Vitamin B7 is more commonly known as biotin. This water-soluble nutrient is another B vitamin involved in supporting adrenal function, calming and maintaining a healthy nervous system, and is essential for metabolic processes.
Biotin is essential for metabolism of carbohydrates and fat. It’s involved in the synthesis of pyrimidines (nucleic acids), and conversion of folic acid to it’s biologically active form. It also plays a role in reducing the symptoms of a zinc deficiency.
Deficiency is rare, mostly due to the fact that biotin is synthesized by beneficial bacteria in the gut. Unfortunately with the over use of antibiotics in our food and medicine, our bacterial resources are impacted. Your “Micro-biome” or gut flora outnumbers your entire body’s cells ten fold.
Those at risk of biotin deficiency include patients maintained on total intravenous nutrition, hemodialysis patients, diabetes patients, and patients with impaired nutritional uptake.
Symptoms include hair loss, dry scaly skin, cracking in the corners of the mouth, swollen painful tongue, dry eyes, loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia, and depression.
The richest sources of vitamin B7 (biotin) are yeast, liver and kidney. Egg yolk, soybeans, nuts, and unpolished rice are also good sources. Raw egg whites prevent absorption of biotin in the body by a protein known as avidin. Always cook your eggs to avoid blocking the absorption of this nutrient.
Vitamin B7 has also been called vitamin H or vitamin B8. There are eight different forms of biotin, but only one of them – D-biotin – occurs naturally and has full vitamin activity. Biotin can only be synthesized by bacteria, molds, yeasts, algae, and by certain plant species.
The role of Biotin in the body includes converting food into glucose to produce energy, to produce fatty acids and amino acids (the building blocks of protein), to activate protein/amino acid metabolism in the hair roots and fingernail cells. This is why it is included in many supplements intended to address problems in these tissues.
Besides it’s role in supporting energy metabolism and skin and hair protection, Biotin is involved in supporting normal nervous system function, along with psychological stability. Although there is no direct evidence that marginal biotin deficiency causes birth defects, it’s been advised that an adequate intake or supplementation be observed.
Because of it’s involvement in converting food into glucose, some preliminary study results have indicated that biotin supplementation could improve blood sugar control in some patients with type 2 diabetes.
When dealing with thin, splitting, or brittle nails and hair, biotin has often shown to be of great value. Although it’s been suggested that it can assist in hair loss, there has been no studies to confirm it’s benefit. I see it as just one piece of the puzzle. We need all nutrients to fully support proper metabolism and maintenance of the human frame.
Although the traditional wisdom on cradle cap is that of a B-6 deficiency, there is concern that a lack of biotin may be a contributory cause. In some journals, we see that biotin has been promoted as preventing baldness and can help hair growth and prevent the hair from turning grey.
Besides, and including skin disorders, think of biotin in each and all of the following conditions: eczema, dermatitis, dandruff, seborrhea, skin disorders, lung infections, anemia, loss of appetite, mental depression, drowsiness, and hallucinations.
What needs to be remembered here, is that all of these conditions have roots in the digestive system. When considering need for vitamin B-7, you need to question the health of your gut. If your intestinal microflora has been damaged, production of this vital element may be extremely limited.
Biotin is essential for metabolism of carbohydrates and fat. It’s involved in the synthesis of pyrimidines (nucleic acids), and conversion of folic acid to it’s biologically active form. It also plays a role in reducing the symptoms of a zinc deficiency.
Deficiency is rare, mostly due to the fact that biotin is synthesized by beneficial bacteria in the gut. Unfortunately with the over use of antibiotics in our food and medicine, our bacterial resources are impacted. Your “Micro-biome” or gut flora outnumbers your entire body’s cells ten fold.
Those at risk of biotin deficiency include patients maintained on total intravenous nutrition, hemodialysis patients, diabetes patients, and patients with impaired nutritional uptake.
Symptoms include hair loss, dry scaly skin, cracking in the corners of the mouth, swollen painful tongue, dry eyes, loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia, and depression.
The richest sources of vitamin B7 (biotin) are yeast, liver and kidney. Egg yolk, soybeans, nuts, and unpolished rice are also good sources. Raw egg whites prevent absorption of biotin in the body by a protein known as avidin. Always cook your eggs to avoid blocking the absorption of this nutrient.
Vitamin B7 has also been called vitamin H or vitamin B8. There are eight different forms of biotin, but only one of them – D-biotin – occurs naturally and has full vitamin activity. Biotin can only be synthesized by bacteria, molds, yeasts, algae, and by certain plant species.
The role of Biotin in the body includes converting food into glucose to produce energy, to produce fatty acids and amino acids (the building blocks of protein), to activate protein/amino acid metabolism in the hair roots and fingernail cells. This is why it is included in many supplements intended to address problems in these tissues.
Besides it’s role in supporting energy metabolism and skin and hair protection, Biotin is involved in supporting normal nervous system function, along with psychological stability. Although there is no direct evidence that marginal biotin deficiency causes birth defects, it’s been advised that an adequate intake or supplementation be observed.
Because of it’s involvement in converting food into glucose, some preliminary study results have indicated that biotin supplementation could improve blood sugar control in some patients with type 2 diabetes.
When dealing with thin, splitting, or brittle nails and hair, biotin has often shown to be of great value. Although it’s been suggested that it can assist in hair loss, there has been no studies to confirm it’s benefit. I see it as just one piece of the puzzle. We need all nutrients to fully support proper metabolism and maintenance of the human frame.
Although the traditional wisdom on cradle cap is that of a B-6 deficiency, there is concern that a lack of biotin may be a contributory cause. In some journals, we see that biotin has been promoted as preventing baldness and can help hair growth and prevent the hair from turning grey.
Besides, and including skin disorders, think of biotin in each and all of the following conditions: eczema, dermatitis, dandruff, seborrhea, skin disorders, lung infections, anemia, loss of appetite, mental depression, drowsiness, and hallucinations.
What needs to be remembered here, is that all of these conditions have roots in the digestive system. When considering need for vitamin B-7, you need to question the health of your gut. If your intestinal microflora has been damaged, production of this vital element may be extremely limited.
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