Vitamin B7
What Does Vitamin B7 Do?
We don't hear too much about vitamin B7. It's not that it's not important; in fact it's a very important vitamin. It's one of the B-complex group of vitamins. The B-complex vitamins, including vitamin B7, are water soluble vitamins, just as is vitamin C. The bad thing about a water-soluble vitamin, if you can call it bad, is that we continuously need to take more in as the body uses up that which is available. The good thing about water-soluble vitamins is it's hard to overdose on them, as excess amounts are simply eliminated by the body through the urine.
That doesn't mean it's safe to take a megadose of vitamin B7 or any other water-soluble vitamin. It may be or it may not give unpleasant side effects, but it's better to be safe than sorry, and unless you're on a cardboard and water diet, the foods you normally eat will provide you with substantially more vitamins B7 than you really need. A typically healthy diet provides about 300 micro grams of vitamin B7 daily, 10 times more than the average person actually needs.
Biotin And Biotin Sources - Another name for vitamin B7 is biotin. Biotin deficiencies are really very rare, although deficiencies can sometimes occur due to an illness, in which case biotin supplements might be needed. Liver is a great source of biotin, or vitamin B7, but not everyone eats liver. When that's the case, salmon, cauliflower, eggs, bananas, and most breakfast cereals contain more biotin than your daily needs, the amount required being measured in micro grams. Egg yolk is another good source, but raw egg white prevents biotin form being absorbed. A cooked egg does not present such a problem. Certain medications and alcohol can also hinder the absorption of this vitamin, although suffering from a deficiency is still a rare occurrence.
Just what does biotin do for us? Basically, biotin acts as an enzyme which helps the body break down carbohydrates and fats, converting them into energy. It also breaks down protein into blood sugar, another source of energy. Biotin is also believed to help prevent diabetes. Though not providing a cure for diabetes, biotin supplements are often prescribed for the purpose of regulating blood sugar levels.
Fingernail And Hair Strengthener - Biotin also plays a role in building and strengthening the fingernails. This is one area in which vitamin B7 supplements can often play a useful role, as it's been proven to increase nail thickness, especially important for those suffering from brittle nails. What helps the fingernails also helps the hair, and vitamin B7 plays an important role in maintaining healthy hair, in fact it's been proven that a deficiency in vitamin B7 can be a cause of hair loss. That doesn't mean it acts as a hair restorer, where rubbing biotin into your scalp would be a cure for baldness. It simply means that an adequate supply of biotin should lessen one's chances of hair loss, though not necessarily prevent it, and extra amounts of biotin will not under any circumstances cause new hair to suddenly start sprouting.
In summary, vitamin B7 will most likely remain largely unknown, or in the background, with the exception of its potential usefulness in the treatment of diabetes. A vitamin that, on a daily basis, is consumed in amounts approximating 10 times our daily requirement, without harmful effects, is a vitamin we're not going to give a lot of thought too. It's just there, performing its vital functions as it always has. When looking at a nutrition chart for a specific food item, you'll rarely see vitamin B7 mentioned, though once in awhile the name biotin pops up. Don't worry if you don't see it mentioned, it's probably there.