What is biotin?
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin B that plays an important role in helping to convert food into energy and maintain hair, skin, and nail health. Since this vitamin is not stored by the body but excreted in urine, daily biotin supplementation is necessary.
Dr. Emily Nguyen, a nutritionist at the American Institute of Nutrition and Health, said: "Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so the body does not store but excrete excess through urine. Therefore, it is important not to take it at any time but to maintain a regular daily habit to ensure stable biotin levels in the body".
Biotin can be used with or without food. Some current biotin supplements combine collagen or keratin to enhance hair, nail and skin support. Manufacturers often recommend using it with food to help absorb the supplements better. Therefore, users should carefully read the instructions on the product label.
Natural sources of biotin
Natural biotin sources are very diverse and abundant. You can supplement biotin through foods such as cooked eggs, nuts (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds), beans ( peanuts, lentils), organ meat (ts), whole grains ( Street vendor, barley), bananas, sweet potatoes, mushrooms and cauliflower. A balanced diet with these foods is often enough to maintain healthy biotin levels without the need for additional supplements.
The recommended daily intake of biotin for healthy adults is about 30 micrograms (mcg). However, popular supplements on the market can contain much higher doses, from 5,000 to 10,000 mcg, especially products for hair growth or nails. According to Dr. Emily Nguyen, "Although higher doses have not been shown to be harmful to healthy people, you should consult your doctor before taking long-term or high doses."
It is important that users persistently take biotin at the same time every day to form a habit. At the same time, be sure to check the ingredients in other supplements to avoid accidental biotin overdose. A special note is that high doses of biotin can cause incorrect blood test results for the thyroid or cardiovascular system, leading to inaccurate diagnosis, so you should inform your doctor if you use biotin regularly.
Biotin deficiency is very rare, mainly found in people with special genetic disorders or groups of people who need special supplements such as pregnant women, mothers, or people with chronic alcoholism. Signs of biotin deficiency include thin hair, rash skin, brittle nails, and even serious neurological disorders such as confusion.
