Biotin is part of the B-complex family of vitamins. It is considered an essential vitamin and is required to convert carbohydrates, fats and proteins into energy. Your body is able to make biotin from intestinal bacteria, and most healthy individuals do not need biotin supplementation. However, biotin may be destroyed by certain food-processing techniques, such as canning and curing with heat. Before taking any vitamin supplement, consult your physician.
Biotin Deficiency
Biotin deficiency is rarely seen, but it may cause hair loss, scaly red rash around the face and genitals, hallucinations, depression and tingling or numbness of the hands and feet. In a 1981 article in the journal "Pediatrics," the case of an 11-year-old boy, whose diet included raw egg whites, was documented due to the following clinical manifestations: alopecia totalis, or complete hair loss; scaling skin; and metabolic changes such as decreased metabolic enzymes. After excluding egg whites and adding biotin supplementation to the patient's diet, the signs and symptoms disappeared. The study found that a compound, called avidin, in egg whites contained an enzyme that bound to biotin, making it unavailable for the body's use.
Biotin and Diabetes
Preliminary evidence shows that biotin may increase insulin secretion and may help decrease blood glucose levels in people with diabetes. In a 1999 study documented in the journal "Endocrinology", cultures of pancreatic islets of Langerhans were exposed to concentrations of biotin. After 24 hours, an increase was found in insulin secretion and the activity of glucokinase, an enzyme that supports glucose metabolism.
Biotin and Fingernails
Biotin promotes healthy nails. The Linus Pauling Institute cites several studies where individuals with cracked and brittle fingernails were given biotin supplements. One study reported 95 percent of participants found improvement in nail growth. Another study showed a 25-percent increase in nail thickness. The participants received 25 mg of biotin over the course of six months in all trials.
Biotin Dosage and Sources
The Food and Nutrition Board found, in 1998, that sufficient evidence was lacking to establish a recommended dietary allowance for biotin. However, it did set an adequate intake level at 30 mcg per day. The following foods contain biotin: whole-wheat bread -- one slice contains 0.2 mcg; one large egg contains 13 to 25 mcg; a 3-oz. serving of cooked liver contains 27 to 35 mcg; a 3-oz. serving of cooked salmon contains 4 to 5 mcg; a 3-oz. serving of cooked pork contains 2 to 4 mcg; and one avocado contains 2 to 6 mcg.
References
- OSU Linus Pauling Institute: Biotin
- VitaminStuff.com: Biotin
- "Pediatrics"; Clinical and Metabolic Abnormalities in a Boy with Dietary Deficiency of Biotin; Lawrence Sweetman, et al.; Oct.1981
- "Endocrinology"; Biotin Regulation of Pancreatic Glucokinase and Insulin in Primary Cultured Rat Islets and in Biotin-Deficient Rats; Guillermo Romero-Navarro, et al.; 1999
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