Whole Food Nutrition
Biotin
Biotin is used in cell growth, the production of fatty acids,
metabolism of fats, and amino acids. It plays a role in the
Krebs Cycle, which is the process in which energy is released
from food. Biotin not only assists in various metabolic chemical
conversions, but also helps with the transfer of carbon dioxide.
Biotin is also helpful in maintaining a steady blood sugar
level. Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and
nails. Consequently, it is found in many cosmetic and health
products for the hair and skin.
Deficiency is extremely rare, save in cases where people have
ingested large amounts of raw egg white over long periods of
time, as intestinal bacteria generally produce in excess of the
body's daily requirement. Biotin works with other B vitamins
to make healthy cells and convert carbohydrates, fats, and
proteins into energy. Biotin also promotes healthy hair, skin,
sweat glands, nerve tissue, bone marrow, and male sex glands.
Biotin has had a number of different names since it was first
discovered. Scientists weren’t sure what it did, couldn’t decide
if it was an enzyme or a vitamin, and had trouble naming it.
Biotin is still sometimes referred to as vitamin H, although it
is now known that biotin is a B-complex vitamin.
Biotin is found in brewer’s yeast, liver, cooked egg yolks,
fish, butter, cheese, and milk, nuts, green peas, lentils,
soybeans, sunflower seeds, corn, fortified cereals, cauliflower,
meat, milk, poultry, saltwater fish, soybeans, and whole grains.
Biotin is destroyed by certain food-processing techniques such
as canning and heat curing, and raw egg whites contain a protein
called avidin, which combines with biotin in the intestinal
tract to deplete the body of this needed nutrient.
However, you don’t have to get biotin from your diet, because
your body makes its own. If you are a normal, healthy
individual, the bacteria in your intestines make all the biotin
you need. It is rare for anyone to be deficient in this vitamin
unless they have an eating disorder, but those taking
antibiotics or sulfa drugs, or who consume large amounts of
saccharin may need to supplement, because these substances
interfere with the body’s ability to manufacture it. People with
Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes may also want to take a
biotin supplement. One study found that people taking 9,000
micrograms each day for a month had blood sugar levels fall to
nearly half of their original levels.*
Biotin supplements are both safe and available; large doses have
no known toxic effects. A biotin deficiency can cause symptoms
similar to those of other vitamin B deficiencies, including
anemia, depression, hair loss, high blood sugar, inflammation or
pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, insomnia, loss of
appetite, muscular pain, nausea, and soreness of the tongue.
Because biotin is key to the maintenance of healthy hair and
skin, hair loss, brittle hair and nails may also be symptoms of
deficiency. In infants, a condition called seborrheic
dermatitis, or cradle cap, which is characterized by a dry,
scaly scalp, may occur as a result of biotin deficiency.
However, it is important to speak to a physician before giving
infants a supplement of this or any other vitamin.
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