Short answer: no, biotin does not make you gain weight. As with all things, it’s a bit more complicated than that, and this article will cover biotin supplements, how they work, and their side effects. I create supplements that help people on their own path to wellness. Everyone starts from a different spot, and with my background in medicine and fitness, I want to sell products that matter.
I believe in giving your body the proper nutrients so that it can function at one hundred percent during your day. Supplements can help you get those nutrients you need without changing your routine, leaving you with the time to complete everything that needs to get done. In this article, I want to demystify biotin and its side effects.
I am a big fan of taking supplements when I feel like there’s a specific nutrient that I’m not getting enough of in my diet, and biotin is no exception. In this article, I will be discussing:
- Does biotin make you gain weight?
- What is biotin?
- Whether a biotin supplement is right for you
Does Biotin Make You Gain Weight?
The good news is that biotin does not make you gain weight. Biotin works in the digestive system to help the enzymes there convert food into energy. There is no evidence that supports biotin causing weight gain or weight loss. Biotin plays an important role in food digestion as well as a few other important processes in the body. This section will discuss biotin’s benefits all throughout the body.
Biotin Supports Metabolic Function
Biotin works in the digestive system to support metabolic function within the body. This vitamin works hand in hand with the other enzymes within the system to keep everything running smoothly. At least, biotin plays its role. The digestive system is a very complicated system with a lot of variables all kept in balance by one another. In the digestive system alone there are muscles, organs, and even other systems involved in converting the food we eat into the nutrients our body needs to function. Just about every system in the body is beautifully complex, and that’s one of the reasons that my supplements do not bring about tremendous change, rather they make small changes for the better.
Biotin helps convert food into its component nutrients that we use to stay energized, healthy, and ready to take on the day. While excessive vitamin consumption might lead to weight gain, there is no evidence that biotin plays a significant role in either weight gain or weight loss. Creating a lifestyle to healthily lose or gain weight is a complicated affair with many variables and considerations, much more than any one supplement. Alongside its metabolic support, biotin has its hand in a number of the body’s other functions, which is why it is such a great vitamin. Read on for more info!
What is Biotin?
Is this the right vitamin for your wellness journey?
Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is an essential vitamin that is important in various bodily processes. While biotin is found in many foods, it is possible that you are not reaching your daily recommended intake of biotin every day. Biotin plays a role in various processes around the body, and this section will talk about each of its benefits, which are:
- Metabolism support, which we touched on earlier
- Hair health
- Nail health
Biotin and the Body
As we discussed previously, biotin plays a role 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. Alongside its health benefits, it is one of the nutrients our bodies need to keep working in tip-top shape. 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:
- Eggs
- Fish
- Meat
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Sweet Potatoes
Biotin is awesome because it’s 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.
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.
If you feel any side effects after taking a biotin supplement, stop immediately and consult with a doctor. There are ways other than supplements to achieve your daily biotin goals and many ways to incorporate them into your daily routine. Supplements bring nutrients to your body, and it is important to note that not everything is absorbed. Our bodies are not prepared to deal with that concentration of nutrients, so a lot of them aren’t absorbed and make their way through the digestive system and out the other side. It is hard to know how many nutrients you are getting from each capsule, but the body often does not need to operate on exact amounts of milligrams when it comes to vitamins and minerals.
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 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.
Your Wellness Journey
Taking every supplement you can get your hands on will not bring you the results of all of them rolled into one. Supplements work great, but, true to their name, they should 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 looking for 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 for which you are striving. Every part of your lifestyle affects the rest of it. Before buying a supplement, you should always ask yourself if there are other parts of your routine that you can change first. Maybe it’s getting out and walking for 10 minutes each day, or having an apple with breakfast. Outside of supplements, there are a lot of small changes that have large impacts over a long period of time.
How do you feel about my 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.
