If you’re curious about how this vitamin supports our hair, skin, and nails, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll provide a detailed analysis of how this vitamin works in the body to support these features and our general health and wellness. We'll tell you all about Vegan Biotin benefits and what the research shows.
Biotin, or vitamin B7, is responsible for the metabolism of carbs, fats, and amino acids. It also forms fatty acids and glucose and stimulates keratin production for healthy hair, skin, and nails.
To learn more about the functions of biotin, keep reading. We have everything you need to know about how vitamin B7 works to support our bodies both inside and out.
What is biotin?
Biotin, or vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin most known for its role in promoting healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Many people take vitamin supplements with high amounts of biotin to prevent hair loss and strengthen brittle nails.
The way biotin functions within the body explains its role in supporting these structures, as biotin is responsible for:
- Metabolization of carbs, fats, and amino acids
- Production of keratin and other proteins
- Formation of fatty acids and glucose
- Synthesis of energy
But how exactly does biotin intake support these functions, and why are they essential to our health? Or, in simple words, what does biotin do?
Metabolizes carbs, fats, and amino acids
Biotin plays a vital role in metabolizing carbs, fats, and amino acids.
This is important as carbs and fats are essential fuels that can be converted into energy. This is how vitamin B7, like other B vitamins, helps us feel more energized and reduce feelings of fatigue.
The metabolization of amino acids is just as important, as amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Protein is a macronutrient necessary for the repair and production of healthy cells.
Because carbs, fats, and amino acids play a significant role in our health, we must consume enough of the essential nutrient that supports their metabolism and production.
Forms glucose and fatty acids
This vitamin also works to synthesize glucose and fatty acids, two substances that are extremely important to our health.
Glucose is a simple sugar that works as an essential energy source for the body. To support glucose production, we need to be consuming at least the dietary reference intake for biotin.
Studies show that biotin supplementation improves glucose and insulin tolerances in people with diabetes. This means that this essential vitamin can even be used to moderate blood sugar levels for anyone who needs a little extra help in this arena.
On the other hand, Fatty acids are the building blocks of fat. The body uses the energy stored from these essential fats when it runs out of glucose. That’s why adequate absorption of biotin is necessary to support the production of fatty acids and keep us feeling energized.
Stimulates keratin production
We’ve mentioned the role that vitamin B7 plays in metabolizing amino acids and creating protein.
One of the proteins that biotin is responsible for producing is keratin, which can be found in our hair, skin, and nails. Multiple studies have shown that keratin helps maintain and repair damaged hair, so keratin production is vital for anyone trying to grow hair.
Luckily, increasing our biotin intake means increased production of keratin in hair and skin glands.
One study found that taking a daily vitamin supplement led to a significant increase in hair growth after 90 and 180 days. Another study tested the effects of a supplement containing biotin over 90 days and found similar results, which suggested that biotin promotes hair growth.
Anyone interested in growing hair fast should consider taking this vitamin to increase keratin production and support the glands that create this vital protein.
Final thoughts
Biotin is an essential vitamin that offers many critical functions to our bodies, explaining why it’s such a popular supplement.
Anyone interested in increasing their vitamin B7 (especially anyone with a biotinidase deficiency) should consider adding a vitamin B7 supplement to their diet.
Luckily, FuelOrganics offers a high-quality vegan biotin supplement with high doses of biotin designed to support healthy hair, skin, and nails.
Now you know about the benefits of Vegan Biotin and what makes this such an important supplement, it's time to read about Biotin Deficiency and what to look for.
Trusted sources
- Reddi A, DeAngelis B, Frank O, Lasker N, Baker H. Biotin supplementation improves glucose and insulin tolerances in genetically diabetic KK mice. Life Sci. 1988;42(13):1323-30. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(88)90226-3. PMID: 3280936.
- Basit, A., Asghar, F., Sadaf, S., & Akhtar, M. W. (2018). Health improvement of human hair and their reshaping using recombinant keratin K31. Biotechnology reports (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 20, e00288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.btre.2018.e00288
- Glynis A. (2012). A Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study Evaluating the Efficacy of an Oral Supplement in Women with Self-perceived Thinning Hair. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 5(11), 28–34.
- Glynis Ablon, "A 3-Month, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Ability of an Extra-Strength Marine Protein Supplement to Promote Hair Growth and Decrease Shedding in Women with Self-Perceived Thinning Hair", Dermatology Research and Practice, vol. 2015, Article ID 841570, 8 pages, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/841570