Biotin - vitamin B7 is a water-soluble vitamin that our organism is often lacking.
Research shows that biotin is required to help convert food into energy.
Biotin is a B vitamin, which helps to keep your energy levels up. It also promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails. While you don’t need a lot of biotin each day, our body do not store vitamins B.
This means that you need a constant supply from your diet. The daily-recommended intake is around 100 mcg per day for healthy adults.
There are so many incredible health benefits of biotin that you cannot ignore.
It also plays a great role in keeping your hair, skin, and nails healthy. People who are low in biotin may experience fatigue, hair loss, dull looking hair and brittle, splitting nails.
There are two forms of biotin - a protein-bound and a free form.
Protein-bound biotin is exactly as it sounds- biotin that is bound to protein. This type of biotin mainly found in animal-based foods.
Free form protein is not attached to a protein and is mostly found in plants.
Our body can use both forms of biotin, but free biotin (the kind found in plants) is much more absorbable. This is because our body must first break down the bond between the biotin and the protein in protein-bound biotin and then convert it to biotin before it can be utilized.
On the other hand, free biotin doesn’t need to be broken down, which makes it the ideal form of biotin. Because of this, plant-based sources of biotin are generally better for our body, but not all of them are low-carb.
Whole Eggs
Whole eggs are full of healthy fats and no carbs. Plus, they contain 10 mcg of biotin per egg.
Eating three eggs per day will give you the minimum daily-recommended intake of biotin, but you might want to make sure you’re getting more than this amount if your levels are low.
Keep in mind that although eggs are a good source of biotin, they contain the protein-bound form, so it’s a good idea to incorporate some plant-based sources of free biotin in our diet, too.
Salmon
Canned, pink salmon in water contains 5 mcg of biotin per 85.05 g serving. Canned tuna is another decent source of biotin that provides 0.6 mcg per 85.05 g serving. Be careful with canned fish as they tend to be high in sodium.
When looking for a good brand of canned salmon, try one that’s wild-caught and doesn’t contain any additives. These are lower in chemicals than farm-raised fish. You’ll also want to keep an eye on the sodium content.
Salmon is also rich in omega 3, which is one of the best omega 3 rich foods you should eat often.
Cooked Beef Liver
Cooked beef liver is the great source of biotin It contains 30.8 mcg of biotin per 85.05 g serving, which is about the size of a deck of cards. In general, organ meats such as kidneys tend to be high in biotin.
Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are high in fat, and they are definitely tasty, but keep in mind that nuts and seeds are also high in carbs. So you’ll want to eat these in moderation.
A one-quarter cup serving of sunflower seeds provides you with 2.6 mcg of biotin. Try sprinkling some on salads or eating them raw as a snack.
Avocado
Avocado is virtually the perfect food because it contains mostly healthy fats and hardly any carbs at all. You can add it to smoothies or top our eggs and meat-based dishes with it. It’s also tasty when eaten alone.
Research shows that a whole avocado contains anywhere from 2 to 6 mcg of biotin.
Almonds
Almonds are a great addition to our diet because they are high in good fats and lower in carbs than most nuts. You can enjoy almonds in whole form or drink it as almond milk. A one-quarter cup serving of roasted almonds contains 1.5 mcg of biotin.
Be careful when picking out roasted nuts as some of them contain vegetable oils and sugar. Look for raw nuts whenever possible.
Boiled Spinach
As we have seen, animal-based sources of food tend to be higher in biotin, but some vegetables can provide a decent amount of the B vitamin too.
Boiled spinach is low in calories and carbs, and it contains 0.5 mcg of biotin per one-half cup serving. Try pairing some with meat-based dishes for a balanced meal.
Fresh Broccoli
Broccoli is another vegetable that contains a good amount of biotin. Cruciferous vegetables are well known for their health benefits, so adding more to our diet is always a good idea. A one-half cup serving contains 0.4 mcg of biotin.
Cauliflower is another good source of biotin. One source found that it can contain up to 4 mcg of biotin per one-cup serving. Rotating between the two vegetables or eating them together is a good way to get more biotin and fibre in our diet.
Cheddar Cheese
Cheese is a great food if you trying to avoid carbs because it’s high in fat and basically contains no carbs. A 30 grams serving of mild cheddar cheese provides 0.4 mcg of biotin. That is about the same amount as broccoli. You can combine these two foods as a snack to increase our intake of biotin.
Red Raspberries
Berries are lower than fruits in sugar and are made of mostly fabre.
Plus, berries are an excellent source of antioxidants to help fight disease and neutralise free radical toxins. One source stated that one cup of red raspberries contain up to 2 mcg of biotin.
Other Foods That Have Biotin But Also High in Carbs
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are high in carbs, so they are off limits if we are watching our carbs intake. However, they are one of the highest sources of biotin among the vegetables. They are also a great source of vitamin A.
A one-half cup serving of cooked sweet potato contains 90 calories and 2.4 mcg of biotin. If you decide to indulge, try topping baked sweet potato with coconut oil or ghee for a creamy touch.
Milk
Try almond or coconut milk. A one-cup serving of 2 percent milk contains 0.3 mcg of biotin while one cup of yogurt contains 0.2 mcg.
Oats
Research shows that one cup of oatmeal contains 0.2 mcg of biotin.
Bananas
One-half of a banana contains 0.2 mcg of biotin. However, bananas are high in sugar.
Yeast
Yeast is commonly found in bread and beer products. Research shows that one packet of yeast or 7 grams contains up to 15 mcg per serving. One slice serving of whole wheat bread contains up to 6 mcg of biotin per serving, but again, these foods are high in carbs and gluten and beter to be avoided.
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-313/biotin