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The main role of biotin in the body is to assist in the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats. Severe biotin deficiency results in impaired functioning of the immune system, as well as a scaly dermatitis that resembles seborrhea (a condition characterized by reddened, oily scales on the face and scalp).
Biotin is needed by the body to maintain hair growth and hair color. It has therefore been added to the diets of patients who worried about losing hair, or hair turning white prematurely. If either of the conditions is caused by biotin deficiency, biotin supplementation will have a great therapeutic effect.
In the past it was thought that biotin deficiency is rare, because biotin is found in a wide variety of foods and is also manufactured by intestinal bacteria. Only a few cases of severe biotin deficiency had been reported, all of which were caused by the consumption of excessive amounts of raw egg white, which contains a compound that inhibits the absorption of biotin. However, a 2002 study reported in American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2002; 75: pp.295-9) indicates that a more subtle form of biotin deficiency occurs during pregnancy, possibly as a result of the increased demand for nutrients placed on the mother by the growing fetus.
Signs & Symptoms
Deficiency symptoms include anemia, chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, impairment of fat metabolism, irregular heartbeat, impaired cognitive skills, anorexia, baldness, alopecia, insomnia, depression, drowsiness, hallucinations, muscle pain, pallor, dandruff, dermatitis, psoriasis, seborrhea, eczema.
NOTE: If two or more of the above symptoms are present you may need therapeutic supplementation of Biotin. However, for all intents and purposes, it is considered unwise for a layperson to attempt to treat themselves therapeutically. In view of this, you should always seek the services of a doctor that is formally schooled and trained in the profession of natural health care.
Treatment & Prevention
Animal studies have demonstrated that biotin deficiency can cause birth defects. For that reason, some researchers have recommended that pregnant women use a prenatal multiple vitamin-and-mineral formula that contains biotin. Although additional research is needed to determine whether biotin supplements can prevent birth defects in humans, taking a biotin-containing prenatal formula seems a reasonable step for pregnant women, since the vitamin is considered safe and has not been associated with adverse side-effects.
Some biotin is available in a wide range of foods, though amounts are always very small. The biotin needed for normal functioning of the human body is considered to be around 200mcg per day.
Biotin supplements have also been used for several other health conditions. Preliminary studies have suggested that biotin in large amounts (such as 5 to 16mg per day) can help control blood sugar levels or improve nerve damage in diabetics. In a study of individuals with dry, splitting nails, supplementation with 2.5mg of biotin per day improved the quality of the nails in 63% of those treated. Improvement was seen after an average of two months, although some individuals did not see results until they had taken biotin for four months.
With the exception of those receiving intravenous feeding or downing dozens of raw eggs, supplementation is most likely not necessary. Nevertheless, many multivitamins contain some biotin - it won't do any harm.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Biotin Requirement:
Risk factors for Biotin Requirement: | | | | | Symptoms - Food - Intake |  (High) raw egg white consumption | Biotin is a vitamin that can be bound by avidin, which is found in raw egg white. This binding prevents its absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. The routine consumption of raw egg white may reduce biotin absorption enough to induce a deficiency. Cooking deactivates avidin and makes biotin from other sources available for absorption once again. |
Counter-indicators:
 (High) egg yolk consumption| | Whether cooked or raw, egg yolk is so high in biotin that it overcomes the binding effect of avidin that results from consuming raw egg whites. |
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Symptoms - Reproductive - General |
Being in late/being in mid-/being in early pregnancy| | A deficiency of biotin (one of the B-complex vitamins) may occur in as many as 50% of pregnant women, and this deficiency may increase the risk of birth defects. [American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2002; 75: pp.295-9]
In this study, laboratory evidence of biotin deficiency was found both in the early (first trimester) and late (third trimester) stages of pregnancy, and was corrected by supplementation with 300mcg of biotin per day for 14 days. Researchers had already suspected that biotin deficiency is common during pregnancy, but previous studies had used only an indirect method of determining biotin status. |
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Recommendations and treatments for Biotin Requirement:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link | | | Strong or generally accepted link | | | Strongly counter-indicative |  | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Alopecia
Loss of hair.
Anemia (Anaemia, Anemias)
A condition resulting from an unusually low number of red blood cells or too little hemoglobin in the red blood cells. The most common type is iron-deficiency anemia in which the red blood cells are reduced in size and number, and hemoglobin levels are low. Clinical symptoms include shortness of breath, lethargy and heart palpitations.
Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia)
An eating disorder characterized by excess control - a morbid fear of obesity leads the sufferer to try and limit or reduce their weight by excessive dieting, exercising, vomiting, purging and use of diuretics. Sufferers are typically more than 15% below the average weight for their height/sex/age and typically have amenorrhea (if female) or low libido (if male). 1-2% of female teenagers are anorexic.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Biotin
An essential coenzyme that assists in the making of fatty acids and in the burning of carbohydrates and fats for body heat and energy. It is also essential for function of red blood cells and hemoglobin synthesis.
Carbohydrates (Carbohydrate)
The sugars and starches in food. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates and found in such foods as fruit and table sugar. Complex carbohydrates are composed of large numbers of sugar molecules joined together, and are found in grains, legumes, and vegetables like potatoes, squash, and corn.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, Chronic Fatigue)
A disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Dermatitis
A general term used to refer to eruptions or rashes on the skin.
Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes, Diabetic, Diabetics)
A disease with increased blood glucose levels due to lack or ineffectiveness of insulin. Diabetes is found in two forms; insulin-dependent diabetes (juvenile-onset) and non-insulin-dependent (adult-onset). Symptoms include increased thirst; increased urination; weight loss in spite of increased appetite; fatigue; nausea; vomiting; frequent infections including bladder, vaginal, and skin; blurred vision; impotence in men; bad breath; cessation of menses; diminished skin fullness. Other symptoms include bleeding gums; ear noise/buzzing; diarrhea; depression; confusion.
Eczema
Swelling of the outer skin of unknown cause. In the early stage it may be itchy, red, have small blisters, and be swollen, and weeping. Later it becomes crusted, scaly, and thickened.
Gastrointestinal (GI, GI Tract)
Pertaining to the stomach, small and large intestines, colon, rectum, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder.
Hallucination (Hallucinations)
A false or distorted perception of objects or events, including sensations of sight, sound, taste, smell or touch, typically accompanied by a powerful belief in their reality.
Immune System (Immune Response, Immunity)
A complex that protects the body from disease organisms and other foreign bodies. The system includes the humoral immune response and the cell-mediated response. The immune system also protects the body from invasion by making local barriers and inflammation. The process may involve acquired immunity (the ability to learn and remember a specific infectious agent), or innate immunity (the genetically programmed system of responses that attack, digest, remove, and initiate inflammation and tissue healing).
Metabolism (Metabolic, Metabolize, Metabolizes, Metabolizing)
The chemical processes of living cells in which energy is produced in order to replace and repair tissues and maintain a healthy body. Responsible for the production of energy, biosynthesis of important substances, and degradation of various compounds. Also defined as the sum total of changes in an organism in order to achieve a balance (homeostasis): Catabolic burns up, anabolic stores and builds up; the sum of their work is metabolism.
Microgram (mcg, Micrograms, ug)
0.000001 or a millionth of a gram.
Milligram (mg, Milligrams)
0.001 or a thousandth of a gram.
Psoriasis
An inherited skin disorder in which there are red patches with thick, dry silvery scales. It is caused by the body making too-many skin cells. Sores may be anywhere on the body but are more common on the arms, scalp, ears, and the pubic area. A swelling of small joints may go along with the skin disease.
Seborrhea (Seborrheic)
Skin disease characterized by dry or moist, greasy, yellow crusts or scales. A disorder of the sebaceous glands, with changes in the amount and quality of the oils secreted. Although it can occur in any part of the body, seborrhea of the scalp (dandruff) is most common.
Last updated: Apr 13, 2008
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