Biotin is a B-complex vitamin required by every cell in the body. B vitamins are a class of chemically distinct vitamins that help your body process food into energy. Also known as vitamin H, coenzyme R, and vitamin B7, biotin helps the body metabolize fats, protein,[1] and carbohydrates. The human body needs biotin for normal growth and development, and the vitamin is especially critical for healthy embryonic growth. Biotin can also help maintain healthy hair, skin, and nails.[2]
Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, as opposed to fat-soluble. Unused water-soluble vitamins (C and B complex) pass quickly through the body and are excreted in urine. The body does not store them and supplies must be regularly replenished. And, because the body flushes excess amounts, water-soluble vitamins do not generally accumulate to toxic levels.
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Biotin is crucial for good health and there are two sources from which the human body obtains it. The first is diet; the second is bacteria. Biotin can actually be synthesized by the microbiome—the beneficial bacteria in the gut.[3]
Biotin Health Benefits
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1. Biotin Assists Metabolic Processes
Biotin is a cofactor required by several carboxylase enzymes for carbon dioxide transfer. In more simple terms, biotin helps your cells metabolize fatty acids and amino acids, and further assists in the chemical formation of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources.[4] This means that biotin is crucial for maintaining a normal, balanced metabolism.[5]
2. Biotin Supports Healthy Hair, Skin, and Nails
Biotin is an important nutrient for healthy hair, nails, and skin. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of women with thinning hair found that biotin may be a capable supplement for encouraging healthy looking hair. The study found that women who took biotin supplements increased their hair count, volume, coverage, and thickness significantly compared to the control group.[6] A separate study found that biotin can help thicken and strengthen brittle fingernails.[7]
Biotin deficiency can lead to rashes and skin lesions.[8] Studies have found that supplementation can help remedy skin problems caused by biotin deficiency.[9] In one notable instance, dogs with fur and skin conditions were given an oral biotin supplement. Sixty percent of the subjects showed complete recovery after treatment, with a further 31% reporting improvement. Only 9% showed no effect.[10]
3. Biotin May Improve Glucose Levels
Biotin plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. Multiple studies suggest that biotin by itself or in combination with chromium encourages normal blood sugar.[11, 12]Imbalanced blood sugar frequently accompanies low biotin levels;[13] both animal and human studies have found that adequate biotin supplementation may support healthy blood sugar levels.[14, 15] Further research is necessary to explore this effect before drawing conclusions.
4. Biotin and Pregnancy
Obtaining sufficient biotin is a concern for pregnant women.[16] Animal tests have found that biotin deficiency can cause birth defects.[17] Because biotin doesn’t pass easily to the fetus, a biotin deficiency can be magnified between mother and child. Even a mild or borderline biotin deficiency in the mother can result in a severe deficiency for the fetus. This can cause fetal development problems, especially malformations of the skeletal system. According to one study, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may require more biotin in their diet than reported by current estimates.[16, 18]
