Your body requires biotin to process carbohydrates into fuel and to metabolize amino acids and fats. Biotin is a member of the B group of vitamins, and it also goes by the name of vitamin H or vitamin B-7. Like other B vitamins, biotin helps support the health of your liver, skin, eyes and hair. Walnuts are a good source of biotin as well as other vitamins and minerals.
About Biotin
Your body does not store biotin, just as it doesn't store most water-soluble vitamins. Although some foods contain biotin, the bacteria in your intestine are one of the main sources of this vitamin. Biotin deficiencies are uncommon, but they can happen in people with malabsorption syndromes and those who require long-term intravenous feeding. Symptoms of a deficiency can include dry skin, cracking skin near the corners of your mouth, swollen tongue, loss of appetite, insomnia and depression.
Considerations
The adequate daily intake of biotin for most adults is 30 mcg per day. Food sources of biotin apart from walnuts include cooked eggs, soybeans, black-eyed peas, mushrooms, cauliflower, bananas and mushrooms. Brewer's yeast is a rich source of this vitamin. Eating raw egg whites may interfere with your ability to absorb biotin due to the presence of the protein avidin.
Walnuts
In addition to biotin, walnuts contain potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. The amount of biotin and other nutrients in walnuts varies depending on processing techniques. Processing tends to destroy the biotin content in foods, meaning that minimally processed walnuts contain more of this B vitamin.
Precautions
No known side effects are associated with biotin, even in high doses, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Antibiotics and anti-convulsant medications can increase your need for biotin. Although eating walnuts is unlikely to cause biotin toxicity, these nuts do contain plenty of fat and calories, an important consideration in maintaining a healthy body weight. One ounce of raw English walnuts supplies your body with 190 calories, with 160 of those calories in the form of fat.
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