Biotin

Biotin, also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, is known by nutritionists to support strong hair and beautiful skin. This water-soluble vitamin should be included in a varied diet because, like all B vitamins, it plays an important role in many metabolic processes in your body.

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What effects does biotin have on the body?

You have probably seen biotin in drugstores or cosmetic boutiques. Biotin belongs to the vitamin B complex and like most members of this group, it has all-round benefits:

Biotin supports the energy metabolism
Biotin helps with macronutrient metabolism, i.e. with utilizing fats, carbohydrates and protein
Biotin supports the nervous system
Biotin helps maintain normal mental function
Biotin plays a role in maintaining the mucous membranes

Biotin is also known for its supporting role in maintaining skin and hair. The older name "vitamin H" refers to this connection to skin and hair.

Foods that contain biotin

Mutter und Kleinkind backen in der Küche

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin your body cannot store. To ensure biotin is effective, the body must therefore regularly absorb a certain amount of it. You can cover your daily biotin requirements easily with a varied and balanced diet because many foods contain biotin – especially these B7 bombs:

Food	Biotin per 100 g
Wheat bran	44 µg
Pork liver	27 µg
Eggs	25 µg
Oatmeal	20 µg
Spinach	6.9 µg
Peas	5.3 µg
Whole milk	3.5 µg

Average values according to Souci, Fachmann, Kraut: Food Composition and Nutrition Tables (7th ed.). Munich: C.H. Beck. 2008

Daily biotin requirements

No conclusive scientific evidence says exactly how much biotin is the optimal amount for the body and the functions associated with it. The DGE (German Society for Nutrition) has therefore set an estimated value to standardize the daily dose for adults (here, youths 15 and above are included).

For children, the daily biotin requirement is slightly lower. As a general rule, the more energy you consume, the more biotin you require. Consider the following reference values:

Age	Biotin µg/day
Children between 1 and 4 years	20 µg
Children between 4 and 6 years	25 µg
Children between 7 and 9 years	25 µg
Children between 10 and 12 years	35 µg
Youths between 13 and 14 years	35 µg
Adults 15 and above	40 µg
Pregnant women	40 µg
Breastfeeding women	45 µg

Find the complete DGE table here (in German).

Not too many raw eggs!

Preventing biotin deficiency: It is unlikely your body is not supplied with enough biotin through food and that biotin deficiency will occur.
Usually, this only happens after an illness or a very unbalanced diet. So, make sure you eat a balanced and varied diet that includes food with high biotin content.
However, be careful with raw eggs: Although cooked eggs contain a lot of biotin, avidin in raw egg-whites can bind biotin and prevent the body from absorbing it. However, eating too many raw eggs is unusual and unlikely.

More about vitamins & co.

Vitamins & minerals

Want to know what all the valuable micronutrients do, what foods have them and how much you need? Find more information here.

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Niacin

Niacin is probably better known as vitamin B3. It has many functions but is especially known for helping maintaining healthy mucous membranes and healthy skin – after all, it is our largest organ.

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Vitamin B

The different members of the vitamin B complex perform different tasks – they take care of energy balance, the nervous system and many other processes in the body.

Find out more