You might have already come across shampoos and oils which are infused with the goodness of biotin!
But do you know what biotin is and what all it can do for you?

Biotin, also known as Vitamin B7 or Vitamin H (in which the H stands for Haar und Haut,” the German words for “hair and skin) , is one of the essential eight vitamins that promote growth in the human body. It is responsible for hair growth, healthy skin, eyes, liver and nervous system. This vitamin strengthens your hair follicles and promotes healthy skin. It can also help you get healthy nails.
It is also necessary for the function of several enzymes known as carboxylases, the biotin-containing enzymes that participate in the production of glucose and fatty acids.

Being a water-soluble vitamin, it does not get stored in your body. Hence, it is essential that you consume enough biotin through food or supplements. Natural sources of biotin include eggs, broccoli, nuts, bananas, salmon, sweet potatoes, avocados and mushrooms. Include them in your healthy diet plan to get a balanced amount of nutrition.
But how much biotin should you take? Well, read on as we break down your need for biotin wrt your age, gender and so on..

Children under the age of 3 are recommended to take around 10-20 mcg of biotin to prevent deficiency. For children between the age of 4 to 10 years, it will be beneficial to consume 25-30 mcg of biotin per day. For adults and teenagers, it is recommended that they take 30-199 mcg of biotin per day.

However, there is no concrete data that indicates that either gender needs a different level of biotin, there is a demarcation for the requirement of biotin wrt different stages of pregnancy:

According to some studies, pregnant women break down biotin at a more rapid rate and hence are at a risk of facing biotin deficiency. Hence, doctors often suggest including a biotin booster in your diet. Sometimes newborn babies lack Biotin that can develop serious scalp conditions. That is why during pregnancy, women are suggested to have a biotin-rich diet so that the fetus can grow well.

However, there is no significant data that indicates that breastfeeding women need a boost of biotin unless there is a pre-existing deficiency. Remember that postpartum hair fall is natural and should not be treated as a biotin deficiency. It is advisable to consult the doctor to understand the need and if there is any need, then you can count on biotin supplements like andMe’s Biotin Booster.

The bottom line is biotin plays an active role in your overall well-being. It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, it is critical for the proper growth of your body. Especially, choose biotin for hair growth, glowing skin and strong nails!