What Is Vitamin B7 Or Vitamin H? What Is Biotin?

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Main Category: Nutrition / Diet
Article Date: 22 Mar 2011 - 0:00 PDT


Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, and sometimes vitamin H is a water soluble B-complex vitamin. Water soluble means it dissolves in water. Biotin travels in the bloodstream and excess or unused quantities are eliminated in urine. This means the body does not build up reserves of vitamin B7, you have to ingest it daily.

Biotin is a coenzyme in the metabolism of fatty acids (types of molecules found in fats and oils), leucine (an essential amino acid humans cannot synthesize), and gluconeogenesis (synthesis of glucose from molecules that are not carbohydrates, e.g. amino and fatty acids). A coenzyme is a substance that enhances an enzyme's action. Coenzymes cannot themselves trigger or speed up a biological reaction, but they help enzymes do so.

Put simply, biotin plays a vital role in:

• Helping the body metabolize proteins, fats and carbohydrates
• Helping the body process glucose
• It also contributes towards healthy nails, skin and hair. It is therefore found in many cosmetic and health products for the skin and hair. However, it cannot be absorbed through hair or skin.

Not only does biotin help in several metabolic reactions, but it also helps to transfer CO₂ (carbon dioxide).

Vitamin B7 deficiency is extremely rare. Scientists say intestinal bacteria most likely produce vitamin B7 in quantities beyond our daily requirements. Hence, government health departments in most countries do not recommend daily intake amounts. In some cases, where a patient's biotin metabolism is not normal, megadoses of biotin may be recommended.

All organisms require biotin. However, it can only be synthesized by some plant species, bacteria, algae, molds and yeasts.

Vitamin B7 Food Sources

A wide range of foods contain biotin. None of them have markedly enormous amounts, as is the case with some other vitamins. The following foods have slightly higher amounts:

• Egg yolk (raw). Egg white reduces egg yolk's biotin effectiveness in the body. People who consume just egg white for many years without biotin supplementation have a slight risk of not getting enough vitamin B7.
• Liver
• Peanuts
• Yeast
• Bread, whole-wheat
• Cheese, cheddar
• Liver
• Pork
• Salmon
• Avocado
• Raspberries
• Cauliflower (raw)

Estimates place biotic intake in North America and Western Europe at between 35 to 70 μg per day (143 to 287 mmol per day).

You can also get biotin in supplements.

There are no known cases of toxic effects from biotin overdoses. People with hereditary disorders of biotin metabolism tolerate doses of up to 200,000 mcg per day without any problems. Individuals with no biotin metabolism disorder who took doses of 5,000 mcg per day for 24 months had no unpleasant side effects (adverse effects). The only case ever reported was of an elderly female who took a combination of 10,000 mcg per day of biotin with 300 mg per day of pantothenic acid for two months - the woman had life-threatening eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion - excessive build-up of fluid in the pleural space, the area between the membranes lining the lungs and the chest.

Vitamin B7 is also known as Vitamin H; the "H" coming from the German words for "hair" and "skin", Haar und Haut.

Written by Christian Nordqvist
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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