You may not have heard of this B-complex vitamin, but biotin is important for several functions in your body. Biotin was first discovered in the 1930s when scientists noted that a deficiency caused skin rashes and hair loss in baby chickens. Although low levels in humans are rare, adding foods rich in this vitamin will help keep your body health and fight off disease.
Identification
Biotin is also known as vitamin B-7, and like the other B vitamins, is water-soluble, meaning it's not stored in your body and must be obtained from foods. The highest levels are found in liver and egg yolks. Other sources include pork, salmon and avocado. Biotin can also be found in smaller amounts in yeast, cheddar cheese, cauliflower and raspberries. Biotin is easily destroyed during cooking or when foods are stored for a long time.
Blood Sugar
Biotin plays a role in glucose production by helping maintain blood sugar levels. Although biotin supplements don't appear to lower blood sugar in diabetics, there is a link between natural biotin levels and diabetes. A study published in the "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry" in May 2011 showed that biotin deprivation led to reduced concentrations of blood glucose and insulin in mice and also caused poor insulin sensitivity.
Energy Metabolism
Your body uses biotin to help metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins into usable energy, one reason that muscle cramps may be a sign of a biotin deficiency. Without biotin, your body can't convert food to energy or break down proteins into amino acids. Biotin serves as an essential coenzyme for five other enzymes used in cellular metabolism.
Lipids
Very-low-density lipoproteins, or VLDL, and triglycerides are both lipid fats absorbed from foods or manufactured in your liver. In moderate amounts, they perform important tasks within your body, but high levels can damage your blood vessels. Research published in 2006 in "Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy" found that biotin supplements significantly reduced triglycerides and VLDL levels in both healthy and diabetic subjects.
Skin, Nails and Hair
Because biotin helps promote nail growth and prevent skin irritations and disease-related hair loss, many commercial biotin supplements are marketed for these purposes. Although no scientific studies support the claim that biotin can treat traditional male-pattern baldness, studies do show promise for biotin's benefits to nails. One such trial, published in the journal "Cutis" in 1993, used scanning electron microscopy to show biotin supplements increased fingernail thickness and nail splitting by 25 percent.
Considerations
Raw egg white contains a substance that binds biotin in your intestinal tract and keeps it from being absorbed. If you consume raw egg whites regularly, you may develop a biotin deficiency. You're also at risk if you have irritable bowel disease, are an alcoholic, pregnant or take anti-convulsant drugs. Although there is no recommended daily allowance for biotin, the Institute of Medicine considers adequate intake to be 30 mcg for adults. In research studies, doses up to 5,000 mcg per day for two years were relatively well-tolerated.
References
- Linus Pauling Institute; Biotin; Jane Higdon; June 2004
- "Cutis"; Brittle Nails: Response to Daily Biotin Supplementation; L.G. Hochman, et al.; 1993
- "Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry"; Effects of Biotin Deficiency on Pancreatic Islet Morphology, Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose Homeostasis; E. Larrieta, et al.; May 2011
- "Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy"; Biotin Supplementation Reduces Plasma Triacylglycerol and VLDL in Type 2 Diabetic Patients and in Nondiabetic Subjects with Hypertriglyceridemia; Cristina Revilla-Monsalve, et al.; May 2006
- "Archives of Medical Research"; Biotin in Metabolism and its Relationship to Human Disease; D. Pacheco-Alvarez, et al.; September-October 2007
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