Main image courtesy of NSF
Everyone walks their own path on their wellness journey, and even taking one step in that direction is a victory. Every road has a beginning, and as you set out on (or continue!) your wellness journey, it is important to understand the impacts of the vitamins, minerals, and other supplements that you are consuming.
My goal is to help create a world where people are invested in their own personal health and wellness journey, and with my background in medicine and fitness, I’ve thought a lot about how I can help promote health and wellness with my products. I believe it is important to find a good foundation of nutrients to help you stay healthy and able to provide the right care for your body and mind.
Taking supplements can help you get all the nutrients that your body needs to operate at full capacity, and come with a wide array of benefits. Supplements can increase your hair and skin health and positively affect many other parts of your own bodily ecosystem. One question that we’ve been getting a lot: does biotin cause weight gain? In this article, I will talk about how biotin (vitamin B7) can benefit the body and why I’ve included it in some of my products.
I am a big fan of taking a biotin supplement when I feel like I’m not getting enough in my diet in order to round out my vitamins and minerals. I think it is a great addition to multivitamins as well. In this article, I will be discussing:
- Does biotin cause weight gain?
- What is biotin?
- Whether a biotin supplement is right for you
What is Biotin?
How does this vitamin fit into your daily routine?
Biotin (more commonly known as vitamin B7) is an essential vitamin that is important in various body processes. Depending on your diet or dietary restrictions, you may not be consuming enough biotin each day. There are two major processes in the body that biotin takes a part in.
Biotin and the Body
The first process is in the metabolism. In the digestive system, Biotin works with enzymes to break down molecules like fats and carbohydrates, among others. It is challenging to test for exact levels of biotin in the body, so a biotin deficiency is generally identified when its symptoms start showing up. Symptoms of biotin deficiency include thinning hair and rashes forming on and around the face.
Biotin is an essential vitamin. While it has health benefits, the body needs it to continue functioning normally. Without biotin, the body would struggle to continue converting the food we consume into energy. That’s huge! Biotin is one of the 13 essential vitamins that we all have in our diets. Those 13 vitamins — vitamins A, C, D, E, K, and the eight B vitamins (of which biotin is one) — all have their own job when it comes to keeping our body working properly.
All of these vitamins are naturally occurring, but it is not always easy to construct a diet that includes each of them in sufficient amounts. It is generally healthier to get all of your vitamins and minerals from foods rather than supplements, but supplements provide an excellent alternative when you are unable to meet all of your vitamin and mineral goals.
Hair Health
Just as a biotin deficiency can cause hair problems, getting enough biotin can increase the health of your hair. There are a variety of hair products that are infused with biotin and claim that using it will thicken and create healthier hair, but taking it as a capsule likely increases its effectiveness at aiding in hair health as well as allowing it to help the body in other ways too. Research has shown that biotin supplements can stimulate hair growth in people who have a clinical biotin deficiency or another condition that makes them lose their hair.
Nail Health
Some studies indicate that supplementing biotin can also assist the health of your finger and toenails. Brittle nails can be caused by a variety of reasons, and biotin supplements might have some correlation to increasing nail health over time. Brittle nails can cause a lot of problems in your day-to-day life, and taking steps to prevent that can help you get back on track to your wellness journey!
Foods Rich in Biotin
Biotin occurs in a variety of foods across multiple food groups. Biotin rich foods include:
- Legumes
- Eggs (but more specifically, the egg yolk)
- Bananas
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocados
- Mushrooms
Biotin is awesome in that it occurs in a wide variety of foods. The recommended daily intake of biotin is around 30 micrograms (mcg). Eggs, which are the second richest food in biotin (behind beef liver, which is not for everyone), contain 10 mcg per egg, making it a great source of biotin. That being said, it is easy to not hit 30 mcg each day. If you are not getting enough biotin in your diet, you might want to consider getting a biotin supplement like Dr. Emil Nutrition’s Multi Collagen Plus Biotin & Vitamin D supplement.
All of these foods are also rich in other necessary vitamins and nutrients that can be beneficial for the body in different ways, so you are helping your body in more ways than one by eating them!
Biotin’s Side Effects
Biotin, as an essential vitamin, does not cause any side effects on its own. Studies suggest that taking too much biotin can cause side effects like rashes and digestive, kidney, and insulin problems. At this time, scientists are still studying the long-term effects of biotin supplements.
Does Biotin Cause Weight Gain?
Biotin does not cause weight gain. Biotin actually works in the digestive system to help keep the body working efficiently and effectively converting food into energy. While there is no evidence to suggest that biotin has any effect on weight, it may actually assist with weight loss! Since biotin works with the enzymes to digest food, getting enough biotin helps make sure your food is getting digested efficiently. There are also a few other excellent benefits of taking biotin that we will explore in this section.
A biotin deficiency can cause fluctuation in weight, whether that be weight gain or weight loss, depending on the person. It can also cause a plethora of other issues, such as hair loss, sensitive skin, skin conditions, and eye problems.
Can biotin help with weight loss?
Although there is no known evidence that taking a biotin supplement increases weight loss, it is a fact that foods that contain biotin are known to increase metabolism. Additionally, studies show that an increased amount of biotin is known to improve blood sugar and insulin levels over time. Biotin helps the body to break down fats and metabolize carbohydrates, both of which can have a positive impact on your body. However, it is important to note that biotin is not a weight loss supplement, even though it can help to increase metabolic function.
Supports Metabolic Function
As discussed earlier, biotin works in the digestive system to support metabolic function. It works hand in hand with the other enzymes there to keep everything running smoothly. Well, it does its part. The digestive system is a complicated balance of ins and outs that is just one of the many amazing processes that our body works through behind the scenes. There are a lot of muscles, organs, and other systems involved in taking the food we eat and turning it into the nutrients that our body needs to keep going forward.
Biotin helps the food get converted into its component nutrients that our body can then use to keep us energized, healthy, and ready to take on the day. This being said, biotin is not to be used to lose weight. There are many factors that go into constructing a lifestyle that would allow you to healthily lose weight, and taking biotin is not one of them! There are many other reasons why this vitamin is a great addition to your daily routine, which we will talk about later in this article.
Is a Biotin Supplement Right for You?
First, let’s review what we’ve gone over in this article. Biotin is a great vitamin, and there’s a lot to talk about!
- Biotin does not cause weight gain. In fact, it might be related to weight loss! That being said, biotin is not to be used to lose weight.
- Biotin supports your metabolism by helping turn food into energy.
- Biotin supports hair and nail health. Adding a biotin supplement to your daily routine can help increase the thickness and health of your hair.
- Biotin is one of the essential B vitamins. It occurs naturally in foods like eggs and some meats and it is a valuable asset in your diet.
At this point, you may be wondering whether my new product, with collagen, biotin, and vitamin D, is right for you. It supports your hair, skin, bones, and joints. This is a great supplement to add to your daily routine, but only if you need it. Everyone needs biotin in their diet, however it will vary from person to person how much of a supplement they should take, or if they even need one at all. You should always consult your physician before starting any new vitamins or supplements, as you may not need the supplement. Remember, too much of a vitamin can also have harmful effects!
Your Wellness Journey
The key to continuing on your wellness journey is not taking every supplement you can in order to get all those magic vitamins and minerals. Supplements work great, but they should always supplement, not replace. It is important to find the right balance in your diet, and exercise that leads you to have a healthy lifestyle.
A healthy lifestyle is not a perfect lifestyle. In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone with a perfect lifestyle. What I have seen are people working hard to make the right choices in their diet and exercise. Sometimes adding a supplement to your routine lets you keep moving forward by filling out something that you’ve been lacking in your diet. There are 13 essential vitamins, a bunch of minerals, and loads of other nutrients that your body is hoping you consume in the right quantities each day. Satisfying your body’s needs is quite challenging, but your body isn’t looking for perfection. Some days you get more vitamins than you need, some days less, and it is all okay in the end.
Adding a supplement helps you when you figure out what areas you are struggling in. Perhaps you’ve noticed your skin is dry and itchy and your hair is losing the luster it once had. At that point, my multi collagen with vitamin D and biotin is a great supplement to bring you back to that level of wellness that you are striving for. It is important to remember that no part of your body and wellness exists in a vacuum. Everything affects what’s next to it, and that ripple effect spreads out all the way down. So, starting a new supplement might not seem like a big step in any direction but you never know what other parts of your lifestyle might change when your skin gets healthier and your hair regains some of the luster that it once had.
How do you feel about my new product, the multi collagen capsule with biotin and vitamin D? We are all excited at Dr. Emil Nutrition, and I hope that this product can leave a positive impact on everyone who takes it. It is important to ensure that you are taking the correct dosage at the right times of the day, as its effects are very diminished when you skip doses. It’s easy to let one slip by! I recommend tying it to a habit that you do every day. When I drink a glass of water in the morning, for example, I always keep my supplements right next to it so I never forget to take mine!
Supplements and Your Diet
Adding a supplement like biotin to your diet is not something you should do on a whim. Think about your diet and whether or not you are getting enough from your general consumption before jumping on a new supplement, since you can have too much of a good thing.
As with any supplement, be sure to discuss its potential addition with your healthcare provider. They can inform you about any interactions this supplement may have with other supplements, herbal remedies, prescription medications, or over-the-counter medications. Before trying biotin, make sure to consult with your doctor to make sure this supplement is right for you.
Ultimately, biotin, or vitamin B7, is an important nutrient to have in your daily intake, whether that is directly from the source of food, or if that means taking a supplement of it. Always consult your doctor and do your own research before adding any additional supplements to your regimen.
You should consult a licensed health care professional before starting any supplement, dietary, or exercise program, especially if you are pregnant or have any pre-existing injuries or medical conditions.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.
