The name biotin must ring a bell since it is one of the more commonly mentioned ingredients included in hair care products like shampoos , conditioners, gels, etc..
Biotin is a vitamin of the B complex, also known as Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H involved in the synthesis of fatty acids and glucose in our body
So, curious to find out what physical attributes biotin provides? A healthy balanced diet rarely causes a biotin deficiency yet it can happen to anybody, the initial sign would show the skin drying out , an increase in the cholesterol level. Symptoms of tiredness and depression with a poor appetite will occur with nausea. One worse effect would be a frequent vomiting -definitely not a cool inconvenience to have.
What good effect does biotin do to one’s diet? Simple, it thickens the nails and also the hair fiber giving it a fuller appearance. It also increases the flexibility of the hair, skin and nails rendering them less brittle and less liable to breaking and scaling. However, if you eat a good balanced diet you certainly could avoid these problems, although a vitamin B complex supplement will do the job just as well.
Natural sources of Biotin can be found in:
- Egg yolk
- Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans, and peanuts
- Cauliflower
- Soybeans and other legumes
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Whole grains and cereals
- Liver, kidney (organ meats)
- Mushrooms
- Cucumber
- Onions
In spite of any other effect biotin has on your body, including providing healthy hair, skin and nails, its primary role in your body is in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates into a form that can be used by the body for the production of energy. Biochemically, it functions as a coenzyme, which is a molecule needed to help an enzyme do its work. In fact an alternative name given to biotin is Coenzyme R
Recommended Daily Amount
A reasonable level of supplementation recommended for adolescents and adults to ensure not to suffer from a deficiency is around 100 micrograms daily, although up to 5 milligrams (5000 mcg) are safe for the treatment of brittle nails or hair loss.
An important thing to remember is that biotin is water-soluble, so extra biotin will simply pass through the body through urination. While most people can benefit from biotin supplements, some people can experience mild side effects like nausea and digestive issues and to some strange instances – the sprouting of acne pimples. Other biotin takers have countered this acne effect by drinking lots of water. Based on studies, there’s no known toxicity symptoms associated with too much biotin.
So if you want to have healthy hair, skin and nails and decide to take Biotin supplements because you cannot include natural food sources of biotin in your diet, make sure to consult your primary health physician to avoid any untoward side effects.
