Biotin — Vitamin B7 | B8 | H

Biotin — Vitamin B7

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 (and sometimes B8 or H), is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body turn food into energy. It’s best known from the world of beauty supplements, for its link to healthy hair, skin and nails — though, as you’ll see, the evidence there is thinner than the marketing suggests.

What does biotin do?

• Helps release energy from fats, carbohydrates and proteins

• Helps the body use vitamins B9 and B12

• Plays a role in keeping blood sugar steady

• Supports healthy hair, skin and nails

Which foods are rich in biotin?

Good sources include eggs (especially the yolk), nuts and seeds, salmon, liver, sweet potato, legumes and whole grains. Your gut bacteria also make a little for you. A small curiosity: raw egg white contains a protein that binds biotin and blocks its absorption — but cooking the egg solves that completely, so cooked eggs are a great source.

Can you have too little — or too much?

Deficiency is rare, since biotin is found in many foods and your body recycles it well. Excess isn’t a concern either — as a water-soluble vitamin, what you don’t need is simply passed out.

Common questions

Does biotin really improve hair and nails? It supports their normal structure, but for most people who aren’t deficient, the evidence that extra biotin makes a visible difference is actually limited — a varied diet usually provides all you need.

Which foods are high in biotin? Eggs, nuts, seeds, salmon, liver, sweet potato and legumes.

This is general information to help you eat well, not medical advice. If you have a specific concern, your doctor is the best person to help.