Biotin-Vitamin H
In the jungle of vitamins, this is another one to add to your knowledge base. What is biotin? Biotin, also known as vitamin b7 or vitamin H belongs to the vitamin b family. Vitamin H is another water soluble vitamin. Benefits of biotin for the human body include assistance in metabolism of carbohydrates and synthesis of fatty acids and proteins.
One use of biotin is biotin for hair. Biotin supplements are often recommended to help with problems of hair loss in children and adults. Biotin for the hair however is not proven as a help with hair loss unless it is hair loss related to biotin deficiencies. Another way biotin gets marketed to the consumer for hair is biotin shampoo. The effectiveness of this biotin shampoo is questionable, since biotin is not very easily absorbed through the skin. Research on biotin has shown that people with type 2 diabetes often have low levels of biotin. It seams that biotin is assisting with the synthesis and release of insulin. These studies suggest that biotin for diabetes may help improve the blood sugar level and help control it better, especially with type 2 diabetes.
Other uses of biotin are as a supplement together with Alpha lipoic. Alpha lipoic and biotin have long been used in Europe to promote liver and nerve health and protect against certain oxidation processes in the body. A totally different use of biotin is in the dac foundation formula with biotin. It is usually given to horses for better horseshoe and heel development. This makes horses easier to shoe.
There are no known side effects of biotin. So you wondering how can you overdoes on biotin? You actually cannot. Biotin is non-toxic and no known effects of overdoses have ever been recorded.
As with many other vitamins, biotin deficiencies are rare in the United States and Western Europe. These deficiencies are easily treated with supplements. Biotin deficiency does usually not cause any symptoms in adults. But research shows that it may lead to neurological disorders in infants as well as slowed growth.
Manufacturers of vitamins always try to cater to women's beauty in order to sell their products. Therefore one of the products available for women on the market is a biotin hair and nail formula. In general it is a oral supplement to replenish biotin and other vitamins to keep skin, hair and nails healthy. This supplement will not be of big help if a healthy nutrition is included in the daily diet and all vitamins are replenished daily.