Introduction of Vitamin B7:
Vitamin B7, also known as vitamin H or Biotin, is one of the B complex vitamins that help the body convert food into energy.The vitamin forms fatty acids and glucose.Biotin is a vital vitamin that helps keeping your skin, hair, liver, eyes, and nervous system healthy. It is also crucial for embryonic growth and overall healthy pregnancy. As it aids in breaking down fat in your body, Biotin also helps metabolizing carbohydrates and amino acids.
Recommended daily allowance:
Vitamin B7 is water-soluble and extra biotin passes through your body when you urinate. Some people have also reported mild side effects like nausea and digestive issues for excessive consumption if Vitamin B7. There are no known toxicity symptoms associated with it. Intake of Vitamin B7 is based on a person’s age, sex, and overall health.
- Birth to 3 years: 10 to 20 micrograms (mcg)
- Adults: 30-40 mcg
- Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may need higher levels of biotin.
Consult with the doctor about the right daily intake for you. They can guide on how to safely increase your dosage to provide the maximum benefits.
Common symptoms of a biotin deficiency include:
- Hair loss or thinningor alopecia
- Nail brittling
- High cholesterol
- Skin redness and rashes around the eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals
- Heart problems
- Depression
- Seizures
- Lethargy and hallucinations
- Tingling in the hands and feet
- Loss of control of bodily movements, known as ataxia
- Bad immune function
- Increased risk of bacterial and fungal infection
Health Benefits of Vitamin B7:
Biotin helps in creating energy as well as maintaining function of your body. The body needs biotin to metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Vitamin B7 is a coenzyme for carboxylase enzymes. These enzymes are involved in:
- synthesizing or creating fatty acids
- synthesizing the amino acids isoleucine and valine
- gluconeogenesis or generating glucose
Biotin is also considered very essential in treating certain medical conditionsincluding:
- Healthy hair, skin and nails – Biotin helps in hair growth and nails development.
- Fetal development – To help promoting baby health, it is recommended to take a prenatal vitamin that contains biotin and folic acid during pregnancy.
- Lowering blood glucose–Biotin is quite responsible to lower blood glucose with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
- Controlling neuropathy–Vitamin B7 is well-known to reduce nerve damage in people who have diabetes or who are undergoing dialysis for kidney disease.
- Treating multiple sclerosis – High-dose biotin therapy helps improving symptoms in people with multiple sclerosis (MS), an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system which leads to muscle weakness problems.
- Healthy metabolism
- Provides energy for body functioning
- Reduces inflammation
- Improves cognitive function
- Helps lower blood sugar in people with diabetes
- Increases “good” HDL cholesterol and decreases “bad” LDL cholesterol
Natural sources of Vitamin B7:
Biotin includes cereals, milk, and egg yolks and other foods like whole meal bread, salmon, pork, mushroom and cauliflower. Fruits containing Vitamin B7are avocados, bananas and raspberries. In general, Vitamin B7 can be found in several foods including the given:
- Baker’s yeast
- Nuts like almonds, walnuts, peanuts
- Dairy sources like milk and cheddar cheese
- Vegetables like cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, sweet potato
- Whole grains, cereals, oats, rice
- Organ meats (liver, kidney)
- Sunflower seeds
- Oysters
- Nut butters
- Soybeans and other legumes
- Mushrooms
- Bananas
Side Effects of Vitamin B7:
Biotin is something you should take when prescribed by your doctor because people usually get enough biotin through their regular diet.Taking excessive biotin can show negative effects on the health of some individuals who takes large amounts of biotin supplements regularly. High amounts of biotin can create false positives in laboratory tests for thyroid disease. It can also result in nausea, diarrhea and cramping.
Vitamin B7 and healthy diet:
Biotin is an extremely beneficial nutrient and a water-soluble vitamin which is highly significant for a host of health benefits. Vitamin B7 is highly responsible for metabolizing fat, maintaining a healthy nervous system,improving skin and eyesight,and managing diabetes. Those who frequently enjoy raw eggs, mayonnaise,whole grains and proper dietary fibers will always enjoy their life without any energy-down conditions.