Tag Archives: biotin safety

Surprising Biotin Benefits

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What does biotin do and how does it benefit your body and hair? If you’re wondering about the benefits of biotin, you’ve come to the right place. Here we break down everything you need to know about this vitamin in simple terms.

What Is Biotin?

Biotin is one of the important nutrients in the group of B-vitamins. Biotin benefits for your health include stronger and healthier hair, prevention of hair loss, stronger nails and healthy skin. Sometimes called vitamin H or vitamin B7, biotin is found naturally in many foods and it is also available as a supplement.

What Does Biotin Do?

biotin vitamins for hairBiotin is involved in many important body functions. An adequate amount of biotin benefits the hair, the bones and the health of the skin, the eyes and the liver. Like many B-vitamins, biotin is also important for the nervous system. It is involved in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and amino acids (protein) and in the body’s energy production.
Some studies have found biotin supplements helpful for strengthening brittle and weak fingernails. One of the most discussed benefits of biotin is its ability to make the hair stronger and healthier. In fact, it is considered one of the very best vitamins for hair loss.

Biotin Benefits for Your Hair

Biotin benefits the hair in many ways and it does this by helping the production of keratin. This protein is responsible for giving the hair its structure and rigidity. Biotin is especially useful if your hair is weak, fine or dry. It can help to improve the quality of your hair, to reduce the amount of split ends, and to make sure the hair does not break easily. It can also be helpful against hair loss.

Dry and weak hair and nails can be early signs of biotin deficiency. A serious biotin deficiency can eventually cause hair loss. Making sure you get enough biotin in your diet or from supplements can be one way to prevent baldness and hair loss. Biotin supplements may also be useful for those who already suffer from hair loss as they can help the growth of new, healthy hair. Biotin side effects are very rare because it’s a substance your body naturally produces.

Biotin is used in many supplements and hair care products to prevent the hair from drying, to increase elasticity (which helps to prevent the hair from breaking) and to make the hair appear thicker and fuller. As well as taking biotin in supplement form and making sure your diet contains enough biotin-rich foods, you can experiment with some of the many biotin hair growth shampoos and other hair care products on the market.

How to Get Enough Biotin

Your body cannot store this water soluble vitamin, so you will need to get it from your diet. Biotin is found in a range of foods, including the following:

  • Liver
  • Salmon
  • Sardines
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Brewer’s yeast
  • Egg yolks
  • Nuts
  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Cauliflower
  • Legumes
  • Bananas

Biotin deficiency is not very common in healthy people with a normal, balanced diet. However, taking vitamin supplements can be a good idea if you want to enjoy certain biotin benefits for your health, including stronger, healthier hair. Be sure to check out our article on how much biotin is safe to take if you’re considering a higher dosage.

Recommended Biotin Supplements:

I am often asked which are the best biotin supplements. Although they may seem equal on the surface, they are actually very different. Vitamin manufacturers use different sources and formulations and some really are better than others. Here are a few standouts that I often recommend:

1. Nature’s Bounty, Super Potency Biotin 5000 mcg

I like Nature’s Bounty first and foremost for its formulation. The quality is consistently good, they use reputable suppliers, and have excellent quality control standards that are overseen by scientists. As an added bonus, the softgels are very easy to swallow.

2. Solgar Biotin Vegetable Capsules, 5000mcg

Solgar is considered one of the best brands in the vitamin world and only costs slightly more than generic brands. Vegetable capsules are a very pure way of delivering vitamins. This formula is free of preservatives, colors, sweeteners, wheat, gluten, and soy.

3. NOW Foods Biotin 5000mcg

NOW is a popular brand for a reason: they make a decent product at a good price. NOW Biotin doesn’t disappoint. These vegetable capsules contain a very effective yet safe dose of biotin and are suitable for vegetarians.This one gets quick results and the brand is trustworthy.

Also be sure to check out my separate biotin reviews page.

Biotin Side Effects

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If you are considering taking biotin, you may be wondering about biotin side effects. After all, taking a vitamin to help your hair and nails grow almost sounds too easy. Is there a catch? Here we will look at the side effects of biotin.

First of all, keep in mind that biotin is a substance that is produced naturally in your body. Therefore, when you take biotin, you are not introducing a foreign substance into your body. You are simply adding more of something it already makes. That being said, you might worry about having too much of a good thing. Here are a few things to look out for regarding biotin side effects:

Biotin Dosage
Side effects of biotin taken in normal amounts are extremely rare. The adequate intake of biotin for adults is 30 mcg, whereas the recommended daily intake is 300 mcg. Many people use doses of up to 2500 mcg safely. However, the best approach is to start with a smaller dose and then increase slowly as necessary. If you do encounter side effects of taking biotin at higher doses, reducing your intake is usually enough to make these effects go away. Because it is water soluble, excess amounts are secreted by your body through urination so biotin levels do not build up inside of your body.

Biotin Interactions
If you are taking any other medications or supplements, it is important to be aware of potential biotin interactions. While there aren’t any known interactions between biotin and prescription medications, it’s always a good idea to discuss vitamin use with your doctor if you are taking other drugs.

In some cases, your medication may actually interfere with your body’s absorption of biotin and cause you to require more. If you are taking estrogen or sulfa drugs, this is something to bring up with your doctor. Likewise, if you take antibiotics over a long period of time, you might need more biotin due to the effect of antibiotics on the digestive system.
Raw egg whites contain a protein called avidin that actually prevents your body from absorbing biotin. Some people consume raw egg whites daily, like bodybuilders. In that case, your body will not receive the good effects of biotin taken at the same time.

In one documented case, an individual who took high amounts of biotin and Vitamin B5 at the same time developed a potentially life-threatening condition called eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion. This is the only known case and the condition disappeared once vitamin use was stopped.

Biotin and Pregnancy
Biotin deficiency can sometimes occur in pregnant women. For this reason, most prenatal vitamins contain biotin. It is very important not to overdo any one vitamin while pregnant or breastfeeding, so try to avoid taking amounts in excess of that provided by your doctor-approved prenatal vitamins. Instead, try to get extra biotin from dietary sources such as peanuts, salmon, sweet potato, banana, beans, brewer’s yeast, and avocado. Pregnancy is not a good time to begin taking vitamins for hair loss anyway because most women report fuller and thicker hair during their pregnancies.

Some of the best dietary sources of biotin, such as raw egg yolks and liver, should be avoided by pregnant women for other reasons. Raw egg yolks can lead to salmonella and liver contains very high amounts of Vitamin A from animal sources, which has been associated with birth defects when consumed excessively during pregnancy.

Summary of Biotin Side Effects
The bottom line is that although biotin is considered harmless and there are no side effects, it is a good idea to stick to acceptable doses as outlined above. If you take biotin and start to notice some side effects, stop using it right away and visit your doctor. If you are taking biotin for hair loss, start out by taking smaller doses and then adjust it slowly upward if you don’t see the results you want. You can also get the same biotin benefits from consuming plenty of foods rich in this vitamins. If biotin hair growth supplements don’t seem to have an effect on your hair over a long period of time, it’s possible that your hair loss has a different cause and therefore requires a different course of treatment.