Is biotin water-soluble or fat-soluble? 

All the nutrients in the B vitamin complex are water-soluble, and vitamin B7 is no exception. Since this nutrient is water-soluble, your body excretes it quickly, which means it’s necessary to constantly replenish your biotin levels.

Where can biotin be found naturally? 

Biotin is stored in the liver of most animals so eating animal livers is one of the best ways to consume biotin. However, vegetarians and vegans can also find this nutrient in egg yolks and other types of dairy, and for vegans, biotin is available in many nuts and seeds.

5 foods/drinks containing biotin

1. Liver 138% DV per 100g

2. Peanuts 94% DV per 100g

3. Yolks 66% DV per 100g

4. Almonds 53% DV per 100g

5. Sweet potato 26% DV per 100g

What is the recommended daily intake for biotin?

The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that both male and female adults consume approximately 30mcg of biotin per day. Adolescents should consume slightly less biotin.

What to consume to get a full daily dose of biotin?

Liver - approximately 70g

Yolks - approximately 150g

Peanuts - approximately  63g

Almonds - approximately  112g

Sweet potato - approximately  380g

Can you absorb enough of biotin from food?

Compared to other essential nutrients, it is remarkably hard to get your daily vitamin B7 intake with food. Avoiding vitamin B7 deficiency is especially hard for vegetarians and vegans; there aren’t many non-animal sources of biotin, and if you happen to have a sensitivity to nuts, consuming enough vitamin B7 every day becomes even harder.

Why is biotin necessary for your body?

The various parts of the vitamin B complex work together to process the nutrients you consume into glucose, which your body uses to transfer energy throughout your body via your bloodstream. If you don’t have enough vitamin B7, your ability to absorb other nutrients is diminished. Vitamin B7 also appears to prevent several common diseases.

Functions of biotin

Gestation aid: Biotin helps fetal development and  prevents birth defects.

Hair, skin, and nails regenerator: Vitamin B7 improves hair follicle strength, prevents brittle nails, and prevents dry and scaly skin.

Blood sugar modulator: Vitamin B7 appears to help stabilise blood sugar levels in diabetics

Myelin synthesiser: Myelin coats the ends of your neurons, your body can’t produce this substance without biotin.

Symptoms of biotin deficiency

Red, Scaly Skin

Since vitamin B7 is critical to the proper maintenance of your skin cells, biotin deficiency can result in red, scaly skin on your face and on the rest of your body.

Loss of Hair Quality and Hair Loss

When you are deficient in biotin, your hair loses its strength, and it becomes more prone to falling out. Severe vitamin B7 deficiency can trigger or exacerbate hair loss in both men and women.

Fatigue and Insomnia

Deficiency in vitamin B7 alters the was that your body processes energy. This interruption of normative biological processes can result in fatigue during the day and an inability to sleep at night.

How long do you need to take biotin for, to start experiencing its benefits if you’re deficient?

Biotin deficiency can be cured relatively rapidly. In extreme cases, this nutrient may be introduced intravenously for rapid recovery. Deficiency in vitamin B7 can usually be reversed within 30-90 days.

How long does it take for your body to digest/absorb biotin?

As a water-soluble nutrient, vitamin B7 is absorbed rapidly. When you are deficient in this substance, you absorb it more slowly, but in healthy adults, approximately 90% of ingested biotin is absorbed within 24 hours.

How long does biotin stay in your body after you take it?

Your body excretes vitamin B7 rapidly, which necessitates regular ingestion of this compound. Unlike fat-soluble nutrients, biotin does not build up or store in your body.

Is biotin an antioxidant?

No, vitamin B7 is not an antioxidant. While antioxidants fight free radicals and help reduce inflammation, biotin does not perform these functions.

Can you overdose on biotin? What are the effects?

Since biotin is a water-based nutrient, it is exceedingly hard to overdose on this vitamin. Overdosing on vitamin B7 is further made unlikely by the relatively low concentrations of this substance present in food. Common symptoms of biotin overdose include allergic reactions in your skin such as flushing, itchiness, and rashes. Ensure that you do not exceed your RDA of biotin to avoid overdose symptoms.

Does biotin dissolve, flush out, or build up in the body?

Biotin does not build up in your body. Instead, it is rapidly flushed out of your system.

Can you take biotin during a diet?

Vitamin B7 itself does not interfere with diets, but many of the sources of this nutrient may violate your dietary restrictions. Therefore, it is best to consume this nutrient in an oral supplement form.

Are there synthetic forms of biotin?

Yes, out of the eight types of biotin, seven are synthetic. Only D-biotin (or biotin D) is natural.

Why might synthetic forms of biotin be better?

Scientific research has not identified any advantages of consuming synthetic biotin. Since genuine D-biotin is hard to extract, however, there may be economic advantages to producing and marketing synthetic vitamin B7.

Absorption rate of synthetic biotin

No scientific data are available on absorption rate differences between synthetic and natural biotin. However, some sources contend that biotin isolate, which is present in most supplements, may be less effective and offer inferior absorption.

Why might natural forms of biotin be better?

There is evidence suggesting that the effectiveness of vitamin B7 is increased when it is ingested with other B vitamins. It’s also possible that natural biotin is more bioavailable than synthetic vitamin B7, which means that more of it is absorbed prior to excretion.

How to take biotin

Vitamin B7 is taken orally; it is not absorbed by the hair, skin, or other organs. Due to the scarcity of biotin sources, oral supplementation may be the best way to ensure you consume enough vitamin B7 on a daily basis.

Biotin trends in medicine

Recently, scientists have been experimenting with vitamin B7 as a multiple sclerosis drug. According to preliminary research, high doses of biotin may be able to reduce the symptoms of MS, but less than 15% of the test subjects showed favourable results. Even so, new applications of this vitamin are appearing every day.

Why everyone should be taking WeAreFeel supplements   

Biotin is one of the hardest supplements to source from food, and if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you need to be taking Feel to avoid biotin deficiency. Becoming deficient in this essential nutrient is especially dangerous for pregnant women since it can result in birth defects. Feel includes exactly how much biotin you need without providing any opportunity for overdosing; to make sure you have enough biotin to stay healthy, take Feel every day!