Biotin Supplements – The Blockbuster B Vitamin

If you love having healthy skin, nails, and hair, it is essential that you get enough biotin supplements in your diet! Biotin is best known as a beauty vitamin but also as B7, vitamin H, and Coenzyme R. It is also a water-soluble B-complex vitamin, which is a cofactor in the metabolism of fatty acids. Personally, I love Biotin and read about using it years ago as a suggested beauty vitamin. It’s very important to include it in your vitamin regiment if you want stronger hair and nails!

Biotin supplements are necessary for cell growth, the production of fatty acids, and the metabolism of fats and amino acids. It plays a role in the Citric acid cycle, which is the process by which biochemical energy is generated during aerobic activities. Biotin not only assists in various metabolic reactions, it also helps transfer carbon dioxide in the blood and is helpful in maintaining a steady blood sugar level. Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails. Consequently, it is found in many hair and nail vitamins on the market.

If you love beautiful skin, hair, and nails, you must include Biotin in your vitamin supplements! Once you start using it, you should notice a big improvement. Most everyone I know has some issues with their skin, hair, or nails! Many can be corrected by simply taking more of this water soluble vitamin!

Deficiencies are extremely rare, as intestinal bacteria naturally produce an excess of the body's daily requirement. However, you may need it if you have a deficiency. (see deficiencies below)

Food Sources

Biotin can be found in a variety of foods that you already consume. Estimates are that the typical U.S. diet provides roughly 40 micrograms a day. There are only a couple of foods that contain biotin in large amounts, including royal jelly, egg yolk, and brewer's yeast. The most important natural sources of biotin in food nutrition are milk, liver, and some vegetables like Swiss Chard.

Other Food Sources

Excellent sources of biotin supplements include tomatoes, romaine lettuce, and carrots. Very good sources include almonds, onions, cabbage, cucumber, and cauliflower. Good sources include goat's milk, raspberries, strawberries, halibut, oats, and walnuts.

Toxicity Symptoms

There is no current Tolerable Upper Limit set for biotin. So far, research has indicated that high levels of intake, has no known detrimental effects on the human body.

Deficiencies

The incidence of low circulating biotin levels has been associated with alcoholics, in those with a partial gastrectomy, burn patients, epileptics, the elderly, and athletes. Pregnancy and lactation may also be associated with an increased demand for biotin supplements. Additionally, smoking may further accelerate deficiencies in women especially.

Hair Loss Biotin supplements are often recommended as a natural product to counteract the problems of hair loss in both children and adults. There have been no studies that show any benefit of taking extra Biotin in any case where the subject is not actually deficient. The signs and symptoms of extreme deficiencies include hair loss, which can progress in severity to include loss of eye lashes and eyebrows. Some shampoos contain biotin but it is doubtful whether they would have any useful effect, as biotin supplements are not absorbed well through the skin. Synthesis of Fat Many symptoms of a deficiency include skin related problems. Biotin is required for proper function of an enzyme in the body called acetyl Co-A carboxylase. This enzyme forms the building block of fat production in the body. This is crucial for all cells in the body since the membranes of the cells must contain the correct components of fat to function properly. Fat production is essential for skin cells since they die off and must be replaced very quickly. They are in contact with the outside environment and serve as a barrier to unwanted toxins.

When cellular fat components cannot be made properly, skin cells are among the first cells to develop problems. In infants, the most common biotin deficiency symptom is cradle cap. Infants with the condition develop a crusty yellowish/ whitish patches around their scalp, head, eyebrows and the skin behind the ears. In adults, the equivalent skin condition is called seborrhea, although it can occur in many different locations on the skin.

Cradle cap/Seborrhea

Children with a rare inherited metabolic disorder called PKU often develop skin conditions such as eczema and seborrhea in areas of the body other than the scalp. The scaly skin changes that occur may be related to poor ability to process biotin in the body. Increasing dietary biotin has been known to improve seborrhea in most cases.

Diabetes

People with type 2 diabetes often have deficiencies of B7. Studies have shown that biotin may be involved in the formation and release of insulin in the blood. Preliminary studies in both animals and people suggest that biotin supplements help improve control of blood glucose levels in those with type 2 diabetes. Higher doses of biotin lower post-prandial glucose and improve glucose tolerance.

Energy Production

Biotin is involved in the metabolism of both sugar and fat in your body. In sugar metabolism, biotin helps transfer sugar from initial stages of conversion into usable energy. Muscle cramps related to physical exertion, may be the result of your body's inability to efficiently use sugar as fuel and may signal a deficiency.

Nervous System Activity

Because glucose and fat are used for energy within the nervous system, biotin functions as a supportive vitamin. Numerous nerve related symptoms have been linked to a deficiency. Symptoms include seizures, lack of muscle coordination (ataxia), and lack of good muscle tone. (hypotonia).

Daily Requirements

The Adequate Intake (AI) levels for biotin, set in 1998 by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences, are as follows: