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BIOTIN
Information and Facts
Biotin is a water soluble vitamin and a member of Vitamin B complex. Also known as Vitamin H, Bios II, Co-enzyme R. Its natural form is D-biotin. It was isolated from liver in 1941 by Dr. Paul Gyorgy.
FUNCTION
- co-enzyme in wide variety of body metabolic reactions
- needed for production of energy from carbohydrates, fats and proteins
- needed for interconversions
- essential for maintenance of healthy skin, hair, sweat glands, nerves, bone marrow and glands producing sex hormones
FOOD SOURCES
- Brewer's Yeast
- cheese
- eggs
- maize
- fish, fatty, white
- meats, especially pig liver and kidney
- milk
- oats
- wheat bran
- wheat germ
- wholemeal grains
- unpolished brown rice
- vegetables
- yoghurt
INCREASED INTAKES NEEDED
- by newborn children being fed on dried milk
- during stress situations
- when on antibiotic therapy
USED FOR
- seborrheic dermatitis
- Leiner's Disease
- alopecia (hair falling out in handfuls)
- scalp disease
- skin complaints
- preventing cot death (given to babies)
DESTROYED BY
- leaching into cooking
- drying of milk for baby foods
SYMPTOMS OF DEFICIENCY
In babies:
- dry scaling of the scalp and face
- persistent diarrhea
In adults:
- depression
- diminished reflexes
- fatigue
- hair loss
- increase in blood cholesterol levels
- loss of appetite
- muscular pains
- nausea
- pale, smooth tongue
- sleepiness
DEFICIENCY LEADS TO
- specific anemia
- deficiency may be induced by excessive intake of raw egg whites, which contain the protein Avidin which immobilizes Biotin
SYMPTOMS OF TOXICITY
- toxicity unknown
Sometimes referred to as Vitamin H, Biotin is in fact member of the Vitamin B complex family. Required by the body in small amounts, Biotin is essential for a wide range of functions in the human body. It is an essential cofactor for the production of certain enzymes involved in the metabolism of sugar, fat and amino acids. Biotin is also important for cellular growth and replication.
Biotin is found in many foods and is also produced by intestinal bacteria, provided the digestive system is healthy.
The principal use for Biotin supplementation is to promote strong nails and healthy hair and aid in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis and diabetes.
The most recent research has shown that Biotin can produce a significant increase in the thickness of the nail plate in 91% of people studied with brittle nails. Biotin’s beneficial effects on the health of the hair possibly reflect its ability to improve the metabolism of scalp oils. Biotin has the same effect in people with seborrheic dermatitis; a common condition characterised by excessive oiliness and dandruff. In infants, this condition is known as ‘cradle cap’ and is thought to result from an absence of intestinal flora that manufactures Biotin in the gut. In this case Biotin supplementation may be given, via breast milk, to the infant. Effective treatment of seborrheic dermatitis in adults involves taking Biotin and the B complex vitamins.
High dose Biotin may improve glucose metabolism in diabetics and also help in the treatment of diabetic neuropathy or nerve dysfunction
High Quality Vitamin B (Biotin) can be purchased from Global Herbal Supplies
More Vitamin Information:
Beta Carotene || Biotin || Choline & Choline/ Inositol || Folic Acid || Inositol || Multivitamins || Vitamin A || Vitamin B-1 (Thiamin) || Vitamin B-12 (Cyanocobalamin) || Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin) || Vitamin B-3(Niacin) || Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) || Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine) || Vitamin B-Complex || Vitamin C/ Bioflavonoids || Vitamin D || Vitamin E || Vitamin K
