Vitamin H (Biotin) Uses, Benefits, Dosages, Side Effects & Interactions

Vitamin H is a previous name for the B-complex vitamin called biotin. It is also commonly called vitamin B7.

This essential nutrient is needed for proper development, growth, and nutrition. Like other B-complex vitamins, biotin is necessary for carbohydrate, protein, and lipid (fat) metabolism in the body.

Vitamin H cannot be synthesized endogenously in the human body. We must acquire it by eating foods or through the use of dietary supplements.

Vitamin H is a water-soluble vitamin which means is not stored in the body. We regularly need to consume it to keep levels adequate.

Products containing Vitamin H are most commonly used for skin, nail, and hair health. People take biotin supplements for brittle nails, dry and irritated skin, and weak hair.

This article will discuss how vitamin H works in the body, common uses, health benefits, deficiency issues, safety, side effects, and possible drug interactions.

Biotin

Vitamin B7

Skin Health

Hair & Nails

Energy

How It Works:

• Important for healthy hair, skin & nails
• Supports energy levels & metabolism
• Involved in fatty acid synthesis

Dosage:

Between 1,000 - 10,000 mcg per serving

Safety:

Rated Likely Safe

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What Is Vitamin H?

In general, vitamins can be described as organic compounds that are essential for life and that must be gained in small amounts from dietary sources.

According to the Linus Pauling Institute while it was initially discovered in 1927, it took 40 years of research before Vitamin H was classified as a vitamin. [1]

Biotin can be synthesized by some strains of bacteria, mold, yeast, and some plants.

A majority of the intestinal microflora in humans can synthesize vitamin H, but it is still not known if this is released into the body and if humans absorb it in any significant amount. [1]

The molecular formula for vitamin H is C10H16N2O3S. It is sometimes referred to as hexahydro-2-oxo-1H-thieno(3,4-d)imidazole-4-pentanoic acid.

Chemically, vitamin H is formed by fusing a tetrahydrothiophene ring with an ureido ring. Also, one of the carbon atoms in the tetrahydrothiophene ring gets replaced by valeric acid.

Vitamin H and other B-complex vitamin family members help the body to manufacture energy from the foods we eat. They are important for manufacturing and breaking down fats and amino acids.

Biotin is also important for breaking down carbohydrates into glucose which can be converted into a usable energy source for our cells.

Vitamin H deficiency is rare in people that consume a variety of foods. Dietary requirements for biotin are low and it is found in numerous foods in amounts high enough to avoid deficiency.

However, there may be some situations in which increasing your intake of this nutrient can promote specific health goals.

This product is promoted to support healthy hair, skin and nail growth. It is also advertised to support normal immune function, amino acid metabolism, energy production, brain function, thyroid function and cardiovascular health.

How Vitamin H Works in the Body

According to Now Foods, “Biotin functions as a key regulatory element in gluconeogenesis, fatty acid synthesis, and in the metabolism of some amino acids.”

Vitamin H works in many ways inside the body. This essential nutrient is required for maintaining interrelationships between various other essential nutrients.

Vitamin H is also needed for: [5]

• Keeping the nervous system functioning properly
• Maintaining healthy reproductive function
• Manufacturing carbonyl, dicarboxylic acid, fatty acids, proteins, and purines
• Proper functioning of the thyroid and adrenal glands

Vitamin H is being studied currently for its roles in fetal development. Scientists think that a deficiency during pregnancy may increase the risk for congenital abnormalities. [7]

This is an area of much scientific interest, as it is estimated that nearly half of pregnant women have diminished biotin status.

This nutrient is also required as a cofactor for producing enzymes required for the Krebs cycle. [1]

The Krebs cycle is a process that produces energy in the forms of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FADH2).

Vitamin H is also needed by the body to facilitate two important processes called gluconeogenesis (glucose synthesis), and lipogenesis (formation of fat).

Biotin is also known to be critical for metabolizing isoleucine, valine, methionine, threonine, and some other amino acids.

The body uses vitamin H to break down cholesterol, triglycerides, and other fatty acids. It also influences gene expression and the structure of chromatin (protein/DNA complex).

Vitamin H may be important for maintaining healthy blood-glucose levels. Some preliminary clinical research has shown that a combination product of biotin and chromium picolinate can lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes patients who are poorly controlled on oral blood-sugar lowering drugs. [2]

However this effect has not been seen when supplementing with biotin alone. More research is needed in this area to determine the effects of this vitamin on blood sugar regulation.

It is also being studied for its potential to help those with MS (multiple sclerosis) to better manage their functional disabilities. One study found biotin supplementation helped improve visual acuity and paraparesis (partial lower limb paralysis) in MS patients. Research in this area is ongoing. [2]

Currently, the FDA has not approved biotin as a drug for the prevention or treatment of any medical conditions.

Uses for Vitamin H

Like other B-complex vitamins, vitamin H is important for converting foods into usable energy mainly in the form of glucose.

Because of that, some people take vitamin H supplements to help them manage the symptoms of energy-related health conditions like metabolic syndrome, CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), and diabetes mellitus.

The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database reports that some other uses of oral vitamin H supplements include:

• Biotin deficiency due to multiple carboxylase deficiency
• Brittle nails
• Deficiency due to long-term parenteral nutrition
• Deficiency due to rapid weight loss
• Dialysis-related muscle cramps
• Hair loss
• Infant seborrheic dermatitis (itchy, flaky, red scalp condition)
• Mild depression
• Preventing and treating vitamin H deficiency during pregnancy

Vitamin H is also added to numerous health and beauty products, especially those marketed for improving skin, nail, and hair health.

According to Natrol, “By supporting the matrix of hair and nails, biotin promotes shiny, lustrous hair and strong, resilient nails.”

Vitamin H Health Benefits

Vitamin H is an essential nutrient, meaning it is required by the body for cellular development and maintaining health. Health benefits of biotin are purported to include:

• Breaks down some amino acids
• Integral for embryonic development during pregnancy
• Integral for infant nutrition during breastfeeding
• Helps to break down fats, carbohydrates, and proteins from foods
• Helps to facilitate energy production
• May support hair growth and strength
• Might promote healthy blood glucose levels in those with diabetes
• Might improve dermatological (skin) health
• May improve brittle, cracked nails
• Required for micronutrient metabolism, gluconeogenesis, and lipogenesis

The NMCD has rated biotin as Likely Effective for preventing and treating biotin deficiency. At this time there have not been enough clinical trials done to rate the therapeutic efficacy of this supplement for any other specific health conditions.

Researchers continue to study vitamin H for its possible effects in diabetes mellitus, alopecia (hair loss), brittle nails, peripheral diabetic neuropathy (nerve dysfunction/damage), and various other health conditions.

Some promising results have come from preliminary clinical trials using this supplement for brittle nails, diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, dialysis-related muscle cramps, and multiple sclerosis.

However this research is limited and more trials are still needed to determine the therapeutic efficacy of biotin for these and other uses.

Some high dosage biotin formulations are categorized by the FDA as over-the-counter drugs. All other formulations are available as dietary supplements and are not intended to be used as drugs to prevent or treat any conditions.

It is recommended that you speak with your doctor if you are interested in taking vitamin H for any specific health goals. Your doctor can help determine if this supplement is right for your needs.

Vitamin H Dosages

The Institute of Medicine’s Food and Nutrition Board has set adequate intake (AI) amounts for vitamin H based on age. They are as follows:

• 5 micrograms (mcg) daily for infants from 0-6 months of age
• 6 mcg/day for infants between 7-12 months
• 8 mcg/day for children between 1-3 years
• 12 mcg/day for children between 4-8 years
• 20 mcg/day for children between 9-13 years
• 25 mcg/day for those between 14-18 years
• 30 mcg/day for those 19 and older
• 30 mcg/day for all ages of women during pregnancy
• 35 mcg/day for all women when breastfeeding infants

In some human studies, biotin has been administered, orally and intravenously, in doses about six-hundred times the amounts found in the average diet.

In one small study, 2.5 milligrams (mg) doses of vitamin H were used daily to treat brittle nails.

In another study, 150 micrograms (mcg) of an injectable solution was used to reverse biotin deficiency.

Vitamin H has been used in 5-10 mg/kg bodyweight oral doses to treat basal ganglia disease; a condition that affects the CNS (central nervous system).

Doses of 6 mg/day of vitamin H have been used for up to 9 years to treat holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency, an inherited metabolic disorder.

Vitamin H is available in tablets of various doses. It is also included in B-complex multivitamins and various other supplement products.

As a dietary supplement, biotin capsules and tablets are typically sold in dosages of 2,500 mcg, 5,000 mcg and 10,000 mcg. Some supplements may also contain coconut oil for improved absorption.

Another option is biotin gummies, available in 1000 mcg, 3000 mcg, 5000 mcg and 10000 mcg formulation. There are also several combination supplements that provide this vitamin with other ingredients such as Vitamin E, Vitamin C, other B-Complex vitamins, collagen, keratin, folic acid and silica.

Vitamin H Supplements

Most people can get all the biotin they need by choosing the rights foods in their diets. However for some people this is not possible, and in cases like this supplementation may be useful.

The NMCD states there are thousands of different vitamin H dietary supplement products available for sale, either as a single ingredient or in a multivitamin combined with other B-complex vitamins.

With that many options, it is important to take your time shopping for biotin supplements and do research on various manufacturers. When possible choose high-quality vitamin H products that are sourced naturally from organic, non-GMO sources, manufactured in cGMP compliant facilities and verified for purity by third-party lab tests.

Heat, air, and light can degrade vitamin H and make it less effective in the body. It is recommended to store your biotin supplements in a cool, dark location in an airtight glass container.

Vitamin H Safety and Side Effects

The NMCD has rated vitamin H as Likely Safe when used orally or topically and appropriately. It is also rated as Possibly Safe when used as an intramuscular injection.

Some studies have used daily biotin doses that were many times higher than the AI recommendations. No side effects were reported in these studies.

Vitamin H has been used safely in amounts more than seven-thousand times the AI in people with hereditary disorders that prevent its absorption.

Although biotin is considered likely safe in healthy adults and children, it is still best to discuss the suggested dose for you with a doctor who understands your health history.

Drug Interactions & Contraindications

It is possible for vitamin H to interact with certain certain pharmaceutical drugs. It can also interact with some health conditions, other nutrients, and laboratory tests.

Seek your doctor’s advice and use extra caution if taking vitamin H with anticonvulsant drugs. Some of these include carbamazepine (Tegretol®, Carbatrol®, Epitol®, Equetro®), primidone (Mysoline®), phenytoin (Dilantin®, Phenytek®), and phenobarbital (Luminal®, Solfoton®).

Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) can compete with biotin for intestinal absorption. Other substances that might affect vitamin H levels in the body include caffeine, theophylline, and some other cytochrome P450 CYP1B1 substrates.

Increasing your intake of this vitamin might affect results on lab tests that measure T3 (triiodothyronine) and T4 (thyroxine) thyroid hormones.

There are other possible drug and supplement interactions with biotin. You should discuss using vitamin H with your doctor to determine whether this supplement is appropriate for you.

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