Vitamin B7 (biotin) – how does it help maintain health and beauty?
Biotin, also known as vitamin H or vitamin B7, belongs to the water-soluble B vitamins. Biotin is also often called the beauty vitamin because it plays an important role in building hair and nails and supports healthy skin and proper mucous membrane function. For this reason, if you suffer from brittle hair or unhealthy skin, it is worth considering how to fix the problem at its root. One answer may be biotin deficiency!
Vitamin B7/biotin – what is it?
Vitamin B7 (biotin) is a water-soluble organic substance. Since biotin is not stored in the body, excess amounts of the vitamin are excreted in the urine. It is therefore necessary to find an adequate source of biotin, whether in our daily diet or in special supplements.
Biotin helps convert food into energy and is recommended for activating metabolism. This vitamin is involved in the absorption of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids, including proteins. Biotin is therefore centrally involved in the entire energy metabolism. It also influences the growth of blood cells, nerve tissue and sebaceous glands. Due to these functions, biotin is of great importance for stable vitality and a healthy nervous system.
Vitamin B7 – properties worth knowing!
Biotin is often referred to as the beauty vitamin. Given its role in influencing all metabolic processes in the body, it is no surprise that it has a number of positive effects on the body when taken in the recommended daily doses.
Biotin occurs in nature in eight different forms. However, only D-biotin has a vitamin effect and occurs naturally in our body and in food. It influences the transport of carbon dioxide in the body by means of several enzymes called carboxylases. Vitamin B7 is therefore a coenzyme involved in various mechanisms in the human body.
The most well-known medicinal properties of vitamin B7/biotin include:
- Contributes to normal energy metabolism
- Supports the formation of new proteins
- Supports the burning of fat and consumed carbohydrates
- Contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system
- Influences the normal metabolic processes of macronutrients
- Participates in cell growth.
Vitamin H also plays a role in the biosynthesis of other vitamins, such as vitamin B9 and vitamin B12. From a biological point of view, it is present in all known living species! In terms of diet, it is present in certain foods on our tables.
What is more, vitamin B7 helps to combat cholesterol in the blood. It also stimulates the brain and contributes to its proper functioning, in particular by maintaining stable or elevated memory functions. Recent scientific studies also indicate that vitamin H is essential for the expression of over two thousand genes!
Biotin on a daily basis – recommended doses
A series of studies conducted over the last two decades has not conclusively proven what the optimal amount of biotin is for the human body. However, it is estimated that the recommended daily requirement for biotin is:
- Children aged 1 to 7 – 10-15 µg/day
- Children aged 7 to 10 – 15-20 µg/day
- Children aged 10 to 13 – 20-30 µg/day
- Adolescents aged 13-15 – 25-35 µg/day
- Adolescents aged 15 and above and adults – 30-60 µg/day
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women – 30-60 µg/day
Biotin – side effects
It is known that supplements containing biotin can provide up to 15 times more vitamin B7 than the body needs on a daily basis. This causes an excess of biotin in the plasma, the health effects of which are not well understood.
However, this does not change the fact that some experts believe that our body is perfectly capable of excreting excess vitamin B7 without causing any problems for the human body. Even at a therapeutic dose of 200 milligrams of biotin per day, no harm has been found so far.
Vitamin B7 for hair, skin and nails – the secret to beauty?
We already know that biotin is essential for the synthesis of amino acids and fatty acids, maintaining the proper functioning of the nervous system and ensuring proper food metabolism. It participates in lipid metabolism, cellular energy production and also in maintaining a beautiful appearance! Although this may sound abstract, it is true.
Biotin has a number of proven properties that are considered beneficial for the appearance of skin, hair and nails. Let's take a closer look at them!
- Improving skin condition – vitamin B7 deficiency can cause skin diseases (e.g. dermatitis or acne). It protects the skin from cellular oxidation. It also supports cell renewal and has important moisturising properties for the epidermis. Biotin therefore reduces wrinkles and the effects of premature skin ageing.
- Keeps hair healthy – biotin is often used to treat hair loss, slowing down the entire process. It is also found in a huge number of shampoos, balms and hair conditioners. It is also used in medical treatments dedicated to hair. All this is thanks to the strengthening of the extremely thin fibres that make up the hair;
- Strengthening nails – vitamin B7 also improves the health and quality of nails. Adequate daily intake of biotin makes nails stronger and therefore less brittle.
Source of biotin – foods rich in vitamin B7
Biotin in the body serves as an extremely important factor in carboxylation reactions necessary for the proper functioning of our enzymes. They also perform important tasks in the production and conversion of glucose. What does this mean? Among other things, vitamin B7 stimulates metabolic processes. As we mentioned earlier, it also contributes to the formation of new skin and nail cells. For this reason, this vitamin is found in both plant and animal foods in its free form or, in the case of animal-based foods, in a form bound to proteins.
Good sources of animal-derived biotin include:
- Beef or veal liver
- Salmon
- Boiled chicken eggs
Good plant sources of biotin include:
- Peanuts
- Wheat bran
- Oatmeal
- Mushrooms
- Bananas
- Spinach
- Soybeans and soy-based products
In addition to the above, products that also contain relatively high levels of biotin include halibut, peas, cow's milk, rice, avocados and lettuce.
Biotin deficiency – what can it lead to?
Biotin deficiency can lead to hair loss, brittle nails and dry skin. Although this condition is extremely rare, it is important to know that biotin supplements can improve it.
A possible vitamin B7 deficiency can be recognised by the following symptoms, among others:
- Excessive hair loss
- Skin irritation and inflammation
- Muscle pain
- Cracked corners of the mouth
- Brittle nails
If you are concerned about a potential vitamin B7 deficiency, it is recommended that you consult your doctor and have a blood test done. This will allow you to determine precisely whether the cause is a biotin deficiency or another accompanying condition. In such a situation, organic supplements containing biotin can beneficially support the functioning of the body, contributing to the regulation of processes taking place within us. Bibliography
‘Encyclopedia of Dairy Sciences || Vitamins | Biotin (Vitamin B7)’, D. Nohr, 2011.
‘Biotin Deficiency’, F. Saleem, M. P. Soos, StatPearls Publishing, 2022.
‘Biotin and biotinidase deficiency’, J. Zempleni, Y. I Hassan, S. SK. Wijeratne, scientific journal Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab., 2008.
‘Determination of the biotin content of select foods using accurate and sensitive HPLC/avidin binding’, C. G. Staggs, W. M. Sealey, B. J. McCabe, A. M. Teague, D. M. Mock, scientific journal Journal of food composition and analysis: an official publication of the United Nations University, International Network of Food Data Systems, 2004.
‘A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of an Oral Supplement in Women with Self-perceived Thinning Hair’, A. Glynis, MD, FAAD, scientific journal The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2012.
‘Treatment of brittle fingernails and onychoschizia with biotin: scanning electron microscopy’, V. E. Colombo, F. Gerber, M. Bronhofer, G. L. Floersheim, scientific journal Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1990.
‘Nutritional skin care: health effects of micronutrients and fatty acids’, E. Boelsma, H. FJ Hendriks, L. Roza, scientific journal The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2001.
‘Dietary Reference Intakes for Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Vitamin B12, Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, and Choline (Dietary Reference Series)’, collective work by the Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press, 2000.
‘Biotin - A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References’, collective work by ICON Health Publications, 2004.