Biotin (also known as Vitamin B7) is part of the family of B-vitamins that fulfil many vital functions within the body. However, in recent years, biotin has been championed as the ‘beauty vitamin’, for very good reason.
Clinical nutritionist Suzie Sawyer shares her insights into the benefits of biotin.
Why is it called the ‘beauty vitamin’?
As early as the 1940s researchers found the possibility of a deficiency of biotin causing nail brittleness. This claim to fame has continued with much research supporting improvements to nail health.
In terms of hair health, as biotin assists with the metabolism of fats, it also helps produce scalp oils. Importantly, biotin stimulates the enzymes that manufacture keratin, the main protein in hair. Another slightly unusual use of biotin is in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis which is better known as dandruff. Again, this is because of biotin being needed to produce fatty acids.
When it comes to skin, keratin is also part of skin structure, hence biotin plays a key role in the health of our skin and how it looks.
How does it work?
Just like many of its other B-Vitamin family members, biotin is essential for fat metabolism and the creation of fatty acids. Fat is often maligned but it is actually very important for our wellbeing: we wouldn’t be able to keep warm and we would be unable to absorb our fat-soluble nutrients for example.
However, it’s also important for the metabolism of sugar, and amino acids (proteins). The protein metabolism function also spills over into the production and repair of our DNA, which of course is of critical importance to life. Additionally, biotin is involved in the breakdown of glucose within our energy producing systems. So, it’s pretty key when it comes to our health for many reasons (not just for supporting our skin!)
What other roles does biotin play?
Biotin is used for the metabolism of all our macro nutrients. However, it’s also essential for glucose metabolism because it activates an enzyme called glucokinase, the first step in the processing of glucose through the liver. Because of this, biotin supplementation may help to control type 2 diabetes.
Biotin deficiency is sometimes seen in babies, sometimes when there are issues with their intestinal bacteria. However, the gut can be healed; even babies benefit from taking a course of probiotics. If babies are suffering from runny eyes, hair loss or slow hair growth, or a scaly rash, then some additional biotin may well help.
Where do we find it?
Biotin is found in a variety of foods including egg yolks, beef liver, soybeans, whole grain rice, nuts, milk and brewer’s yeast. However, although it’s widely found in different foods, it’s generally richer in unprocessed foods. Clearly the typical western diet is loaded with processed foods, which may mean it’s more difficult to obtain.
The human body is of course very clever and is able to produce biotin within the gut. However, this does rather depend on how well the gut is functioning and whether it’s got plenty of those beneficial gut bacteria working on your behalf. It’s therefore important to keep the gut in good working order by eating fermented foods such as tofu, tempeh, natto, and natural yoghurt. Colourful fruits and vegetables, especially pomegranate seeds, also help feed those wonderfully helpful gut bacteria.
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Clearly, we don’t need to travel to India to eat a traditional Indian curry (although it would be well worth the trip), and to enjoy its amazing health benefits.
Many of curry’s health benefits are down to turmeric, another brightly coloured spice which now has plenty of research to support its nutritional excellence. Turmeric has great anti-inflammatory properties, specifically aiding joint health, but is also beneficial for liver health, digestion, and the immune system. Indeed, few spices can rival its wealth of health benefits. It’s not well absorbed by the body, so is best eaten in a meal with fats (such as a curry) and included in dishes, little and often.
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