Biotin (Vitamin B7), commonly found in almonds, cheeses, mushrooms, sweet potato, and spinach, is essential for the metabolism of carbohydrate and fat.
Biotin has vital metabolic functions. Without biotin as a co-factor, many enzymes do not work properly, and serious complications can occur, including varied diseases of the skin, intestinal tract, and nervous system.
Biotin may be helpful in maintaining healthy hair and nails, and decreasing insulin resistance and improving glucose tolerance. It plays a role in energy metabolism, and has been used to treat alopecia, cancer, Crohn’s disease, hair loss, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, and various other diseases.
Deficiency in Biotin can be caused by poor diet, leaky gut, prolonged antibiotic use, and eating raw egg whites on a regular basis. Syptoms of Biotin deficiency are dry skin, brittle hair/hair loss, fatigue, intestinal tract issues, muscle pains, and nervous system issues.
