VITAMIN B7

Biotin (B7 or vitamin H) is a water-soluble vitamin, which has received publicity for promoting the growth of hair and nails. It plays a vital role in assisting enzymes to break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in food. It also helps to regulate signals sent by cells and the activity of genes. It has been used as an alternative medication used in the management and treatment of pathological hair conditions.

Functions:
- Biotin builds the fire in which all our food is burned for energy.
- Several amino acids (the building blocks of protein) require additions made by biotin in order to enter that fire.
- Biotin is needed to synthesize fatty acids, which are the oily components of the fat in our diet and the major components of the membranes that envelop our cells and all of their inner compartments.
- Biotin doesn't just make new fatty acids. It also takes smaller fatty acids and makes them bigger.
- It aids in synthesis of leucine, a quintessential amino acid that the human body cannot generate on its own.
- Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails, and it's found in many cosmetic products for hair and skin.
- Preliminary research indicates that a combination of biotin and chromium might improve blood sugar control in some people with type 2 diabetes.

Deficiency:

- Biotin deficiency, like many of the other B vitamin deficiencies, can really mess up your skin. In this case, the areas affected tend to be the eyes, nose, mouth, and the perineum, which is the area between the anus and genitals. The skin in these areas gets scaly and red, and may be oily. As was the case with riboflavin, the rash is usually infected with candida. You may even get conjunctivitis. Your hair, including your eyebrows and eyelashes, can start falling out.

- You may get depressed, feel lethargic, and get some tingling, numbness, or a sense of something crawling on your skin.

- When it gets really bad, it causes you to lose control over your body movements, hallucinate, and sometimes even have seizures. 

- Biotin protects against all of this by serving as the MASTER BUILDER. Biotin builds things up.

Sources:
- Liver
- Egg yolk
- Meat
- Fish
- Almonds
- Avocado

Note:
Egg WHITES have a substance that binds biotin and prevents its absorption. Therefore, consuming egg whites without the yolks creates the greatest risk of biotin deficiency. In fact, before we knew what biotin was, we called its deficiency "egg white injury." The fact that "egg white injury" could be cured by eating liver led to the eventual discovery of biotin!

Requirements:
- 30 mcg/d for all adults - You can get this from 3 whole eggs or 30g of liver.

During PREGNANCY:
One-third of mothers spontaneously become biotin-deficient during pregnancy. This is based on blood and urine tests showing the deficiency. Not all of them develop symptoms. But, when lab animals develop the same degree of deficiency, the risk of birth defects increases dramatically. So it's SUPER important for pregnant women to get enough biotin.

Supplementation:
- Biotin supplements are just plain ol' biotin. They are usually at least 5-10 milligrams, which is 500-1000 eggs worth. Some genetic disorders are treated with 200 mg/d orally or 20 mg intravenously. The absorption is 100% and there is no known toxicity. So, if you notice anything that might seem like symptoms of deficiency, it's totally harmless to try supplements at high doses.
- In fact, there's some evidence that high-dose supplements can help restore a lost sense of taste.