If you become a new patient of IV therapy at our Toronto clinic, biotin might be discussed at your initial consultation.

You’ve likely seen biotin supplements marketed for strengthening hair and nails. If you’re already deficient in biotin, then biotin supplements could assist with supporting nail and hair health – but this nutrient also has other amazing roles in the human body, which could help us achieve optimal health.

As one of the B vitamins, biotin is needed for converting food into energy and supports enzymes that metabolize proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It also contributes to regulating cell health and cellular function. Biotin is a cofactor for five enzymes called carboxylases. The mitochondria in our cells holds four of the carboxylases and one is found in cellular cytoplasm.

In this blog post, we discuss how biotin supplementation has the potential to support your wellness. Also, the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre explains how IV vitamin therapies could help with upgrading biotin levels.

What Biotin Does and How It Works in the Body

Biotin may also be called vitamin H or vitamin B7. Because it’s water soluble, your body cannot supply it on its own; rather, it must be absorbed from food or supplements. Increasing your biotin levels could provide beneficial effects to your health condition: 

• Could assist with fortifying nails, which prevents having cracked or brittle nails.
• Biotin might contribute to hair health. This is because hair loss tends to intertwine with a biotin deficiency. 
• Biotin could help support a healthy pregnancy. A biotin deficiency has been noticeable among some pregnant women. Scientists suspect that the vitamin gets broken down rapidly during pregnancy, which could trigger a deficiency.
• Could help with lessening blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. “Studies in animals have suggested that supplements containing biotin and chromium picolinate could prevent insulin resistance,” explains a piece from Medical News Today. 

As per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, a biotin nutritional deficiency is scarce because biotin can be consumed from a varied diet. But the Harvard school reports, “Alcoholism can increase the risk of biotin deficiency and many other nutrients as alcohol can block their absorption, and also because alcohol abuse is generally associated with a poor dietary intake.” 

Additionally, patients who are prescribed antiepileptics (i.e. carbamazepine) for their health condition are at risk of a biotin deficiency due to nutritional absorption issues. Thus, these patients are urged to consider taking biotin supplements to maintain their wellness. If you’re considering to improve your nutritional absorption with IV therapy, you can schedule a consultation with us at your earliest convenience.

How to Increase Your Biotin Uptake

If you think your health goals could be accomplished with biotin, you can start increasing it at home. Here’s how: 

• Dietary intake: Eat foods rich in biotin, like cooked eggs, salmon, nuts, seeds, avocados, oysters, milk and legumes. FYI: frequently eating raw egg whites could lead to a biotin deficiency; this is because avidin, an egg white protein, could prevent the absorption of biotin. 

• Oral supplements: Biotin supplements are plentiful in stores, and they can be consumed in multivitamins or purchased as a single supplement. Keep in mind that swallowing capsules requires the digestive process, which means oral biotin must be filtered through the intestines. In many cases, the bioavailability of oral supplements is diminutive. Unwanted side effects from oral biotin supplements could consist of increased thirst and mild nausea. 
• IV therapy (vitamin drip therapy/intravenous infusion therapy): This treatment provides a complete absorption of nutrients through intravenous drips. Intravenous vitamin infusions, such as those with biotin or other beneficial ingredients, are connected to a patient’s veins via an IV drip. This allows for the nutrients to bypass the digestive tract and immediately absorb into the blood. 

Do you want to customize your treatment plan with biotin and other key vitamins (i.e. vitamin B complex or folic acid)? Our IV Lounge is currently accepting new patients who are interested in the adjunctive support of vitamin drip treatments. 

How to reach us for functional medicine treatments

The Toronto Functional Medicine Centre is proficient in customizing treatments for nutrient deficiency symptom relief. We provide a personalized service to patients by determining the root cause of their specific health concern. Some of the conditions our functional medicine treatments can target include thyroid conditions, substance withdrawal symptoms, adrenal fatigue, DNA damage, acute health issues (i.e. acute pain), depression, chronic illness (chronic fatigue syndrome), and other issues.  

Our IV treatments are designed to boost energy levels and cellular functioning. Freshly compounded intravenous therapy drips are available with additional B vitamins, high-dose vitamin C to support general wellness and immune function, NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), or a medley of amino acids for energy. You’re welcome to request a drip with a combination of ingredients!

Are your current biotin levels enough to achieve optimal functioning? Let’s find out. Call 416-968-6961 to book your free DISCOVERY SESSION on IV therapy at our Toronto location. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. Consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website.

References:

“Biotin – Vitamin B7” from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, viewed on July 17, 2022. 

Janos Zempleni, DonaldM Mock, Biotin biochemistry and human requirements, The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Volume 10, Issue 3, 1999, Pages 128-138, ISSN 0955-2863, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0955-2863(98)00095-3.

Said HM. Cell and molecular aspects of human intestinal biotin absorption. J Nutr. 2009 Jan;139(1):158-62. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.092023. Epub 2008 Dec 3. PMID: 19056639; PMCID: PMC2646215.

Saleem F, Soos MP. Biotin Deficiency. [Updated 2022 Mar 2]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547751/

Shari R. Lipner, Rethinking biotin therapy for hair, nail, and skin disorders, Volume 5839, Issue 6, 06/2018, Pages A1-A60, ISSN 0190-9622, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2018.02.018 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190-9622(18)30204-4)

Valdés-Ramos R, Guadarrama-López AL, Martínez-Carrillo BE, Benítez-Arciniega AD. Vitamins and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2015;15(1):54-63. doi: 10.2174/1871530314666141111103217. PMID: 25388747; PMCID: PMC4435229.