Biotin or B7 is a water soluble vitamin, also known as vitamin H. It is great for healthy hair, skin and nails. Researches have proved that keratin is the substance that plays an important role in healthy hairs, nails and skin. Biotin helps improve the basic structure of keratin in the body.

Biotin is a key vitamin that converts the food nutrients into fuel and helps promote healthy hair growth. It is very effective for thinning hairs. Also, it helps to improve the condition of brittle and dull hair, preventing discoloration of hair as well.

Biotin can be taken in the form of hair growth supplements or through dietary supplements. It is slightly difficult to determine the biotin content in the food we eat. The amount of biotin that the food content retains is affected by the level of processing it undergoes.

How Does It Work?

When your hair needs proper nourishment, Biotin comes into the picture. It carries fresh oxygen to the cells in the scalp that reaches the hair follicles and keeps them healthy.

Biotin reacts with cell enzymes to produce amino acids that synthesizes the protein keratin. This improves the quality of keratin in the body leading to healthy and shiny hair. Overall, nutrition plays a very important role in keeping your tresses long and strong which is basically derived from the diet we follow. So it is very important to take a balanced and healthy diet as what you eat reflects onto your hair.

What Are The Sources Of Biotin?

In order to boost hair growth, it is good to incorporate Biotin in your diet. It is easy and simple to consume Biotin rich foods to ensure regular intake of Biotin for healthy hair growth. Some of the major sources of Biotin are listed below.

Egg Yolks

This is one of the sources of Biotin provided that the eggs have to be cooked before consuming. There is a protein called avidin present in raw eggs along with Biotin which makes absorption of Biotin slightly difficult when eaten raw. So it is necessary to cook the eggs before consuming as this ensures proper absorption of Biotin by the body.

Nuts And Seeds

Nuts like almonds, peanuts, walnuts and pecans and seeds such as roasted sunflower seeds and flax seeds are rich in Biotin, Vitamin E and Omega 3. They contribute to healthy hair growth. Although, the Biotin content may vary from the nuts or seeds that we consume but most of them are considered a rich source.

Dairy Products

Biotin in dairy products is at moderate level. The daily need for this vitamin is in a few micrograms that can be met by including dairy products in your overall dietary program along with additional sources of Biotin.

Sweet Potato

Sweet potato is considered the most Biotin-rich vegetable. It is also rich in beta carotene which converts to Vitamin A that helps in improving the condition of skin as well.

Animal Liver And Meats

Biotin is mainly stored in liver. So consuming animal liver and other organ meats can really help in growing healthy hair as these are a great source of Vitamins.

Yeast

Yeasts are of two types namely Brewer’s Yeast and Nutritional Yeast. Both are a good source of Biotin but the amount may vary from one to the other. A 7 gram of yeast may contain nearly about 1.4 to 14 micrograms of Biotin.
Bananas

Fruits are not a biotin source but banana is an exception to the family of fruits. An average sized peeled banana contains 1.18 micrograms that adds to the Biotin intake and helps in improving the quality of your hairs.

Cauliflower

Coming to the veggies, cauliflower is great way to detoxify the liver as it is loaded with biotin near about 5% of the daily Biotin requirement. It is also high in other nutrients and health promoting compounds as well.

Lentils And Legumes

Every 100 gms of peas contains about 40 micrograms of Biotin that adds to the glory of beautiful hair. It is also rich in folic acid that enhances the digestion.

What Are The Benefits?

There are numerous health benefits of Biotin that help in healthy living. Here are some of the health benefits of Biotin:

Biotin aids healthy functioning of the brain as it forms myelin sheath, a fatty substance that surrounds the nerves and aids communication between them. This aids in promoting proper functioning of the brain.
Biotin helps in the synthesis of proteins and amino acids which provides the required energy to the muscles and tissues. This helps in repair and strengthening of muscles and tissues of the body.
Biotin encourages the production of white blood cells in the body that boosts the immunity. It enhances the synthesis of antibodies and that increases the amount of spleen cells and T cells in the body.
Biotin is known to improve the structure of keratin that manifests in the form of healthy and shiny hair, resulting in faster hair growth and stopping the hair loss.
Intake of Biotin through supplements or by following a balanced diet is especially beneficial to the women during pregnancy as most of them suffer from Biotin deficiency at that time. It also supports embryonic growth that helps in having healthier babies.

It is always important to gather adequate information before arriving at any decision. Hope this will help you in taking better informed decisions in regards to health supplements.