Biotin
| Biotin | |
|---|---|
 
| |
| General | |
| Systematic name | pentanoic acid |
| Other names | Vitamin B7; Vitamin H |
| Molecular formula | C10H16N2O3S |
| Molar mass | Molar mass::244.31 g mol−1 |
| Appearance | White crystalline powder |
| CAS number | CAS number::58-85-5 |
| Properties | |
| Solubility in water | Soluble |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | Material Safety Data Sheet |
| Main hazards |
Possible skin sensitizer |
Biotin is a vitamin also known as vitamin H or B7, and has the chemical formula C10H16N2O3S. It helps to convert food into energy. Most people can get it from the food and the typical varied diet of Americans provides about 100 to 300 mcg which is very high number compare to 30 mcg per day for the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). But when you are deficient in biotin it causes hemorrhaged under the skin and loss of hair.[1]
Source
Biotin is obtainable through food: liver, nuts, oatmeal, rice and legumes. Like other vitamin, it is also obtainable by the supplements. It may also be found in products such as shampoos and conditioners. In order to gain biotin, it is better to take medicine supplements or food, because biotin is hard to be obtained through the skin.
We can find Biotin easily from the food such as chard, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, carrots, chicken, onions, cabbage, cucumber, cauliflower, raspberries and strawberries.[2] And especially in milk, liver, egg yolk, yeast and dried peas and beans contains plenty amount of the biotin. [3]
Uses
Biotin is useful vitamin that prevents loss of hair and keeps healthy body and skin. If you lack biotin, people can lose hair, suffer from muscle pain and depression and will have poor health. Biotin advances insulin response in diabetics. Not only helping the response in diabetics, it is important one in pregnancy. [4]
Hair Problems
Many men and even young children have hair loss problem. It occurs because of a lack of biotin. It does not limit only losing hair, but it is possible to loss eyelashes and eyebrows. To prevent loss of hair, some of shampoos contain biotin; however, it might not work. Because skin does not absorb biotin well. [5] Taking biotin through food will help fix the hair loss problem.
Diabetics
A lot of people know that patients with diabetics need insulin to control blood sugar. Surprisingly, biotin improves the insulin response. Biotin lowers postprandial glucose and improves glucose tolerance. Eventually, the level of the blood sugar becomes normal. [6]
Healthy Body
As preventing the hair loss, biotin makes hair and finger and toe nails stronger. This is small part of effects on our body. When people have the depression and muscle pain, biotin can be used to relieve them Not only those, but also it affects dermatitis. Biotin is one of the useful sources to obtain in order to have a healthy body.
The most effective work on a human is that biotin acts significant role during the pregnancy. It is needed in fetal development. During the pregnancy, biotin maintains women’s and fetus’ health. At that time, biotin is used more than normal amounts; it breaks up fast. [7]
Deficiency
The first biotin deficiency was discovered in 1982. Recently it is rare since the typical varied diet of Americans provides about 100 to 300 mcg which is a very high number compare to 30 mcg per day for RDA.
A lack of biotin leads to a problem with one's health: loss of hair, depression, muscle pain, dermatitis, anemia and nausea. These problems will occur if people do not obtain biotin from daily diet. If you take lots of medicines for a long time, then you will have biotin deficiency. Eventually, people will have unhealthy body.
Biotin deficiency brings the problems above, also it makes people to become an alcoholic and have stomach problems. If a woman lacks biotin during her pregnancy, she might have birth defects. Taking 30mcg B vitamin per day is right quantities for normal adults. [8] During the pregnancy, the women needs to take more B vitamin.
Symptoms
However, when you have a biotin deficiency the first symptoms of biotins deficiency appear on the skin and hair. We can divide this into three different progresses. Within first 3~5 weeks symptoms develop. The common symptoms are dry skin, fungal infections, fine and brittle hair, and hair loss. Later 1~2 weeks, neurological symptoms start to develop. It causes mild depression, changes in mental status and Hyperesthesia. Also intestinal tract symptoms develop and cause anorexia, vomiting, and nausea.
Causes
When you don't have enough biotin about for one week it will develop to biotin deficiency. Not having enough biotin from food is not the only cause biotin deficiency but also there are some other reasons. Eating raw egg whites and a food that contains raw egg whites leads to biotin deficiency. Prolonged use of certain drugs, especially phenytoin, primidone, and carbamazepine, may lead to biotin deficiency. [9]
References
- NutrasSanus Biotin Properties and Health Benefits
- Herbal Remedies Biotin / Vitamin H / Coenzyme R Information
- emedicine Biotin Deficiency
- The World's Healthiest Food Biotin
- How Biotin Works
- Biotin
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