Supplementing with biotin to promote healthy hair and nails

Weak and brittle nails

If you suffer from weak and brittle nails you may benefit from taking a biotin supplement.

Biotin supplements may improve thin, splitting, or brittle toe and fingernails as well as improve hair health.

Preliminary evidence from a small controlled study suggests that biotin may increase the thickness of brittle nails, reduce their tendency to split, and improve their microscopic structure

Animal studies suggest that biotin supplementation can be helpful for deformed hooves in horses and pigs. Since animal hooves are made of keratin, the same substance from which human nails are made, these findings have encouraged researchers to study the effects of biotin on brittle nails in humans.

Biotin has also been used to combat alopecia (partial or complete loss of hair) in both children and adults

What is biotin

Vitamin H, more commonly known as biotin is a water-soluble B vitamin that plays an important role in metabolizing the energy we get from food. Biotin assists four essential enzymes that break down fats, carbohydrates, and amino acids (the building blocks of protein).

Biotin a general overview

Biotin is used in cell growth, the production of fatty acids, metabolism of fats, and amino acids. It plays a role in the Citric acid cycle, which is the process in which biochemical energy is generated during aerobic respiration. Biotin not only assists in various metabolic chemical conversions, but also helps to transfer carbon dioxide. Biotin is also helpful in maintaining a steady blood sugar level. Biotin is often recommended for strengthening hair and nails and is found in many cosmetic products for hair and skin.

Biotin the technical stuff

Biotin is also known as vitamin H or B7 and has the chemical formula C10H16N2O3S (Biotin; Coenzyme R, Biopeiderm). This is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin which is composed of an ureido (tetrahydroimidizalone) ring fused with a tetrahydrothiophene ring. A valeric acid substituent is attached to one of the carbon atoms of the tetrahydrothiophene ring. Biotin is important in the catalysis of essential metabolic reactions to synthesize fatty acids, in gluconeogenesis, and to metabolize leucine.