Biotin is a member of the B-vitamin family. It plays a key role in the health of the skin, cells, and the digestive tract. Most people don’t need biotin supplements because we get enough from our food. Not only that but biotin is actually recyclable by the human body.
There are, however, two situations where biotin supplements might be useful. One is in the case of brittle hair and nails. In one study, patients taking biotin supplements had improved nail hardness and firmness, and in another study, they had a significant decrease in nail splitting and brittleness.
The other case where super-high doses of biotin might be useful is in the management of blood sugar. Research on this is promising, and if managing blood sugar is important to you, you might want to discuss adding high-dose biotin to your supplement regimen with your integrative practitioner.
