Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD You have around 100,000 to 150,000 hair follicles on your head. Eating a diet rich in biotin may help support healthy hair growth.
While it’s popular to pop a pill for just about any ailment or problem these days, in many instances it may be better to heal and supplement your body through the foods that you consume. Food is life giving. Good foods are essential.
If you’re considering taking a biotin supplement to try to improve your hair growth, you should also think about important and easy dietary changes that you can make to pump up your biotin intake naturally—without popping a pill!
Biotin and Hair Growth
Biotin, also known as Vitamin H or Vitamin B7, is a water soluble vitamin, and part of the B vitamin family. It’s essential to the function and health of many systems in the body, including the skin, gastrointestinal and nervous systems.
Your skin, hair and nails are composed of a protein called keratin. Biotin is needed to metabolize the amino acids that create keratin. Biotin is essential to healthy and strong hair and nails.
Biotin Supplements
Biotin deficiency is rare in healthy people. The National Academy of Science’s Institute of Medicine recommends an intake of 30mcg/day of biotin for healthy non-breast-feeding adults. Typically, we get biotin from our foods naturally and our bodies are good at efficiently recycling the biotin that we take in. While biotin supplements are a little controversial, many swear by them.
Some people are deficient in biotin. Certain epilepsy (seizure) medications can be associated with biotin deficiency. Isotretinoin (a drug used to treat acne) can also be associated with biotin deficiency. Other possible causes of biotin deficiency can be alcoholism, prolonged use of antibiotics, consuming raw eggs, or having certain intestinal problems. You can read more about biotin and biotin supplements here.
Biotin Rich Foods
Eating a biotin rich diet might help strengthen and improve the quality of your hair and nails. Here are 10 foods to consider if you’re looking to pump up your biotin through your diet:
1. Eggs
A cooked egg has about 10mcg of biotin, so eggs are a great source for pumping up your dietary biotin. Try an omelet in the morning, or a boiled egg in your lunch time salad. Be sure to cook your eggs, though. Raw egg yolks actually contain a protein called avidin that can make you deficient in biotin.
2. Beef Liver or other Organ Meats
Liver and kidney are great sources of biotin. A 3oz serving of beef liver has a whopping 31 mcg of biotin.
3. Nuts and Seeds
Almonds are a great source of biotin. A quarter cup will give you 1.5mcg of biotin. They’re also rich in protein and vitamin E. Other good nut sources of biotin are walnuts and pecans. Sunflower seeds also pack a healthy punch of biotin, about 2.6mcg per quarter cup.
4. Cauliflower
A healthy choice and good source of biotin can be found in cauliflower. A cup of raw cauliflower can have up to 4mcg of biotin. If you’re not a fan of cauliflower, try it roasted. It might change your relationship with cauliflower forever.
5. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are another great source of biotin. ou’ll get the most benefit from eating them raw. However, they’re great in your salad, omelets, and also wonderful sautéed with some salt, pepper and fresh thyme.
6. Pork
A 3oz piece of cooked pork (the size of a deck of cards) can have up to 4mcg of biotin. Try it stir fried with your veggies and mushrooms.
7. Salmon
There are about 5mcg of biotin in 3oz of salmon. Try it smoked, and cut up into your morning omelet. Try it over a bagel half. It’s also great grilled and roasted. Salmon cakes are also an amazing way to up your biotin.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Rich in biotin and beta carotene (which is great for healthy skin), sweet potatoes are a nutritious way to get dietary biotin. A half cup of cooked sweet potato contains 2.4mcg of biotin. You can roast these; mash them with some nutmeg, cloves and honey; or slice and bake them for crisp and nutritious sweet potato fries.
9. Cheese
What isn’t good about cheese? Like all things, you certainly want to have your cheese in moderation though. It’s good to know that an ounce of cheddar cheese can have 0.4mcg of biotin. Blue cheese and camembert cheese are other good sources of biotin.
10. Avocado
Avocado toast, anyone? You may want to consider adding more avocados to your diet if you want to bump up your biotin intake naturally. A whole avocado can have up to 6mcg of biotin.
Sources:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/vitamins/biotin#food-sources
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