What is Biotin? Food Sources and Health Benefits

Biotin dietary supplements declare they will make your hair shine, your nails stronger and your pores and skin extra radiant—all whereas serving to gasoline your physique. Do they work? And what’s biotin? 

Biotin is a B vitamin that’s typically championed for its advantages for bodily look, vitality, metabolism, mind well being and extra. So, what occurs to your physique if you eat biotin often? What are the most effective meals sources of biotin? And must you take a complement? Here, we’ll discover the solutions to those questions and extra. Let’s dive in.

What Is Biotin?

Biotin, additionally referred to as vitamin B7, is a part of the B vitamin household. It performs an vital function in vitality metabolism because it’s required for changing carbohydrates, fat and proteins into vitality that fuels your physique. 

Biotin is a vital nutrient, that means your physique doesn’t produce it by itself. As a consequence, you have to eat it by means of weight-reduction plan or dietary supplements to take care of optimum ranges. Biotin necessities range by age and life stage, however most adults want roughly 30 micrograms per day. While uncommon, biotin deficiency can result in signs equivalent to thinning hair, pores and skin rashes, brittle nails, fatigue and melancholy.

“Biotin is [also] thought-about useful for wholesome pores and skin, nails and hair, primarily as a result of a deficiency on this vitamin results in hair loss and a pores and skin rash,” says Sarah Schlichter, M.P.H., RDN, a registered dietitian and proprietor of Bucket List Tummy. However, simply because biotin is important for hair well being doesn’t imply consuming extra will make your hair stronger, thicker or extra lustrous. Despite the hype, there’s negligible proof that biotin dietary supplements enhance hair—or pores and skin—well being, in line with the National Institutes of Health.

5 Health Benefits of Biotin

May Strengthen Nails

High doses of biotin might assist individuals with skinny nails develop nails which might be thicker, stronger and fewer brittle. However, the analysis on that is scant, says the NIH, so extra examine is required.

May Promote Healthy Metabolism

Biotin is important for metabolic processes such because the conversion of meals into vitality. “As one of many B nutritional vitamins, biotin helps convert the macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein and fat) into vitality, which is distributed all through cells for correct functioning,” says Schlichter.

May Help Regulate Blood Sugar

One meta-analysis concluded that biotin supplementation may help lower fasting blood glucose in individuals with type 2 diabetes, although its impression on insulin is unclear, says Schlichter. While extra analysis is required, these findings spotlight biotin’s potential advantages in managing blood sugar ranges.

May Support Brain Health

Your mind consumes monumental quantities of glucose day-after-day. However, with out sufficient biotin for correct glucose metabolism, mind well being might endure. Fortunately, analysis means that consuming enough biotin might shield in opposition to melancholy, stress and anxiousness by supporting general nervous system perform.

May Improve Heart Health

Staying on prime of your biotin consumption can assist coronary heart well being. “Studies present a relationship between biotin supplementation and decreased whole ldl cholesterol and triglycerides,” says Schlichter.

Food Sources of Biotin

Some prime dietary sources of biotin embody:

• Beef Liver: While you must eat crimson meat sparsely, beef liver provides 103% of the Daily Value for biotin with 31 micrograms per 3-ounce serving. If you’re unsure methods to put together liver, give our Grilled Liver Kebabs a attempt.
• Eggs: Eggs are a wonderful supply of biotin, notably the yolk. One medium egg accommodates 10 mcg (33% DV). Get a wholesome dose of biotin with our 3-Ingredient Bell Pepper & Cheese Egg Cups.
• Salmon: This fatty fish isn’t simply full of heart-healthy omega-3 fat. It’s additionally supply of biotin, with 5 mcg (17% DV) per 3-ounce serving. Whip up one among these healthy salmon recipes this week.
• Pork: With practically 4 mcg (13% DV) of biotin per serving, this protein-rich meat is a scrumptious means so as to add biotin to your rotation. Need concepts? Try our Pork Chops with Balsamic Sweet Onions. For much more biotin, serve them with a aspect of Maple-Roasted Sweet Potatoes. Each half-cup serving provides roughly 8% of the DV for biotin.
• Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds boast many impressive health benefits. They additionally present biotin, with practically 3 mcg (9% DV) per ¼ cup.

The Bottom Line

Biotin provides many well being advantages, particularly supporting a wholesome metabolism and selling coronary heart and mind well being. While it’s mandatory for wholesome hair, pores and skin and nails, consuming extra of it’s unlikely to enhance their well being. So, don’t waste your cash on dietary supplements. The fact is, consuming a well-balanced weight-reduction plan will nearly all the time present all of the biotin you want. But if you happen to nonetheless really feel like you possibly can use a bit further assist, filling your plate with biotin-rich meals like liver, eggs, salmon and pork ought to do the trick!