What is Vitamin B7?
Water-soluble vitamin Biotin, also referred to as vitamin B7 or H7, helps the body metabolize protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Since the body does not store water-soluble vitamins, you must ingest them every day. Fortunately, bacteria in the body produce it, and certain foods contain vitamin B7. For example, great sources of Biotin include eggs, red meat, nuts, and seeds. In addition, many people use this vitamin to improve nail, hair, and skin health. Yet, evidence to support this use is lacking. Finally, if your body does not get enough vitamin B7, you might experience skin problems and hair loss, but this is rare.
Vitamin B7 helps with Health & Beauty.
What are the benefits of vitamin B7?
Vitamin B7 helps the body metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. As a result, it is needed for a variety of bodily functions:
Nails, Hair, and Skin
Some evidence shows that vitamin B7 may make nails stronger and more durable. In addition, it may improve the health of hair and skin. In 1989, a study revealed that 45 patients took 2.5 mg of vitamin B7 every day. After five months, 91% of them said that their nails were โfirmer and harder.โ Plus, other research concludes that brittle nails seem to get better with a daily 2.5-mg dose of biotin or a 10-mg dose of silicon. Finally, in 2015, a study showed that biotin reduced shedding in women with thinning hair after 90 days of taking a daily supplement of marine protein supplement (OPS). However, biotin was only one ingredient.
Healthy Pregnancy
Oftentimes, women experience mild biotin deficiency during pregnancy. As a result, the fetus could develop abnormally. So, women should take folic acid and a multivitamin with at least 30 mcg of biotin both the year before and during pregnancy. Doing so will decrease the risk of deficiency.
Neuropathy Control
Also, vitamin B7 may help reduce nerve damage in diabetic patients or patients undergoing dialysis for kidney disease. Research in 1990 found that symptoms improved in three patients taking a high dose of biotin for 1 to 2 years. Finally, your body needs biotin to regulate pyruvate and aspartate levels to avoid negative effects on nerves.
Multiple Sclerosis Treatment
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that affects the nervous system. In most cases, it leads to weakened muscles and many other problems. On the bright side, studies show that high-dose biotin treatments may improve symptoms of MS. In fact, a study in 2016 indicated that it is safe for patients to take a high dose, three times daily for nine months to reduce symptoms.
Lower Blood Glucose
Many studies show promising results after testing if biotin can lower blood glucose in patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes. Plus, animal studies show that vitamin B7 stimulates insulin secretion from the pancreas. As a result, this lower blood glucose. Finally, research from 2016 proved that biotin help people with type 1 diabetes regulate blood glucose.
Biotin-Responsive Basal Ganglia Disease
This is a rare, inherited disorder that negatively impacts the part of the nervous system that is responsible for movement. Usually, this disorder causes patients to experience muscle issues, such as: rigidity, tension, weakness, etc. In most cases, this disorder responds best to treatments that include biotin and thiamin.
