Biotin – Vitamin H or Vitamin B7
ALP NUTRITION-Biotin – how it works. The story of the discovery of biotin took place in many steps, with the first isolation in 1936 and the elucidation of the chemical structure in 1942 being milestones in its history. The mode of action of biotin as a prosthetic group of carboxylases extends to a variety of biochemical reactions in metabolism.
Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin of the vitamin B complex and plays an important role in metabolism, gene regulation and is particularly important for the skin. Biotin is largely protein-bound in food and can be relatively poorly absorbed. The vitamin is passed on from the blood to the tissue via sodium-dependent multivitamin transporters.
Which foods contain biotin?
Biotin is contained in a relatively large number of foods, but usually only a few µg per 100 g of food. Spinach (1 µg), apples (3 µg), bananas (5 µg) contain relatively small amounts of biotin, while liver (100 µg) and egg yolk (50 µg) are among the sources with the highest levels of biotin.
How much biotin is needed daily?
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends a daily intake of 50 µg for adults, whereas a few years ago an amount of 150 µg per day was recommended. This amount of 50 µg is contained in 100 g of egg yolks or 1 kg of bananas. 250 g of oat flakes also cover the recommended daily requirement.
What are the effects of biotin deficiency?
Biotin deficiency has direct consequences for carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. An excerpt of the resulting symptoms are: hair loss, depression, loss of appetite, increased cholesterol levels, brittle nails, fatigue, anemia and movement disorders.