Vitamin B8, also called biotin, vitamin B7 or vitamin H , is water soluble and is part of the B complex, which is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates for energy , as well as proteins and fats. In this way, this compound helps your body adapt to the demands of the environment using its available resources.
In addition, biotin is necessary for essential enzymes in the production of fatty acids, so it plays an important role in cell growth. In fact, during pregnancy it is essential to provide the adequate amount of this vitamin to ensure the growth and proper development of the embryo. On the other hand, vitamin B8 also stands out as being necessary to maintain the health of hair, nails and skin .
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What happens when there are alterations?
When it comes to understanding the effect that vitamin B8 has on your body, you should bear in mind that its quantity influences a lot . That is why the imbalances in their levels of availability can generate some health alterations.
When there is a deficit
Although their deficiency is rare, symptoms that indicate a biotin deficiency include hair loss (often with loss of color) and red and scaly rashes around the eyes, nose and mouth. Other symptoms that could also occur are depression, apathy and tingling in the arms and legs .
Taking high doses of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) or treatment with certain medications (such as antibiotics and some anticonvulsants) can affect the intestinal absorption of biotin , causing a decrease in it.
When there is excess
Vitamin B8 is considered to be devoid of toxicity , even when high amounts are taken in the form of supplements.
Foods that contain it
To enrich your diet with this beneficial substance , you can resort to egg yolks, meats (although it is advisable to moderate the consumption of red meats for other health reasons), dairy products, fish, whole grains, nuts, some vegetables like cabbages, and brewer's yeast.
A small amount of this nutrient can be obtained thanks to the intestinal bacterial flora of the large intestine.
Did you know…?
Biotin is quite stable at high temperatures, so it is not lost in cooking. However, the egg white contains an antinutrient, avidin , which acts by preventing its absorption at the intestinal level. Therefore, eating two or more raw egg whites for prolonged periods can lead to deficiency of this nutrient.
Fortunately, avidin is deactivated by the effect of heat, so to avoid this undesirable effect it is enough to eat the eggs always well cooked.
It is also possible to benefit from this contribution of vitamin B8 if you use egg yolks in dishes prepared with heat, such as beating them with oatmeal flakes and putting the mixture in the microwave to create a kind of very nutritious mass.
Recommended daily dose : 30 micrograms / day in adults.