Biotin: health for your hair, nails, and skin

Among those people who seek its consumption as an almost miraculous resource that helps to beautify hair, strengthen nails and give a more radiant appearance to the skin, biotin has gained wide popularity. How true this is, you will find out today.

Biotin: health for your hair, nails, and skin
Deficit of biotin causes the scalp to lose elasticity, weakening the hair follicle. Photo by Kimson Doan / Unsplash

Biotin has gained widespread popularity among those who seek its consumption as an almost miraculous resource that helps to beautify hair, strengthen nails and give a more radiant appearance to the skin. Today we will tell you how true this is.

It is a water-soluble vitamin, a member of the B complex, also known as vitamin B7 or B8, and formerly called Vitamin H. It is involved in metabolic processes.

It participates in the metabolic processes of the organism, stimulates cell duplication processes, and intervenes in the metabolism of proteins and fatty acids that are necessary to keep the skin hydrated and supple.

The deficiency of this vitamin could generate a deficit of proteins and fats, which could cause the skin to become irritated and eventually lead to dermatitis. Such a deficit also causes the scalp to lose elasticity, weakening the hair follicle, which in turn could promote hair loss. Likewise, the absence of biotin may be responsible for the weakening of the nails, which becomes evident when they tend to crack frequently.

The recommended daily amount of biotin for healthy adults is 30 micrograms per day. It is advisable to incorporate this vitamin into the daily diet by consuming fruits such as bananas, avocados, raspberries, strawberries, and tomatoes, as well as nuts.

It is not necessary to consume biotin in encapsulated supplements if we make sure to eat enough legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas, as well as vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower.

Cereals such as oats, rye, and wheat, among others, are also rich sources of biotin, as well as sunflower seeds. Soy is one of the most abundant sources of this vitamin since 100 grams provide about 15 micrograms of biotin.

Scientific studies confirm with absolute certainty that the real impact of isolated biotin (consumed in supplements) will not make hair grow faster and stronger or prevent nails from breaking. However, its consumption together with other nutrients (in the form of food) is considered an important resource to help combat hair loss and improve skin and nail health.

By Leticia Xóchitl López-Martínez, Mónica A. Villegas Ochoa and Gustavo A. González Aguilar, researchers of the Laboratory of Antioxidants and Functional Foods of CIAD.