Biotin, also called vitamin B7 or vitamin H is a water-soluble vitamin and one of the B-complex vitamins that helps your body convert food into energy.
Biotin plays a major role in maintaining the health of your hair, nails and skin, it supports brain function and helps regulate immune function.
As biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that your body doesn’t store it, you need to get it from the foods rich in biotin. Adding biotin-rich foods into your diet will help maintain adequate levels of the vitamin.
Deficiency of biotin can cause neurological and skin abnormalities. Neurological abnormalities include seizures, numbness, hypotonia, intellectual disability and developmental delay in children.
And skin abnormalities include hair loss, red rash around the eyes, nose and mouth. However, biotin deficiency is rare among people who consume biotin-rich foods. To prevent biotin deficiency, let’s have a look at some of the foods that are rich in biotin below:
1. Liver
Beef liver also contains a large amount of high-quality protein. Other important nutrients include B vitamins and folate. Protein builds muscle mass and is important for cell function too. B vitamins sustain your energy levels while folate improves heart health.
How to include in your diet
Simply throw 2 to 3 cubes of beef liver into taco meat.
2. Eggs
We can’t stress enough about the importance of eggs. They are whole foods. They are a complete protein with an extensive amino acid profile. The protein aids muscle growth and helps in energy production.
Eggs are also rich in zinc, iodine, selenium, and vitamins A and D – nutrients beneficial for healthy thyroid function and the entire endocrine system.
How to include in your diet
How to add it in your diet: Consume hard-boiled or scrambled eggs.
3. Salmon
Alaskan or wild-caught salmon is best and lowest in contaminants. Avoid farm-raised salmon, which is often high in mercury and PCBs. Apart from biotin (or vitamin B7), salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. And these omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) do wonders for optimal health. They reduce inflammation caused by everyday pollutants, protect the heart, improve brain health, and keep your hair and skin healthy.
How to include in your diet
Add chopped salmon to your breakfast omelet, lunch salad, or have it with a sweet potato and other veggies at dinner time.
4. Pork chop
Pork chops offer a big boost of complete protein. In addition to building muscle, protein also supports the structure and maintenance of tissues. Another nutrient pork chops are particularly rich in is zinc – a nutrient that strengthens the immune system.
How to include in your diet
You can add sliced pork chops to your salad.
5. Sweet potato
Apart from biotin, sweet potatoes are also rich in beta-carotene – a powerful antioxidant that enhances your skin’s appearance. Beta-carotene and other carotenoids found in sweet potatoes are also known to be important for healthy vision and prevent related diseases like macular degeneration.
How to include in your diet
You can sprinkle salt on boiled or mashed sweet potatoes and have it as a snack, or as a healthy addition to any meal.
6. Almonds
Almonds are also particularly rich in magnesium and vitamin E. They are also rich in fiber that promotes satiety and aids weight loss.
How to include in your diet
A handful of almonds or a little almond butter on a fruit is a good any time snack. Or add almonds or almond butter to your smoothie for a boost in protein and healthy fat.
7. Tuna
Just like salmon, tuna is also rich in selenium and omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce elevated cholesterol and triglycerides and have a powerful cardioprotective effect. Select smaller tuna varieties, such as skipjack, which has the lowest level of mercury and other contaminants.
How to include in your diet
Simply add tuna to your salad, or make a tuna sandwich with a little organic mayonnaise or extra virgin olive oil and pickles.
