There are a lot of reasons to take vitamin supplements, and we could go down the list from A to Z, but today, we’ll focus on biotin, also known as vitamin B7, or vitamin H. Biotin is part of the B-complex group of vitamins, all of which help the body convert food into energy. Without even realizing it, you are probably consuming biotin every day in your diet. Read this blog to learn more about potential biotin benefits for your health.
Foods That Contain Biotin
Biotin is commonly found in many of the foods you regularly eat, including:
- Eggs (particularly the yolks; however, much of the biotin is lost if the eggs are cooked.)
- Sweet Potatoes
- Avocados
- Leafy Greens and Cauliflower (for the highest amounts of biotin, eat them raw.)
- Mushrooms
- Cheeses (Cheddar, American and Blue are good sources.)
- Nuts and Legumes (such as almonds and peanuts; peanut butter works too!)
Making sure you are getting enough biotin may make a difference to your health. If you lack biotin in your diet, you can get it from nutritional supplements. Here are five surprising reasons why you need biotin.
Potential Biotin Benefits
Supports Healthy-Looking Nails
Dry, brittle nails are one of the signs of biotin deficiency. Many natural health experts suggest that adding a biotin supplement could not only relieve those symptoms, but improve the overall strength and appearance of your nails. Biotin, considered a beauty vitamin, could help you achieve desired results for healthier-looking hair, skin, or nails more quickly. Biotin-6000 from Irwin Naturals, for example, is a supplement of liquid softgels of biotin specifically formulated to support healthy-looking hair, skin and nails.
Supports Healthy-Looking Hair
Adding a biotin supplement to your normal vitamin intake each day not only helps your nails, but it can help the appearance and strength of your hair too. Dry brittle hair can often be fixed with adding more biotin to your daily routine. Some even claim it can help your hair grow faster! There is no evidence proving that; however, hair loss is one of the signs of biotin deficiency so one could conclude that the two may be connected. That’s why biotin is often added to beauty products such as shampoos and conditioners, which claim to support thicker, fuller hair with added body and shine. Try Lavender & Biotin Full Volume Shampoo and Conditioner from Andalou Naturals to see if it makes a difference to the appearance of your hair.
May Promote Metabolism
Are you looking for a vitamin that helps your hair, nails, and supports your metabolism? Yes, please! Biotin is important because your body needs it to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and amino acids. It does this by supporting the enzymes in your body that naturally process these nutrients. That’s why it is believed biotin may promote energy. Who couldn’t use more energy?
Supports Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Many natural health enthusiasts and medical experts agree that biotin is important for pregnancy and nursing mothers. Some studies suggest that a biotin deficiency during pregnancy could lead to birth defects, which is why it’s often recommended for those who are expecting. Medical studies show that many women may become biotin deficient during pregnancy, especially in the first trimester. Some studies even show that taking a biotin supplement while pregnant could potentially prevent the itchy, scaly skin that is common on the heads of infants.
May Maintain Balanced Blood Sugars
People with blood sugar disorders seem to have lowers levels of biotin in their systems. A fifth surprising potential health benefit of biotin is its ability to help maintain healthy blood sugar levels already within the normal range. While more research is needed, adding a biotin supplement to your natural health regimen most likely wouldn’t hurt, especially considering all the other added potential benefits.
However, if you take biotin supplements, be sure to inform your doctor. The FDA has found that biotin may interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect test results which may go undetected.
So there you have it – five biotin benefits that could give you the health-related support for which you’ve been searching. Adding it to your daily routine is easy too. Check out all of the biotin products offered by Natural Healthy Concepts today!
Do you use biotin? How do you feel about biotin benefits? Share your experiences below in the comments section.
