Like many vitamins, Biotin is water-soluble, so it needs continual replacement in your body since our bodies do not store it. Biotin produces energy by boosting enzymes involved in metabolism.
Signs of low biotin could be weak, brittle, or fragile fingernails; scaly, red skin, and hair loss. In fact, biotin is associated with hair/nail growth and reducing wrinkles.
Since biotin helps metabolism, it helps with metabolic diseases like type 1 & 2 diabetes. It also helps regulate fat metabolism; therefore, it helps keep your heart healthy & with Chromium can help increase your HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease your LDL (bad cholesterol).
Biotin boosts immunity by increasing Th1 cytokine production, which triggers your immune system to fight viral & bacterial infections.
Interestingly, pregnancy causes biotin to break down faster. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, it is important to make sure you get adequate amounts of biotin.
Finally, it helps brain function because the myelin sheath surrounding nerves that facilitate nerve impulses need biotin.
- Danielle Yahn, RN