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What is Biotin | Hea Boosters

If you are wondering what helps your body convert food into energy, then you are looking at the right vitamin. Yes, biotin is one of the B complex vitamins, also known as vitamin H. Having a healthy balanced diet everyday may fulfill the daily requirements of biotin but if you don’t have the luxury of time to plan your meals or aren’t interested in meal preps, there are supplements too.

Apart from converting food into energy, biotin also plays a significant role in keeping your skin, hair, eyes, liver, and nervous system healthy. Biotin is also a crucial vitamin that is required for a healthy pregnancy, as it’s important for embryonic growth. Fun fact, Biotin comes from the ancient Greek word "biotos," which signifies "life" or "food."

According to FSSAI, the daily recommendation of biotin is 30 mcg. Biotin is a water-soluble, additional biotin consumed will be passed out of your body through urine.

What are the benefits of Biotin and how does it help?

If you are someone who is looking for healthy skin and hair then biotin helps in making your hair and nails healthy, prevents breakage and hair loss. Keratin is one of the proteins that makes up your hair, skin, and nails healthy. Biotin helps in improving your body’s keratin infrastructure.



Biotin deficiencies are generally rare however, many individuals with biotin deficiency have shown signs of balding or red rash on the skin, a few specialists and supplement organizations suggest increasing your biotin intake can help reverse these signs.

Even during pregnancy, biotin plays a very important role. To help promote your baby’s wellbeing, take a prenatal vitamin that contains biotin and folic acid during pregnancy.

The vast majority of us already consume biotin in the form of the food we eat, however, there have been many cases where individuals have benefitted from consuming additional biotin which can control their glucose level, promote healthy hair, skin, nails, and assist pregnant mothers in reaching full term with a healthy baby.

Though in cooked versions of these foods, the biotin found in these products becomes ineffective or its effectiveness deteriorates, which is why it is recommended to eat raw, or less-processed versions of these food sources that contain more direct or active biotin.

biotin rich foods
There are several sources of biotin that can help you reach daily nutritional requirement. 

Natural sources of biotin:

- Egg yolks: Eggs are filled with protein, iron, and phosphorus. The yolk is an especially rich source of biotin. An egg yolk provided 10 mcg of biotin, which is equivalent to 300% of your daily requirement.
- Peanuts: 28-grams or one serving of roasted peanuts contains just under 5 mcg of biotin, which is equivalent to 16% of your daily requirement.
- Sweet potatoes: They are full of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and carotenoid antioxidants. They’re also one of the best vegetable sources of biotin. A 1/2-cup (125-gram) serving of cooked sweet potatoes contains 2.4 mcg of biotin, which is equivalent to 8% of your daily requirement.

Conclusion:

While biotin is important for ordinary body functions and supplements may assist pregnant women and people with diabetes, there still is not enough information available to understand how it can promote healthy hair, skin, or nails, but people have been consuming biotin supplements with positive results.

As said, it's smart to eat healthy food and maintain a scheduled eating routine that consists of natural or organic food sources. Biotin is a Vitamin B that plays a critical part in the digestion of carbs, fats, and proteins. It is helpful in more than one form.

Biotin deficiency is generally uncommon, however, low levels of biotin can cause skin, hair, and nail issues. Pregnant or breastfeeding women may require a greater amount of this vitamin. Any individual who has biotin deficiency should consume food items that are rich in biotin or could take biotin supplements.


Studies:
A review on Biotin for hair loss:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230206/

Adequate intake of Biotin in Pregnancy: Why Bother?
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230206/

Biotin level during pregnancy is associated with fetal growth and preterm delivery
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32378602/

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