8 Health Benefits Of Biotin (Vitamin B7) [with food sources, dosage and more]

Biotin can help you manage your weight, skin health, and hair health?!

Yes, and that’s just to name a few!

Does speaking about nutrients overwhelm you? Does it seem like a vast ocean that you struggle to understand?

This article will run you down on what vitamins are and one of the most important ones, biotin, and the benefits of biotin.

We hope to have broken down the required information while also providing you with answers to your question. Read on to be one step closer to understanding the nutrients that enter your body!

Understanding vitamins

Vitamins are essential nutrients that our body requires to grow, function, and develop. The word vitamins is actually an umbrella term for various other nutrients that fall under it.

Biotin, Folic acid, Ascorbic acid, Riboflavin, etc., are a few of these nutrients. They also go by the name of vitamin B7, Vitamin B9, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, etc., for the ease of the common public.

This article will give you an overview of one of these nutrients, namely, biotin. We will cover vitamin B7 benefits, its sources, and the side effects of consuming too much.

What is Biotin?

Biotin, commonly known as Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H, is a part of the B complex group of vitamins. It is naturally found in various foods and is also available in the form of supplements.

Apart from breaking down food to form sugar, our body also needs biotin to metabolize fats, amino acids, and carbohydrates [1].

It is also an essential nutrient for strengthening our hair and nails and keeping our skin looking healthy.

Therefore, vitamin B7 is also known as the beauty vitamin found in various cosmetic products.

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin and can not be stored in the body; hence, ensuring that you reach your daily recommended amount is essential to avoid developing a deficiency.

A shortage of Vitamin B7 can cause red rashes on the skin, dry eyes, dry, scaly skin, loss of appetite, insomnia, etc. [2].

Benefits of Biotin

1. Supports weight loss

Biotin is an essential nutrient that aids the metabolic function of our body. It acts as a coenzyme and helps break down macronutrients like carbohydrates, protein, and fats.

Your metabolic rate increases with the increase in biotin consumption, which, in turn, accelerates your weight loss.

A deficiency can accumulate odd-chain fatty acids, which can be the leading cause of your weight gain [3].

Also Read: Green Coffee for Weight Loss

2. Improves skin health and strengthens nails

When biotin metabolizes fat, it helps in weight loss and helps maintain healthy skin.

Vitamin B7 contributes to maintaining the health of your skin by ensuring that the mucous membranes of the skin are well cared for. 

The general strength of your nails also depends on your Biotin intake. Vitamin B7 is known to reduce the splitting and breaking of your fingernails if they happen to be brittle [2,4].

Related Article: Vitamin E for Skin: Benefits and Side effects

3. Improved hair growth

Keratin is a type of protein that is found in your skin, hair, and nails. It is a combination of 18 different amino acids that essentially play an important role in hair growth, hair regeneration, and overall hair health.

Biotin stimulates keratin production and since keratin is an important protein that enables healthy hair growth, it can be considered an important vitamin for hair regeneration and other hair related issues [5].

This hair growth is not restricted to the scalp itself but also refers to facial hair. Healthy consumption of Vitamin B7 can help men grow thick beards.

Related Article: Top 9 Benefits of Vitamin E for Hair

4. Blood sugar regulation and lower cholesterol

Due to biotin’s metabolic function, it is known to improve blood sugar regulation in a person with diabetes.

Vitamin B7 is one of the nutrients required to activate a major enzyme, pyruvate carboxylase, involved in glucose metabolism. 

Besides regulating blood glucose levels, biotin might also help maintain the lipid levels in the bloodstream; which may then help keep in check one’s cholesterol levels [6].

5. Support during pregnancy and postpartum

Biotin is an essential prenatal vitamin. It aids in healthy fetal growth and the growth of the embryo. It also prevents any complications that might come with pregnancy [7].

However, an excess of vitamin B7 during pregnancy could also be harmful; therefore, it is vital to watch your intake and turn to supplements only when in dire need.

6. Treatment for multiple sclerosis

Although further research is required, preliminary data suggests that high doses of biotin can slow down the progression of multiple sclerosis.

In the general sense, however, a sufficient amount of biotin has been known to positively affect the neurological functioning of the human body [8].

7. Assist cell growth and helps rebuild tissue

Biotin is one of the B vitamins that help maintain muscle tone, increase metabolic rate, and help tissues grow. It is essential when it comes to alleviating muscle and joint inflammation.

Since biotin helps in the metabolization of protein, it indirectly contributes to the repair and maintenance of cells. Protein is not only the building block of the body but is also required for cell growth [9].

8. Upkeep of energy levels and moods

Biotin helps in the synthesis and metabolization of various macronutrients that essentially help in energizing our bodies. When there is a shortage of vitamin B7, the chances of you feeling lethargic and experiencing a severe slump in energy are relatively high.

Other symptoms of deficiency include a sudden drop in your mood, depression, and in extreme cases, psychosis. 

Therefore, consuming sufficient amounts of biotin will ensure your mental wellbeing as well [10,11]

Foods that contain biotin

Biotin is a B vitamin that also goes by Vitamin B7 and can be found in various foods. 

It is also available in the form of supplements, but opting for natural sources first, is highly recommended; unless otherwise advised by your doctor.

The following foods are rich in biotin, and incorporating them into your diet might help you ward off any symptoms of Vitamin B7 deficiency [2].

Although the richest sources of biotin are organ meat, eggs, and fish, certain vegan options that you could consider are mentioned in the table above.

How much biotin to consume per day?

Biotin is available in various forms. You can find it naturally in your diet, or you can take supplements in the form of tablets, injections, and powders.

The biotin injections are administered once a week, and the tablets and powders are consumed only after consulting a doctor. 

The following table will give you a brief of how much biotin to consume in a day, depending on your age [2].

The only exception to the above mentioned AI, is if you are pregnant or lactating, in which case, you can consume up to 35 mcg of biotin.

Side effects of too much biotin

Consuming too much biotin has not shown any adverse effects on the human body, and therefore an upper limit for the consumption of biotin has not been established.

However, too much biotin can affect the lab results and indirectly affect the patient and their treatment.

Although there are no harmful side effects of consuming too much biotin, the risk of experiencing a deficiency still exists [2].

Some of the symptoms to watch out for are;

• Red rashes on the skin
• Scaly or dry skin
• Brittle hair and nails
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Insomnia
• Loss of appetite, and
• Dry eyes

Also Read: Raisin Water Side Effects

Biotin Supplements

When people turn to biotin supplements, it is because they either don’t get enough of it from their diet or their body is unable to absorb it.

Supplements are bioavailable, and therefore make it easy for our body to satiate its required daily dosage.

While picking a supplement, always ensure that it is third-party tested. This way, you can be sure of its quality and purity.

Also, keep in mind your allergies since additional ingredients in your supplements could trigger them.

Lastly, always consult your doctor before taking any supplements.

Although there is no best form of biotin, consuming it from your diet should be your priority, after which you can opt for supplements in the form of tablets, injections, or powders, depending on your requirements.

Wrapping Up

Biotin, also known as Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H, is a water-soluble vitamin that is a part of the B vitamins.

The benefits of biotin, also known as vitamin B7 benefits override the side effects of not consuming enough. 

It aids in growth and development and ensures to provide for your body through all stages of life.

Biotin supplements are often considered when you may be at the risk of a deficiency. However, always consult a doctor before getting on any supplement.

FAQ

Q: How much biotin is present in 10 almonds?

A: Although it is not possible to give an exact count of how much biotin is present in 10 almonds, we can say that there is around 1.5mcg in a quarter cup of almonds.

A quarter cup of almonds can hold up to roughly 40 almonds; therefore, on calculating, we can say that there is around 0.375 mcg in 10 almonds.

Q: How much biotin is present in eggs?

A: One serving of eggs has around 10 mcg of biotin. One serving could roughly mean anywhere between 1 to 2 eggs.

Q: Is biotin good for the skin?

A: Yes! Biotin is great for skin health. It ensures that the mucous membranes are well-nourished; by doing this, biotin is indirectly benefiting our skin.

Q: What is the best time to take biotin tablets?

A: It is always advised to take biotin tablets on an empty stomach. Therefore, 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after eating one is preferred.

Q: Does biotin help hair growth?

A: Keratin is an essential protein required to maintain healthy hair and to improve hair growth.

Biotin stimulates keratin production and therefore helps hair regeneration and hair growth. Thus, consumption of biotin or vitamin B7 can contribute to your hair growth.

References

1. “Biotin Fact Sheet for Consumers.” National Institute of Health, (2021)
2. “Biotin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals.” National Institute of Health, (2021) 
3. Zempleni, Janos et al. “Biotin.” BioFactors (Oxford, England) vol. 35,1 (2009): 36-46.
4. Lipner, Shari R, and Richard K Scher. “Biotin for the treatment of nail disease: what is the evidence?.” The Journal of dermatological treatment vol. 29,4 (2018): 411-414.
5. Patel, Deepa P et al. “A Review of the Use of Biotin for Hair Loss.” Skin appendage disorders vol. 3,3 (2017): 166-169.
6. Lazo de la Vega-Monroy, M L et al. “Effects of biotin supplementation in the diet on insulin secretion, islet gene expression, glucose homeostasis and beta-cell proportion.” The Journal of nutritional biochemistry vol. 24,1 (2013): 169-77.
7. Ichihara, Yuko et al. “Serum biotin level during pregnancy is associated with fetal growth and preterm delivery.” The journal of medical investigation : JMI vol. 67,1.2 (2020): 170-173
8. Sedel, Frédéric et al. “High doses of biotin in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis: a pilot study.” Multiple sclerosis and related disorders vol. 4,2 (2015): 159-69.
9. Boeckx, R L, and K Dakshinamurti. “Biotin-mediated protein biosynthesis.” The Biochemical journal vol. 140,3 (1974): 549-56.
10. Reininghaus, Eva Z et al. “PROVIT: Supplementary Probiotic Treatment and Vitamin B7 in Depression-A Randomized Controlled Trial.” Nutrients vol. 12,11 3422. 8 Nov. 2020
11. Sathyanarayana Rao, T S et al. “Biotin supplements and laboratory test results in neuropsychiatric practice and research.” Indian journal of psychiatry vol. 59,4 (2017): 405-406.