What is Biotin?
‘Biotin’, is a water soluble vitamin in the list of B vitamins. We also know that it is called as vitamin B(7) or vitamin H. Though we only know about its three names, it plays many important functions in our body.
In this post we’ll discuss it all. Just keep on reading as I’ll let you know all the important aspects of it before you can opt for any supplements for your health.
Sign and Symptoms of Biotin Deficiency:
If you’re someone who often suffers from—
• Hair loss
• Skin Rash
• Brittle Nails
• Conjunctivitis
• Muscle Pain
• Fatigue
• Poor Mental Health
Then it can be because of B7 deficiency in your body. These symptoms can occur due to other health problems such as poor gut health, vitamin c deficiency or it can be any side effects of prolonged illness or medications. It’s better to consult with a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
But if you find out that you are suffering from biotin deficiency then this post will surely help you out. So let’s move on to the next section of this post which is about the numerous benefits of Vitamin H in the human body.
Biotin Benefits:
The benefits of it are many. It supports metabolism to helps in weight loss to regrows hair etc. In this post we’ll cover the points in detail. So let’s get started guys—-
Promotes healthy hair:
It is a much needed vitamin when it comes to the health of our hair. It gives strength to your hair follicles and hair strands which helps in preventing hair loss and hair thinning. You can also get rid of split ends, breakage of the hair.
You heard about Keratin Treatment right?? It is very important for a healthy hair right?? Do you know that you can get it from biotin??
You are surprised right?? Don’t worry, calm down. You read it right.
Biotin produces keratin protein in the scalp which ultimately helps to regrow your hair and also gives smooth and shiny texture to your hair.
Basically vitamin B7 is everything what your hair needs.
Gives a Bright Skin:
Collagen is a must have ingredient in the skin care industry. But the question is why??
Collagen helps to retain moisture in the skin and protects it from infections. It also gives elasticity to the skin and reduces wrinkles, fine lines and improves dryness, itching, skin rashes etc.
Overall collagen is really helpful ingredient when it comes to a healthy skin. And this collagen is produced by B7. So we need to focus on taking proper vitamin H in our body to keep a healthy and glowing skin.
Improves Metabolism:
Studies suggest that to improve metabolism and helps to break down carbohydrates, fats and converts them into energy, it is very important in the list of B vitamins. Ayurveda always says that “It’s not what you eat but It’s what you digest”. So we really should give more importance to our metabolic rate to keep ourselves healthy.
Helps in Weight Loss:
Biotin boosts metabolism in the body and as a result it helps to break down fats, carbohydrates etc for better absorption. And medical science always tells that increased metabolism helps in weight loss. So in this way we can easily say that biotin helps in losing weight.
Regulates Blood Sugar levels:
From the above point, we know that biotin helps in boosting metabolism in the body. For the people who are suffering from diabetes, biotin can help you to regulate blood sugar levels by breaking down glucose in the blood. You can consult with your healthcare professional for better understanding of your health.
Strengthens Nails:
Biotin proves to be one of the main reason for strong and healthy nails. It prevents brittle nails and promotes nail strength and longevity.
Improves Brain Function:
Nowadays many people suffer from poor mental health because of excessive stress. To get rid of your poor mental health, focus on your diet first and beside this you can follow some of the effective tips to improve your mental health.
In this post, we discuss about 20 effective yet easy to do practical tips to improve your mental health and you can choose any of them as per your convenience. Just be consistent and follow the tips daily.
If you follow any of these tips regularly, I’m sure you’re going to get results.
Now coming to the diet, to improve your mental health you can definitely add biotin rich foods or supplements as biotin helps to release chemicals that transmit signals between nerve cells to improve brain function.
Keeps Heart Healthy:
Biotin supports metabolism of fats, carbs etc. We all know that one of the main reason of many heart issues is cholesterol in which body can’t break down fats. So to reduce the risk of heart diseases biotin is really needed.
Supports Eye Health:
Biotin has the power to protect our eyes from the damage caused by free radicals and thus helps to maintain healthy eyes.
Helps in Pregnancy:
As we all now understand the importance of it for the brain function, we can easily say that biotin prevents birth defects in the fetus related to nervous system. It also supports growth of the embryo during pregnancy.
These are 10 lesser known benefits of biotin. I know you just hear the name of biotin from beauty industry and have a conception that it’s only helpful for hair, skin. But there are so much more beyond that.
So let’s now hop on to the next section of this post where we know about some biotin rich foods in both veg and non veg options. Let’s start!
Biotin rich foods:
Now let’s quickly discuss about the foods which are high in biotin. But why we need to know about it?
Because you can complete your body’s requirements just by including some B7 rich foods if you are a healthy person and doesn’t have any problems in your body. In this post, we’ll give you both veg and non veg options and you can choose according to your preferences.
Veg Options:
Sweet Potatoes-
From a medium sized sweet potato, you can get nearly 2.4 microgram biotin.
Spinach-
Cooked Spinach offers nearly 0.5-1 microgram biotin per one cup.
Sunflower Seeds-
It gives you around 2.6 microgram biotin per ounce.
Almonds-
From Almonds, you can get nearly 1-2 microgram biotin per ounce.
Avocado-
From an Avocado, you can get about 2-6 microgram biotin which depends upon the size of the fruit.
Non Veg Options:
Egg Yolks-
From one large egg yolk, you can get 10 microgram B7.
Chicken-
Chicken breast is a good source of it as it can give you 0.4-0.6 microgram biotin per serving.
Salmon-
It is rich in biotin as it can serve you nearly 5-6 microgram per 3 ounce serving.
You can even include whole grains such as oats, wheat germ, beef liver, pork etc in your diet as these contain B7 in it.
Biotin Supplements:
I always recommend to choose natural way when it comes to your health. But many people suffer from poor gut health nowadays. So they want a supplement to fulfill their daily requirements of vitamins.
My suggestion for you is if you want to take supplement, go visit a doctor and after consulting with him/her, as per your body, age take a supplement.
Dosage of Biotin:
According to RDA, biotin intake varies on age. Here is the list listed below of biotin intake per day for people of all ages——
Infants (0-6 months) : 5 microgram per day.
Infants (7-12 months) : 6 microgram per day.
Children (1-3 years) : 8 microgram per day.
Children (4-8 years) : 12 microgram per day.
Children (9-13 years) : 20 microgram per day.
Adults (14years and above) : 30 microgram per day.
Pregnant Women: 30 microgram per day.
Breastfeeding Women: 35 microgram per day.
This list is based on general recommendations. You should check up your health to a doctor before taking any dose of biotin because excessive consumption of biotin can lead to more issues in your body. We’ll also talk about the side effects of it in the next section.
Side effects of Excessive Biotin Consumption:
You should always consult with a medical professional before taking any supplement because everything has pros and cons. In the above points, we notice the incredible benefits of it in the body. But in this section we’ll discuss about the side effects of it.
If you use excessive B7 with high doses then you are surely going to face its consequences. The problems you may face are—–
Acne
Nausea
Diarrhea
Cramps
Difficulty in breathing
Low Blood Sugar levels
Itching
Swelling in the respiratory track
If you have any underlying health problem then please consult with your doctor before taking any supplement as it can interfere with your medications. You may also get inaccurate results in the health check up of your body. So please don’t ignore this point. Take it seriously.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, we can easily say that Biotin is really an excellent nutrient in the list of vitamins. You can surely get lots of benefits from it if you take it after checking your health by a doctor.
Remember this blog post is written to guide you in the right path so that you can gain knowledge and use it for your own benefit. This is no way a substitute of a medical professional.
If you find this helpful then share it with your friends and family. Do let me know your thoughts about it. Would love to know your opinion.