What Does the Vitamin Biotin Do? Health Benefits

Biotin helps maintain several major systems of the body, promotes the use of enzymes, and carries nutrients throughout the body. Other benefits include the following:

• Blood sugar management
  • Studies have reported that biotin may help regulate blood sugar levels in some people with diabetes.
  • B vitamins promote healthy brain function and help manage neurological symptoms of diabetes, including neuropathy (nerve dysfunction).
• Promotes hair health
  • Studies report that biotin improves hair health by improving shine and volume.
  • Biotin also helps cover the scalp in women who experience thinning hair.
• Improves skin and fingernails
  • Clinical studies report that biotin helps improve skin hydration and appearance.
  • In addition, some studies suggest that biotin can strengthen fingernails and make them grow faster.
• Necessary for prenatal care
  • Biotin is essential for normal embryonic growth, promoting a healthy pregnancy.
  • Studies have reported that a biotin deficiency can lead to health issues in developing fetuses.

A variety of foods contain biotin, including:

• Meat, fish, and organ meats (such as liver)
• Fish (salmon)
• Dairy products, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Cooked whole eggs (raw egg prevents biotin absorption) particularly egg yolk
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Legumes (beans, peas)
• Nuts (almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts)
• Whole grains
• Seeds
• Vegetables, including sweet potatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and broccoli

Biotin is available as a supplement and component in some multivitamin or multimineral and B-complex supplements

The amount of biotin needed each day depends on age, gender, and underlying medical conditions.

The recommended intake may vary depending on the presence of any risk factors for biotin deficiency.

Biotin deficiency may present as

• Thin hair or hair loss
• Weak, splitting, or brittle nails in the fingers and toes
• Rashes around the eyes
• Dry eyes
• Rash or cracks around the mouth (cheilitis)
• Swollen, painful tongue that appears dark or magenta-colored (glossitis)
• Loss of appetite
• Lack of sleep (insomnia)
• Dry, itchy, or scaly skin
• Fatigue
• Low mood or depression
• Nausea
• Digestive issues, such as loose stools
• Aches and pains

If you are diagnosed with biotin deficiency or your doctor thinks you may not be getting enough biotin in your diet, they may prescribe you biotin supplements. Always take these supplements as prescribed by your doctor.

Since biotin is present in various foods, most people get adequate amounts of the vitamin from their diet. Being a water-soluble vitamin, it is not stored in the body. It can, however, be made by the “good bacteria” residing in the gut.

Some people could be at a higher risk of biotin deficiency. These include the people who:

• Have alcohol dependence (alcohol interferes with the absorption of biotin from the gut)
• Have an inherited disorder called “biotinidase deficiency” (a rare genetic disorder in which the body is unable to recycle biotin)
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding
• Consume certain medications, such as antibiotics and antiseizure drugs
• Have chronic gut disorders, such as Crohn’s disease
• Consume raw eggs regularly
• Have been on parenteral nutrition (nutrition given through an intravenous line) for a long period.

Because biotin and other B vitamins are water-soluble, the excess is not stored by the body. Additionally, the body gets rid of the excess through urination, so an overdose of biotin is extremely rare.

Biotin supplements may interact with certain medications, however, including:

• Antibiotics
• Antiseizure medications
  • Carbatrol (carbamazepine)
  • Phenobarbital
  • Dilantin (phenytoin)
  • Mysoline (primidone)