Biotin belongs to the family of B vitamins that are quite essential for our various physiological activities and functions. There are a lot of people who consume the same to serve the purpose of weight loss and weight management.
Biotin is also something that is preferred by a group of people who would like to improve the overall health of their skin and hair. However, recently there have been certain assumptions regarding the weight gain effects of this particular vitamin supplement.
If this is true, many people may reconsider the regular consumption of the supplement since weight management remains their primary concern.
This article will let you know the effects of Biotin in weight management and finally let you make up your mind about the consumption of Biotin as a regular dietary supplement.
What Is Biotin?
Biotin is also known as Vitamin H. However, it is essentially a Vitamin B variant that is quite essential for a range of different physiological activities including metabolism.
The breaking down process of all the macronutrients including fats, carbs, and protein that we consume as a part of our diet is carried out through these processes of metabolism with the help of this particular B vitamin known as Biotin.
Biotin is water-soluble in nature and can be attained in trace amounts through your dietary choices and also through daily dietary supplements.
It is also quite vital in the synthesis of energy in the human body, by processing glucose, amino acids, and various fatty acids in the cells.
Apart from people having health concerns, you can also see beauty-conscious people having an inclination towards this particular B vitamin on account of the health gains obtained through its consumption, for your hair, skin, and nails.
The story of the discovery of Biotin
The discovery of Biotin happened as a part of a scientific study that took place in the first half of the 20th century. The source of discovery of the same was from the egg white.
Avidin was the first compound that was found as a part of the study which led to the discovery of biotin in the later phase.
However, the study took a lot of years of processing to finally introduce this particular micronutrient, Vitamin H to the world in the year, 1940.
Biotin’s inevitability could also be easily proved, especially in the metabolic aspects of the human body. The benefits of biotin regarding the health of skin and hair were also proved subsequently.
Biotin began to gain popularity as a dietary supplement in the second half of the 20th century. And now a lot of people are fond of using this to treat their brittle nails, and issues such as hair thinning, and various other skin and health conditions.
Now, Biotin supplements are available in the market from a lot of different brands and companies. Even today, research and scientific studies are going on in different parts of the world regarding other potential health benefits and disease-preventing capacities of this particular micronutrient.
Biotin and weight gain: solving the tensions
Biotin is essentially associated with the energy synthesis in the human body. And it is also closely related to the production of a hormone, Insulin is a hormone that is related to the maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels in individuals.
It has also vital relations with fat storage in the human body. These are the ways through which Biotin is suspected of weight gain in human beings.
When there is a spike in insulin levels in the human body, there can also be an increase in the levels of fat stored, which can eventually lead to weight gain.
However, no scientific study has proven the effect of Biotin on the human body. Moreover, some studies dissociate the existing relationship between biotin and insulin levels in the human body.
Apart from that, they also prove that the relationship between glucose metabolism and biotin is a myth. As a part of approaching the concerns of the relationship between biotin and weight gain, a study has been conducted on people with overweight and also those who are obese in nature.
The study measured factors such as insulin sensitivity, fasting insulin levels, and also the glucose tolerance of the individuals after supplementing them with a daily dose of biotin.
Another reason for the suspicion regarding the effects of Biotin in the weight gain of individuals is due to the accumulation of fatty acids caused in the body due to the vitamin.
Even if fatty acids can be highly beneficial by being a prime source of energy for human beings, if the energy is not used by the individual, there are high chances for it to accumulate in the body in the form of fat thereby leading to weight gain.
However, a study was conducted on mice to find the impact of biotin on the storage of fatty acids in the body.
Fortunately, no such relationships could be proven by the same, which makes the supplement quite safe to be used by people who would like to increase their overall health as well as the health and appearance of their skin, hair, and nails.
Another interesting and funny claim about the relationship between biotin and weight gain works indirectly through the health gains the vitamin can provide to your hair, skin, and nails.
Since these beauty parameters get improved over the course of time, with the regular consumption of biotin, the confidence of an individual is likely to increase significantly, leading to weight gain.
Conclusion
This is all you need to know about the concerns surrounding the relationship between Biotin and weight gain. In simple terms, there is no direct relationship between weight gain and this particular micronutrient.
Even if there are a lot of indirect relationships gaining popularity on the internet, no scientific facts or studies conducted so far agree with such claims or concerns.
Until and unless such a scientific finding comes to the scene, you are quite safe to have this nutritional supplement without having to worry about the weight gain impacts of this vitamin.
References
- PerryCA, et al. (2014). Pregnancy and lactation alter biomarkers of biotin metabolism in women consuming a controlled diet. DOI:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4230210/ - Biotin: Fact sheet for health professionals. (2020).
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/
