heart failure, cops). I had been eating a fairly low iron diet, with most calories coming from diary and orange juice, so I thought that my supplementation of riboflavin had something to do with it. I found this study that seems to confirm or at least suggest that:
“The mobilization of iron from the intracellular protein ferritin is a reducing process. Reduced flavins can evidently reduce and thereby mobilize ferritin iron in a variety of tissues, at a rate that is physiologically relevant (85, 86). We and others have shown that tissues from rats fed riboflavin-deficient diets are less effi- cient at mobilizing ferritin iron than are tissues from control ani- mals (87–89)”
“There has been a single attempt to show an effect of riboflavin status on iron absorption in humans by using a stable isotope of iron (58Fe) (97). In that study, there was large variability in iron absorption between subjects, and we could find no measurable effect on iron absorption. However, the study did show an effect of riboflavin supplements on the con- centration of circulating hemoglobin, suggesting that improving riboflavin status had an effect on iron absorption or iron mobi- lization from existing stores.”
Taking this into account, I believe the riboflavin supplementation was increasing mobilization from my existing iron stores and increasing my hemoglobin.
I could be wrong. Take it however you want. But I thought it was interesting and something for others to consider if they choose to supplement riboflavin.
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) Reduces Lipofuscin, May Extend Lifespan
There are few reliable treatments of the so-called "age spots" officially known as lipofuscin. Ray has written about the role of iron, PUFA and estrogen in the formation of this skin pigment and has suggested that vitamin E may be one possible treatment. Now we can add vitamin B2 to the list of...
This study demonstrates that riboflavin prevents the build-up of lipofuscin, but didn’t answer the question of whether riboflavin removes existing lipofuscin. So I went searching and found this study demonstrating that riboflavin removes existing lipofuscin.
“Here we show that substitution with the radical generator riboflavin, which is naturally present in phagosomes 4and melanosomes, can remove lipofuscin from the RPE.”
RPE = retinal pigment epithelium
Now onto the somewhat irresponsible experiment:
So for the past few weeks, I have been taking fairly large amounts of riboflavin(I would guess some where between 400-1200 mg per day with a few off days here and there). I was taking it for various reasons, but mainly because I enjoyed the feeling of relaxed energy that it gave me. However, I went to give blood earlier today and was surprised when they told me that I had a hemoglobin level of 18.1 g/dL. Considering the normal range for men is 13.8 to 17.2 grams per deciliter and that my hemoglobin was 15.1 during my last blood donation in December, I found this somewhat odd. I am in good health and have had no symptoms to suggest the usual web md diagnoses(cancer, heart failure, cops). I had been eating a fairly low iron diet, with most calories coming from diary and orange juice, so I thought that my supplementation of riboflavin had something to do with it. I found this study that seems to confirm or at least suggest that:
“The mobilization of iron from the intracellular protein ferritin is a reducing process. Reduced flavins can evidently reduce and thereby mobilize ferritin iron in a variety of tissues, at a rate that is physiologically relevant (85, 86). We and others have shown that tissues from rats fed riboflavin-deficient diets are less effi- cient at mobilizing ferritin iron than are tissues from control ani- mals (87–89)”
“There has been a single attempt to show an effect of riboflavin status on iron absorption in humans by using a stable isotope of iron (58Fe) (97). In that study, there was large variability in iron absorption between subjects, and we could find no measurable effect on iron absorption. However, the study did show an effect of riboflavin supplements on the con- centration of circulating hemoglobin, suggesting that improving riboflavin status had an effect on iron absorption or iron mobi- lization from existing stores.”
Taking this into account, I believe the riboflavin supplementation was increasing mobilization from my existing iron stores and increasing my hemoglobin.
I could be wrong. Take it however you want. But I thought it was interesting and something for others to consider if they choose to supplement riboflavin.
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regarding hemoglobin I am thinking of some indirect connection perhaps downstream ...
