What is biotin? Foods to eat and if you should take it every day – USA TODAY

Delaney Nothaft| Special to USA TODAY

You may have heard of biotin in regard to potential ways to strengthen your hair and nails. And it does! But it is also responsible for so much more like aiding in the breakdown of food.

We spoke with Kelly Morrow, MS, RDN, FAND, a registered dietitian and clinical affiliate of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Washington, and Clara Di Vincenzo, RD, LD, a registered dietitian for the Digestive Health Institute at UT Health Austin. They told us everything you need to know biotin, including information about supplements and which foods are rich in biotin.

Di Vincenzo says, Biotin is known to be essential in the strengthening of hair and nails. Morrow says that this is because Biotin is important for gene expression and the growth of new cells.

But it is also a B-vitamin that helps us metabolize or break down the food that we eat into carbohydrates, fats and proteins, which are the building blocks that help us with body processes, Di Vincenzo emphasizes.

Morrow adds, It helps keep blood sugar balanced by helping the liver to release glucose into the blood when we have gone for a long time between meals.

Di Vincenzo says, We can get adequate amounts of biotin from the food that we eat and from bacteria in our large intestine. Most people do not need a supplement. Its water soluble, so an excess amount would get excreted in the urine.

However, a biotin deficiency is possible. Both Morrow and Di Vincenzo describe some of the warning signs as:

Di Vincenzo recommends that if you have symptoms of biotin deficiency, you should follow up with your doctor and get regular blood work and evaluate for deficiency before jumping to a supplement. Food is our primary source of fuel, Di Vincenzo emphasizes. More often than not we can find the nutrients we need in foods themselves rather than supplementation, she adds.

Biotin is actually produced by bacteria in your gut, which is one source of the biotin you need. Foods that are high in biotin include:

In conclusion: supplementation with biotin supplements is generally safe, but it may not be as effective as having a balanced, nutritional diet. And if you are concerned about a biotin deficiency, you may want to have a conversation with your doctor or add biotin-rich foods to your diet, like eggs. Or beans. Or, my southwest favorite an omelet filled with beans.

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What is biotin? Foods to eat and if you should take it every day - USA TODAY