Biotin: what is it good for, and how much does hair need?

Ingredient spotlight · Biotin in Health Royals’ Hair Beautification, hair vitamins with millet extract · 6 min read

Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, normal skin and normal mucous membranes and to normal energy-yielding metabolism. The reference intake is 50 µg a day, a true deficiency is rare, and the EU wording on normal hair applies at that nutritional level. Hair Beautification keeps biotin at the reference intake, 50 µg, and builds on Keranat® at its studied dose of 300 mg, alongside zinc and vitamin B6.

Few vitamins are as closely tied to hair as biotin. That familiarity makes its real role easy to oversimplify.

Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair. It does that as an essential B vitamin that helps the body process fat, protein and carbohydrate, and those processes are part of the nutritional foundation hair and skin depend on. At Health Royals that is exactly how we treat it: as a nutrient with a clear role and a clear dose. For us, the dose matters as much as the raw material, which is why Hair Beautification contains 50 µg, the reference intake.

Biotin belongs to the nutritional foundation of normal hair. It works best as part of a considered whole.

Biotin at Health Royals

Hair Beautification provides 50 µg biotin per daily dose, 100 percent of the reference intake, alongside 300 mg Keranat® millet extract from Robertet, zinc 10 mg as zinc citrate and vitamin B6 1.4 mg. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.

See Hair Beautification, hair vitamins with millet extract

What is biotin?

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin from the B family. It is sometimes called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, but biotin is the recognised nutritional name. Food sources include eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds, legumes and some vegetables. Bacteria in the gut also produce some biotin, although it is not clear how much this contributes to overall status.

After absorption, biotin acts as a cofactor for several enzymes. A cofactor helps an enzyme do its work, and in biotin's case that work includes reactions the body needs to process fat, amino acids and glucose.

Biotin works on a small scale, in processes the body uses every day.

Why is biotin associated with hair?

Because biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, and that authorised wording reflects its role as an essential nutrient in normal tissue metabolism.

Hair is formed in active follicles beneath the scalp, where cell division, energy metabolism, protein supply and several micronutrients have to work together. How that cycle works is covered in how hair grows. When biotin is clearly lacking, hair can become thinner, which is part of why the link is so well known. True deficiency is uncommon in healthy people who eat a varied diet.

Hair is also shaped by genetics, hormones, age, stress, illness and overall nutrition. Biotin is one part of that picture, which is why we did not build a hair supplement around biotin alone.

Biotin helps maintain normal hair. It does its job best alongside the other things hair needs.

What does biotin do in macronutrient metabolism?

Macronutrients are the carbohydrates, fats and proteins the body needs in larger amounts for energy and building material. Before they can be used, they pass through a network of biochemical reactions.

Biotin is a cofactor for enzymes involved in fatty-acid synthesis, amino-acid metabolism and the production of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. That is why biotin contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism, and to normal energy-yielding metabolism. It does not act as a stimulant; it helps normal metabolic reactions proceed.

The same chemistry explains why its reach goes beyond hair. Biotin also contributes to the maintenance of normal skin and normal mucous membranes, to the normal function of the nervous system and to normal psychological function.

How much biotin do you need?

The EU nutrient reference value for biotin is 50 µg a day. Most people who eat a varied diet reach it, and marked deficiency is uncommon.

A few situations can affect status. A long-term, very high intake of raw egg white can reduce absorption, because the protein avidin binds biotin in the gut; cooking changes the protein and removes the effect. Some rare genetic and medical conditions can also play a part. Hair or skin changes have many possible causes, so if they are marked or persistent, a healthcare professional is the right first step.

What we do know is clear: a steady daily intake at the reference level covers the functions the EU wordings describe.

What is the right amount of biotin for hair?

50 µg, the reference intake. That is the nutritional level at which the EU wording on normal hair applies.

Biotin is often sold in hair supplements at 5,000 or 10,000 µg, a hundred times the reference intake. Hair Beautification keeps biotin at the reference intake and builds on Keranat® at its studied dose instead. Very high doses of biotin can interfere with some laboratory tests, such as thyroid and troponin tests, so it is worth mentioning any biotin supplement before a blood test.

A higher number is not automatically a better or more evidence-based dose. What matters is the specific nutrient, the specific raw material and a dose with a reason behind it.

The aim is not the highest possible dose, but a clear amount with a clear purpose.

Why does Hair Beautification contain 50 µg of biotin?

Hair Beautification provides 50 µg biotin per daily dose, 100 percent of the EU nutrient reference value. It is the complete daily contribution, set at the reference intake because that is where the authorised function lies and where there is no reason to go higher.

Hair Beautification builds on Keranat® at its studied dose, so biotin can sit at the reference intake. The same 50 µg is in Beauty Complete, our skin supplement, where biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal skin.

How does biotin fit into Hair Beautification?

Hair Beautification is a focused hair supplement with four named ingredients, each with a reason to be there.

At the centre is Keranat®, 300 mg, a golden millet complex made by Robertet in Grasse. In a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled twelve-week study in women, Keranat® was taken at 300 mg a day, and Hair Beautification contains the same 300 mg. What that study measured is described in our article on Keranat®.

• Biotin, 50 µg. Biotin contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin.
• Zinc, 10 mg as zinc citrate. Zinc contributes to the maintenance of normal hair, normal skin and normal nails and to the normal function of the immune system (our article on zinc).
• Vitamin B6, 1.4 mg. Vitamin B6 contributes to normal protein metabolism and to the regulation of hormonal activity (our article on vitamin B6).

The nutrients sit at a nutritional level, Keranat® at its studied dose. Hair moves slowly, so the capsule is meant to be taken every day for months, and the jar is designed to stand out on a shelf rather than disappear into a cupboard.

We have done the selection so that you do not have to. Hair Beautification gives you biotin at the reference intake, 50 µg a day, together with Keranat® at its studied dose, zinc and vitamin B6. Which hair ingredients have support in research we go through in our guide to hair supplements, and our hair page collects the wider context. You can stop looking.

See Hair Beautification, hair vitamins with millet extract

Go deeper

• Guide: hair from within
• Millet extract for hair loss: what the Keranat® trial measured
• Which hair supplements have support in research?
• How hair grows: the follicle and the growth phases
• Zinc for resilience, recovery and everyday cellular defence
• Vitamin B6 for protein metabolism and hormonal activity
• What is vitamin B2 (riboflavin) good for?
• Thinning hair in women
• Hair Beautification, hair vitamins with millet extract

Frequently asked questions

What does biotin do in the body?
Biotin is a B vitamin that acts as a cofactor for several enzymes. It contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism, the way the body processes carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and to normal energy-yielding metabolism. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal hair and normal skin.

Is biotin the same as vitamin B7?
Yes. Biotin is sometimes called vitamin B7 or vitamin H, but biotin is the recognised nutritional name. It is found in eggs, fish, meat, nuts, seeds, legumes and some vegetables.

What is the reference intake for biotin?
50 µg a day, the nutritional level at which the EU wording on normal hair applies. Hair Beautification keeps biotin at that level and builds on Keranat® at its studied dose, 300 mg a day.

Can biotin affect blood tests?
Very high doses can interfere with some laboratory analyses, including certain thyroid, hormone and cardiac-marker tests, and give misleading results. Tell your healthcare provider or laboratory about any biotin supplement before testing.

How much biotin is in Hair Beautification?
50 µg per daily dose, 100 percent of the EU nutrient reference value, together with Keranat® 300 mg, zinc 10 mg and vitamin B6 1.4 mg. The same 50 µg is in Beauty Complete.

References

European Commission. EU Register of nutrition and health claims made on foods: authorised health claims for biotin.

European Food Safety Authority. Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for biotin.

National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Biotin: fact sheet for health professionals.

Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. It summarises nutrient functions and published scientific information. Individual needs and experiences may vary. Consult a qualified healthcare professional with questions about supplementation, laboratory testing, medication or personal health.