Biotin is often an underrated vitamin and not one we think of first when considering what vitamins to make sure we get enough of every day. But don’t underestimate the power of biotin. And to make sure you don’t, the team at spermidineLIFE® has more information for you on this vitamin more commonly known as vitamin H.

Biotin is found in many different foods and a lot of people get the amount they need from eating a healthy diet. Adolescents and adults only need between 30 and 100 micrograms (mcg) per day. You can find biotin in:

Biotin is one of the B complex vitamins. It helps the body to convert food into energy. Like most B vitamins, it also helps to keep your skin, hair, eyes, liver and nervous system healthy too.

During pregnancy, biotin is crucial for embryonic growth. If you are eating healthy and taking a prenatal vitamin, you should get enough to meet your daily requirements.

There is even research being conducted on biotin’s ability to help regulate blood glucose levels. This could be good news for people with type 2 diabetes, but so far the research hasn’t been conclusive.

Healthy hair starts with a healthy body. After all, your hair can’t be healthy and strong if your body is lacking in nutrients. So when we think of the health of our hair, what nutrient do we think of first?

Most people think of protein. And it is important because it is the building block of hair. So if you don’t get enough, your hair will be weaker and grow more slowly.

But there are other nutrients you may be missing, like biotin. For hair health, biotin promotes an overall healthy scalp and hair growth. If you aren’t getting enough biotin, you may have brittle or thin hair. So make sure to add the top picks of beef liver, eggs, salmon, sunflower seeds as well as low-fat cheese and avocados to your menu.

We know what foods have biotin. The most popular being eggs, organ meats, nuts and certain vegetables. But is the amount of biotin the same?

Not exactly. And for plant-based sources, the season can actually affect the biotin content. Plus certain processing techniques, like canning, can reduce the amount of biotin.

The food with the highest amount of biotin is beef liver at 30.8 mcg per serving. Eggs are next at 10 mcg. Rounding out the top three is canned salmon at 5.0.

Don’t fear plant eaters, sunflower seeds aren’t too far from the top of the list. A quarter cup of roasted sunflower seeds pack 2.6 mcg per serving. Not as much as beef liver, but still worthy of being in the top ten.

It’s important to know that being biotin deficient is pretty rare. People who eat a variety of biotin-containing foods usually meet their recommended daily amounts. 

Keratin is a structural protein that helps to make up hair and nails as well as the outer layer of skin. For hair health, it works to smooth down the cells that overlap to form your hair’s strands.

Consuming both biotin and keratin can help to keep your hair and skin in tip top shape.  Skin texture can be improved. Nail growth can increase. And it can prevent hair loss.

Biotin and keratin can both be found in beef liver, eggs, salmon, sweet potatoes and sunflower seeds.

Since a lot of people aren’t going to add beef liver, the top source of biotin, to their menu anytime soon, it may be easier to add the next highest source which is eggs.

Eggs are chocked full of B vitamins, protein and iron. The yoke is where the richest source of biotin is. A whole cooked egg has about 10 mcg of biotin, which is about 33% of the daily recommended value. And the nice thing with eggs is you can cook them in a variety of ways.

Biotin may assist with thinning hair or hair loss. But for some people, it may take several months of increasing your biotin intake before you notice any results. Plus it’s important to make sure you are being consistent with the amount you are consuming.

You can’t just eat more food with biotin for a week and expect thicker and stronger hair. Like a lot of health changes, it will take time and consistency to see a difference. And the longer you consume enough biotin, the better the results will be.

Being one of the most popular fruits in the world, it’s no wonder to see bananas mentioned as one of the fruits that contain biotin. One small banana has about .2 mcg of biotin, which is about 1% of the daily recommended value.

Avocados are also rich in biotin. A medium size avocado has about 1.85 mcg of biotin, which is about 6% of the daily recommended value.

Biotin is a vitamin that can be found in plant-based foods, which can make it something that vegans can naturally get from their diet. Some people may think that vegans could be at risk of not getting enough because some of the best sources of biotin are animal based.

However, there are plenty of plant-based foods that contain biotin namely:

The quest to lead a long life starts by making healthier lifestyle choices and ensuring you are getting the nutrients your body needs. That includes certain supplements that can help your body too.

Spermidine is a supplement to consider because it supports the health of our cells. We need our cells to function perfectly for us to stay healthy. Over time, cells can get damaged.

The body has a process to get rid of dysfunctional cell parts known as autophagy and spermidine can help to activate that cellular renewal process. By getting rid of non-functioning or damaged parts, cells are renewed to function properly. This leads to optimal health.