Why do women need biotin and what products to look for it in: a complete guide to the beauty vitamin

Biotin[edit | edit code]

Vitamin H content in some foods
Biotin

(vitamin H, vitamin B7, coenzyme R) is a water-soluble B vitamin. Biotin is a cofactor in the metabolism of fatty acids, leucine and in the process of gluconeogenesis.

Biotin in foods.

The richest foods in biotin are yeast, tomatoes, spinach, soybeans, egg yolk, mushrooms, and liver.

Effects of biotin[edit | edit code]

Biotin is part of enzymes that regulate protein and fat metabolism and is highly active. Participates in the synthesis of glucokinase. It is a coenzyme of various enzymes, including transcarboxylases. With the participation of biotin, activation and transfer reactions of CO2 occur.

Biotin in bodybuilding[edit | edit code]

Biotin is often used in sports, as it plays a huge role in the metabolism of amino acids, as well as in the processes that provide muscles with energy. Often, it is biotin deficiency that causes slow muscle growth. Biotin deficiency can occur due to the common habit among bodybuilders of eating raw eggs. In the human intestine, biotin binds with another egg white compound, avidan. As a result, a difficult-to-digest compound is formed, which deprives the use of biotin of any meaning.

Doses and regimen[edit | edit code]

Biotin overdose does not occur even if large quantities are consumed. [1] Recommended doses are 30 mcg; bodybuilding requires higher doses of 200 mcg or higher.

Daily norm of biotin for different ages[edit | edit code]

Contraindications and side effects

Before drinking biotin, read the contraindications and side effects. The full list is contained in the instructions for use of biotin vitamins, but the differences between manufacturers are small. The only contraindications are age under 12 years and intolerance to the components of the supplement. Biotin should not be used by pregnant women without a doctor's prescription. The negative effect of biotin on a child’s body has not been confirmed, but it is still best to avoid using supplements unnecessarily.

The list of side effects usually includes allergies, increased sweating, nausea, and swelling. In practice, the likelihood of these effects occurring is almost zero, since the body does not absorb excess biotin, but excretes it through urine and sweat.

Historical background[edit | edit code]

Source:
Clinical Pharmacology by Goodman and Gilman, Volume 4
.
Editor
: Professor A.G.
Gilman Ed.
: Practice, 2006.

In 1916, Bateman discovered that rats fed egg whites as their only source of protein developed a syndrome characterized by neuromuscular disorders, severe dermatitis, and alopecia. This syndrome did not develop if rats were fed boiled egg whites or yeast, liver, or extracts from them were added to the food. In 1936, Kegl and Tennis isolated from egg yolk a factor necessary for the growth of yeast fungi in crystalline form, which they called biotin. Biotin turned out to be the very substance that protected rats from the toxic effects of egg white (Gyorgy, 1940).

In 1942, Du Vigneault established the structural formula of biotin, and it was synthesized shortly thereafter.

At the same time, the nature of the biotin antagonist present in egg whites was actively studied. In 1940, Akin et al. It was first isolated and named avidin. Avidin is a glycoprotein that binds biotin with high affinity, thereby preventing its absorption.

Biotin is one of the B vitamins, namely B7.

Biotin is a water-soluble substance that not only improves our appearance, but also affects our overall health. Its name comes from the Greek word “biotos”, which can be translated as “life”, “feeding” or “life-giving”. And it very well reveals the very essence of this substance, because the quality of our life directly depends on it. Biotin is a coenzyme, that is, one of the B vitamins that help the body convert food into the energy we need for a full existence. Its importance cannot be overestimated, and you will now understand why.

Building[edit | edit code]

The structural formula of biotin is as follows:

Biotin structural formula

In addition to free biotin, three more forms have been found in natural products: biocytin (e-biotinyl-L-lysine), d- and l-biotin sulfoxides. The value of these substances as biotin substitutes for humans is not known, although they support the proliferation of some microorganisms. Biocytin may be a decomposition product of the biotin-protein complex, since, acting as a prosthetic group, biotin is covalently bound to the s-amino group of the lysine residue of the corresponding enzyme.

The action of biotin is interfered with by a number of compounds, including biotin sulfone, desthiobiotin, and some imidazolidone carboxylic acids. The antagonism between avidin and biotin is described above.

Why our body cannot do without biotin

Biotin mainly helps maintain the beauty of skin, nails and hair, the health of the liver, eyes and nervous system. It is also necessary during pregnancy for both mother and child. But its importance does not stop there.

Biotin is essential for the functioning of several enzymes known as carboxylases, and helps maintain some important metabolic processes, such as the production of glucose and fatty acids, at proper levels. And human health depends on how well these processes work.

The most important vitamin for hair, nails and skin

If we get enough vitamin B7, the likelihood of boasting shiny curls, natural manicure and even skin tone increases many times over. Conversely, brittle nails, hair loss and problems like dermatitis are often the first sign of a vitamin B7 deficiency. In a word, it’s not without reason that women love him so much!

Proven help for diabetes

Scientists have found that biotin supplements have a positive effect on blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. In particular, biotin helps convert glucose into glycogen.

Benefits for athletes

Glucose-related processes are also important for those who play sports. When we actively train, the level of this substance in our blood decreases, and its lack can be felt in the form of weakness, irritability, and a sharp loss of strength. Biotin supplements in the diet help you avoid sudden surges in glucose and maintain a comfortable state.

Central Nervous System Support

Biotin plays an important role in the production of myelin, the protective coating on nerve fibers through which impulses travel. Thanks to the use of high doses of biotin, doctors have achieved sustainable results in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, which affects the myelin sheaths of the nerve fibers of the spinal cord and brain.

Caring for the baby and his mother

Biotin is very important for pregnant and breastfeeding women. Modern doctors note that many of them have a deficiency of various vitamins, including B7. This happens because the body breaks down biotin faster during pregnancy and lactation, giving part of the resource to the child. Additional sources of vitamins allow mothers to avoid health problems such as deterioration of hair, skin and nails. Biotin also has a positive effect on the child's health.

Deficiency symptoms[edit | edit code]

In most animals, to reproduce biotin deficiency, it is necessary to either destroy the gut microflora (which appears to synthesize biotin), feed them raw egg whites, or administer biotin antagonists. Biotin deficiency in humans is manifested by dermatitis, atrophic glossitis, hyperesthesia, myalgia, loss of appetite, mild anemia and ECG changes. Biotin deficiency has been observed in isolated cases of long-term consumption of raw eggs. Congenital defects of biotin-dependent enzymes have been described that can be compensated for by the administration of large doses of biotin (Baumgartner et al., 1984).

Symptoms of biotin deficiency have been observed in children and adults with chronic inflammatory bowel disease who received long-term parenteral nutrition without biotin supplementation. In such cases, an additional factor was probably insufficient biotin synthesis by the intestinal microflora. Vitamin deficiency was manifested by severe erythroderma and alopecia, reminiscent of the symptoms of zinc deficiency, but disappearing when taking even small doses of biotin. Biochemical evidence of biotin deficiency has been reported in few studies, but in one case, biotin reduced increased urinary excretion of β-hydroxyisovaleric acid, indicating impairment of the function of biotin-dependent methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (Gillis et al., 1982).

How to determine biotin deficiency

If you live a healthy lifestyle and eat a nutritious diet, it is unlikely that you will be deficient in biotin. Nature has taken care of us by adding vitamin B7 to many of the foods available to us and giving our body the ability to synthesize it on its own.

However, biotin deficiency is also sometimes found and can cause serious problems. That is why we will provide here a list of symptoms that (most often in total) indicate the need to urgently get tested for vitamin B7.

You should be wary if you have:

• skin often dries out
• there are symptoms of dermatitis or psoriasis,
• brittle and uneven nails,
• dull brittle hair,
• constant feeling of weakness,
• muscle soreness,
• irritability,
• tendency to depression,
• loss of appetite,
• metabolic disease,
• anemia,
• pale tongue.

Need[edit | edit code]

The estimated daily requirement for biotin for an adult is 30 mcg/day (Table XIII.2). Americans on average consume 100–300 mcg/day of biotin. Biotin, synthesized by intestinal microflora, is also partially absorbed. When there is a deficiency of biotin in the body and to combat its consequences, dosages from 2500 mcg to 15-20 thousand mcg are often used.

Food sources[edit | edit code]

Biotin is rich in offal (liver, kidneys), egg yolk, milk, fish and nuts. Biotin is heat resistant but degrades relatively quickly in an alkaline environment.

The story of biotin, where we learn what's wrong with raw eggs

Biotin began to be studied only in the 20th century, namely in 1916, when the American scientist W. Bateman discovered that a diet high in raw egg whites causes toxic symptoms in animals and humans.

About ten years later, biochemists Margaret Boas and Helen Parsons conducted a series of experiments with rats to verify that Mr. Bateman was right, and found that egg whites did indeed have an effect on metabolic processes. But which ones exactly? This was yet to be seen.

In 1936, German-Dutch biochemist Fritz Kögl and his graduate student Benno Tönnies of Utrecht University isolated a crystalline substance from boiled duck egg yolks which they called "biotin", documenting the name for the first time in their paper "Presentation of crystallized biotin from egg yolk". It turned out that it is biotin that “does not like” raw egg whites, due to which it is poorly absorbed, thereby causing many health problems.

In parallel with Koegl, similar work was carried out by the Hungarian scientist Paul Gyorgy, who named the new substance “vitamin H” (remember, we wrote about this at the beginning of the article?), as well as the Americans P. West and P. Wilson, who isolated the compound “coenzyme R” .

As you understand, it was the same biotin, which all scientists recognized by 1940. It was at that time that data first appeared on how much biotin/vitamin H/coenzyme R a person needs per day.

Biotin was first synthesized in the laboratory in 1943 by Leo Sternbach and Moses Goldberg.

By the way, it is also important for our little brothers to receive a sufficient amount of biotin, so for cats, dogs, horses, cows and other domestic animals, their own dietary supplements with this vitamin are produced.

Absorption, exchange and excretion[edit | edit code]

Biotin is easily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and appears in the urine mainly unchanged, as well as in the form of metabolites: bis-norbiotin and biotin sulfoxides. The ring system in the biotin molecule is not destroyed in the mammalian body. Application. Large doses of biotin (5-10 mg/day) are used for seborrheic dermatitis in newborns, as well as for genetic defects of biotin-dependent enzymes. During long-term parenteral nutrition, vitamin preparations containing biotin should be added to nutrient solutions.

Release forms and dosage

Vitamin B7 can be purchased in 3 forms:

• pills;
• capsules;
• solution of a substance.

Nutritional supplements are available in the form of tablets or capsules - there is practically no difference between these methods of using biotin. In case of severe hypovitaminosis, biotin can be administered by injection. The second option for using the solution is local application of the vitamin: biotin is applied to problem areas of the skin or hair. It is worth noting that in this way the side effects of biotin are completely absent, but its effectiveness is much worse.

The dosage of biotin per day depends on age and the presence of problems with the vitamin in the body. A healthy adult needs a minimum of 30–50 mcg per day. This volume is easy to obtain from regular food. There is no upper dosage limit for biotin, since it is a water-soluble vitamin, excess of which is quickly eliminated from the body. Therapeutic doses of the drug are tens of times higher than the minimum, for example, the daily dosage of biotin for hair loss is 2–3 mg; for hereditary problems with the absorption of the vitamin, you will have to take tablets of 5–10 mg. Only a doctor can say exactly what dosage of biotin is required in an individual case.

Diagnostics

Biotinidase deficiency is diagnosed in newborns by screening. Prenatal testing may also be done using a fluid sample from the uterus.

The normal concentration of biotin in serum (blood) is between 400 and 1200 ng/L. Deficiency is technically considered a level below 200 ng/L.

Diagnosing a deficiency can be difficult because biotin levels can fluctuate daily, so blood test results are not considered an accurate marker. Another way to test for biotin deficiency, which some experts believe is more accurate, is by measuring urinary excretion of the metabolite 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid.