FoOdS In BiOtIn

Biotin

What can high-biotin foods do for you?
Support healthy skin through proper fat production.
Help your body make efficient use of sugar.
Maintain an energy supply in your nerve cells.

What events can indicate a need for more high-biotin foods?
Skin-related problems, including cradle cap in infants
Hair loss
Muscle cramps
Lack of good muscle tone or coordination
Swiss chard is a good source of biotin.

Description

What is biotin?
One of the least well-known of the B-complex vitamins, biotin was originally referred to as "vitamin H." Biotin was discovered in late 1930s and early 1940s research when chicks fed diets high in raw egg white consistently developed skin rashes and lost the hair around their eyes. When egg yolk was added to the chicks' diet, these symptoms disappeared.
Today, we know why. Researchers have identified a substance in raw egg white - a sugar and protein-containing molecule (glycoprotein) called avidin - that can bind together with biotin and prevent its absorption. Food scientists have also identified the egg yolk as one of the most dense sources of biotin in the diet.

How it Functions

What is the function of biotin?
Energy Production.
Biotin is involved in the metabolism of both sugar and fat. In sugar metabolism, biotin helps move sugar from its initial stages of processing on to its conversion into usable chemical energy. For this reason, muscle cramps and pains related to physical exertion, which may be the result of the body's inability to use sugar efficiently as fuel, may signal a biotin deficiency. The role of biotin in fat metabolism is discussed below under the heading "Synthesis of Fat (Fatty Acids)."

Synthesis of Fat (Fatty Acids)
Many of the classic biotin deficiency symptoms involve skin-related problems, and the role of biotin in fat synthesis is often cited as a reason for this biotin-skin link. Biotin is required for function of an enzyme in the body called acetyl Co-A carboxylase. This enzyme puts together the building blocks for the production of fat in the body. Fat production is critical for all cells in the body since the membranes of all cells must contain the correct fat components to function properly. Fat production is especially critical for skin cells since they die and must be replaced very rapidly, and also because they are in contact with the outside environment and must serve as a selective barrier. When cellular fat components cannot be made properly due to biotin deficiency, skin cells are among the first cells to develop problems. In infants, the most common biotin-deficiency symptom is cradle cap - a dermatitis (skin condition) in which crusty yellowish/ whitish patches appear around the infant's scalp, head, eyebrows and the skin behind the ears. In adults, the equivalent skin condition is called seborrheic dermatitis, although it can occur in many different locations on the skin.

Support of Nervous System Activity
Because glucose and fat are used for energy within the nervous system, biotin also functions as a supportive vitamin in this area. Numerous nerve-related symptoms have been linked to biotin deficiency. These symptoms include seizures, lack of muscle coordination (ataxia), and lack of good muscle tone (hypotonia).

Deficiency Symptoms

What are deficiency symptoms for biotin?
Skin-related problems, including cradle cap in infants and seborrheic dermatitis in adults, are the most common biotin deficiency-related symptoms.Hair loss can also be symptomatic of biotin deficiency. Nervous system-related problems provide the second most common set of biotin-related symptoms, including seizures, lack of muscle coordination (ataxia), and lack of good muscle tone (hypotonia).Muscle cramps and pains related to physical exertion can be symptomatic of biotin deficiency, reflecting the body's inability to use sugar efficiently as a fuel.

Toxicity Symptoms

What are toxicity symptoms for biotin?
Reports of biotin toxicity have not surfaced in the research literature, despite the use of biotin over extended periods of time in doses as high as 60 milligrams per day. For this reason, in its 1998 recommendations for intake of B-complex vitamins, the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences chose not to set a tolerable upper limit (UL) for intake of biotin.

Impact of Cooking, Storage and Processing

How do cooking, storage, or processing affect biotin?
Biotin is relatively stable when exposed to heat, light, and oxygen. Strongly acidic conditions can, however, denature this vitamin. In raw eggs, biotin is typically bound to a sugar-protein molecule (the glycoprotein called avidin), and cannot be absorbed into the body unless the egg is cooked, allowing the biotin to separate from the avidin protein.

Factors that Affect Function

What factors might contribute to a deficiency of biotin?
In addition to lack of biotin-containing foods in the diet, deficient dietary intake of pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) can contribute to a functional biotin deficiency since B5 works together with biotin in many metabolic situations.Intestinal problems should also be considered as a possible course of biotin deficiency. The connection between biotin and intestinal problems centers on the role of intestinal bacteria. Under appropriate circumstances, bacteria in the large intestine can produce biotin. When intestinal problems create bacterial imbalance, the body is deprived of this alternative source of biotin. Consumption of raw egg whites can also contribute to biotin deficiency since avidin, a glycoprotein substance in egg white, can bind to biotin and prevent its absorption. The cooking of egg whites disables this binding of biotin by avidin.
Additionally, as many as 50% of pregnant women may be deficient in biotin, a deficiency that may increase the risk of birth defects. Preliminary research found laboratory evidence of biotin deficiency both in the early (first trimester) and late (third trimester) stages of pregnancy.

Drug-Nutrient Interactions

What medications affect biotin?
Anticonvulsant drugs (like carbamazepine) can compromise absorption of biotin.

Nutrient Interactions
How do other nutrients interact with biotin?
Many of chemical reactions in the body requiring biotin also require pantothenic acid (vitamin B5).

Health Conditions
What health conditions require special emphasis on biotin?
Biotin may play a role in the prevention and/or treatment of the following health conditions:
Hair loss (alopecia)
Intestinal imbalances, including inflammatory bowel syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and chronic diarrhea
Neuromuscular-related conditions, including seizures, ataxias (movements characterized by lack of muscle coordination), and hypotonias (posture and movement characterized by lack of muscle tone)
Skin conditions, including cradle cap in infants and seborrheic dermatitis in adults
Pregnancy, as there is an increased demand for nutrients placed upon the mother by the growing fetus.

Form in Dietary Supplements
What forms of biotin are found in dietary supplements?
Biotin is found in its simplest chemical form, D-biotin, in virtually all dietary supplements. This form of the vitamin is the only known metabolically active form.

Food Sources
Introduction to Nutrient Rating System ChartThe following chart shows the nutrients for which this food is either an excellent, very good or good source. Next to the nutrient name you will find the following information: the amount of the nutrient that is included in the noted serving of this food; the %Daily Value (DV) that that amount represents; the nutrient density rating; and the food's World's Healthiest Foods Rating. Underneath the chart is a table that summarizes how the ratings were devised. Read detailed information on our Nutrient Rating System.

World's Healthiest Foods ranked as quality sources of:biotin
Food
ServingSize
Cals
Amount(mcg)
DV(%)
NutrientDensity
World'sHealthiestFoods Rating
Swiss chard, boiled
1 cup
35.0
10.50
3.5
1.8
good
World's HealthiestFoods Rating
Rule
excellent
DV>=75%
OR
Density>=7.6
AND
DV>=10%
very good
DV>=50%
OR
Density>=3.4
AND
DV>=5%
good
DV>=25%
OR
Density>=1.5
AND
DV>=2.5%

Public Health Recommendations

What are current public health recommendations for biotin?
The Adequate Intake (AI) levels for biotin, set in 1998 by the Institute of Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences, are as follows:

0-6 months: 5 micrograms
6-12 months: 6 micrograms
1-3 years: 8 micrograms
4-8 years: 12 micrograms
males 9-13 years: 20 micrograms
males 14-18 years: 25 micrograms
males 19 years and older: 30 micrograms
females 9-13 years: 20 micrograms
females 14-18 years: 25 micrograms
females 19 years and older: 30 micrograms
Pregnant females of any age: 30 micrograms
Lactating females of any age: 35 micrograms

FoOdS In PaNtOtHeNiC AcId

Pantothenic acid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

General
Systematic name
3-[(2R,4-dihydroxy-3,3-dimethyl-
butanoyl)amino]propanoic acid
CAS number
Calcium Pantothenate (CAS: 137-08-6)
Molecular formula
C9H17NO5
SMILES
CC(C)(CO)C(C(=O)NCCC(=O)O)O
Molar mass
219.235 g/mol

Infobox disclaimer and references
Pantothenic acid, also called vitamin B5, is a water-soluble vitamin required to sustain life. Pantothenic acid is needed to form coenzyme-A (CoA), and is critical in the metabolism and synthesis of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Chemically it is the amide between D-pantoate and beta-alanine. Its name is derived from the Greek pantothen (παντόθεν) meaning "from everywhere" and small quantities of pantothenic acid are found in nearly every food, with high amounts in whole grain cereals, legumes, eggs, meat, and royal jelly. It is commonly found as its alcohol analog, the provitamin panthenol, and as calcium pantothenate.

Contents
1 Biologic Role
2 Sources
3 Daily Requirement
4 Deficiency
5 Disputed Uses
5.1 Hair Care
5.2 Acne
6 Synonyms
7 See also
8 Enzymes
9 References
10 External links


Biologic Role
Only the dextrorotatory (D) isomer of pantothenic acid possesses biologic activity.
(1) The levorotatory (L) form may antagonize the effects of the dextrorotatory isomer.

(2)Pantothenic acid is used in the synthesis of coenzyme A (abbreviated as CoA). Coenzyme A may act as an acyl group carrier to form acetyl-CoA and other related compounds; this is a way to transport carbon atoms within the cell. The transfer of carbon atoms by coenzyme A is important in cellular respiration, as well as the biosynthesis of many important compounds such as fatty acids, cholesterol, and acetylcholine.
Since pantothenic acid participates in a wide array of key biological roles, it is considered essential to all forms of life
(3)As such, deficiencies in pantothenic acid may have numerous wide-ranging effects, as discussed below.

Sources
Small quantities of pantothenic acid are found in most foods , with high quantities found in whole grain and eggs. Pantothenic acid can also be found in many dietary supplements (as calcium-D-pantothenate), and some energy drink companies are now adding pantothenic acid to their beverages.

A recent study also suggests that gut bacteria in humans can generate pantothenic acid.

Daily Requirement
Pantothenate in the form of pantethine is considered to be the more active form of the vitamin in the body, but is unstable at high temperatures or when stored for long periods, so calcium pantothenate is the more usual form of vitamin B5 when it is sold as a dietary supplement. 10 mg of calcium pantothenate is equivalent to 9.2 mg of pantothenic acid.


For infants ages 0-6 months-old: 17mg/day
For infants 7-12 months-old: 18 mg/day
For children 1-3 years-old: 2 mg/day
For children 4-8 years-old: 3 mg/day
For children ages 9-13 years-old: 4 mg/day
For adolescents ages 14-18 years-old: 5 mg/day
For individuals 19 years and older: 5 mg/day
For pregnant women of any age: 6 mg/day
For breastfeeding women of any age: 7 mg/day


Deficiency
Pantothenic acid deficiency is exceptionally rare and has not been thoroughly studied. In the few cases where deficiency has been seen (victims of starvation and limited volunteer trials), nearly all symptoms can be reversed with the return of pantothenic acid.
Symptoms of deficiency are similar to other vitamin B deficiencies. Most are minor, including fatigue, allergies, nausea, and abdominal pain. In a few rare circumstances more serious (but reversible) conditions have been seen, such as adrenal insufficiency and hepatic encephalopathy.
Notably, painful burning sensations of the feet were reported in tests conducted on volunteers. Deficiency of pantothenic acid may explain similar sensations reported in malnourished prisoners of war.

Disputed Uses
Given pantothenic acid's prevalence among living things and the limited body of studies in deficiency, many "alternative" uses of pantothenic acid have been devised.

Hair Care
Mouse models identified skin irritation and loss of hair color as possible results of severe pantothenic acid deficiency. As a result, the cosmetic industry began adding pantothenic acid to various cosmetic products, including shampoo. These products, however, showed no benefits in human trials. Despite this, many cosmetic products still advertise pantothenic acid additives.

Acne
Following from discoveries in mouse trials[citation needed], in the late 1990s a small study was published promoting the use of pantothenic acid to treat acne vulgaris.
According to a study published in 1995 by Dr. Lit-Hung Leung, high doses of Vitamin B5 resolved acne and decreased pore size. Dr. Leung also proposes a mechanism, stating that CoA regulates both hormones and fatty-acids, and without sufficient quantities of pantothenic acid, CoA will preferentially produce androgens.[citation needed] This causes fatty acids to build up and be excreted through sebaceous glands, causing acne.[citation needed] Leung's study gave 45 Asian males and 55 Asian females varying doses of 10-20g of pantothenic acid (100,000%-200,000% of the US Daily Value), 80% orally and 20% through topical cream. Leung noted improvement of acne within one week to one month of the start of the treatment.[citation needed]

Critics are quick to point out the flaws in Dr. Leung's study, however. Dr. Leung's study was not a double-blind placebo controlled trial. To date, the only study looking at the effect of Vitamin B5 on acne is Dr. Leung's, and few if any dermatologists prescribe high-dose pantothenic acid. Furthermore, there is no evidence documenting acetyl-CoA regulation of androgens instead of fatty acids in times of stress or limited availability, since fatty acids are also necessary for life.

Today, many companies offer Vitamin B5 supplements aimed at reducing acne. The recommended treatment course, however, can be perceived as difficult and expensive. Many sites suggest starting off the first three days with 5g and then moving up to 10g a day for three months. Since the largest pill available is 1g, this can result in as many as 10 pills a day or more if smaller pills are taken. The average cost for a bottle of 200 B5 500mg tablets is $10, so the cost can be steep. B5 sold as a powder that can be dissolved in water and drunk is generally a cheaper and for some people a more convenient alternative. Furthermore, after three months many users suggest decreasing to 3-5g a day, with some claiming 1 g/day is sufficient.