Let’s Talk About Vitamin B7

Your body needs multiple different kinds of vitamins and minerals in order to maintain good health and help to keep feeling your best.

Vitamin B7 is one such vitamin.

Most importantly, your body needs vitamin B7 to help break down fatty acids, amino acids, and glucose into macronutrients.

However, this only touches the surface of vitamin B7’s numerous health benefits.

My name is Doctor Sheila Dyer, a naturopath with a special interest in hormone imbalance and today I’d like to talk about vitamin B7 and its health benefits.

Let’s explore more.

What Is Vitamin B7?

We’ve been slowly working our way through the b complex vitamins on this blog over the past few months.

So far, we’ve done vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin B5, and vitamin B6.

What about vitamin B4?

What we originally thought was vitamin B4 actually turns out to be not a vitamin at all, but another substance altogether, adenine.

Adenine is useful for protein synthesis, speeding up energy production, and is an important component of your DNA.

Vitamin B7, on the other hand, is a water soluble vitamin that helps your body metabolize fats, carbohydrates, and protein.

Since it’s water soluble, vitamin B7 isn’t capable of being stored within your body and thus must be replenished daily.

Most people get most of their daily vitamin B7 intake naturally through their diets.

Vitamin B7, also known as biotin, is also produced by the good bacteria found in your gut.

Benefits Of Vitamin B7

The benefits of vitamin B7 are virtually endless.

In fact, you might be surprised at just how many of your body’s functions that vitamin B7 plays a role in.

Let’s take a look at some examples.

1. It Helps Manage Diabetes

Many experts are exploring vitamin B7 is a potential treatment for both type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition which affects your body’s ability to regulate your blood glucose levels.

Research has suggested that vitamin B7 may help to stimulate insulin secretion from the pancreas and subsequently aid in the regulation of blood glucose levels.

Additionally, vitamin B7 may help to control glycemic levels in individuals with type 1 diabetes.

2. It Supports Your Thyroid And Adrenal Glands

Your body also needs vitamin B7 to help regulate thyroid activity, and as a natural solution to prevent adrenal fatigue.

Your thyroid and adrenal glands are often referred to as “master” glands due to their wide list of responsibilities, including:

• Hunger
• Sleep
• Pain perception
• Mood and energy

If you are vitamin B7 deficient, your thyroid and adrenal glands may cause multiple symptoms, including chronic fatigue, weight gain or loss, and insomnia.

3. It Helps Rebuild Damaged Tissue

Vitamin B7 supports healthy growth and maintenance of bodily tissue.

This includes helping to repair injured muscles as well as strengthen and building them.

It can also help reduce inflammation from muscle and joint aches and pains.

Vitamin B7 deficiency may result in stunted growth of developing fetuses and infants.

Therefore, vitamin B7 is especially crucial during pregnancy and early childhood.

4. It Keeps Your Hair And Nails Strong

Vitamin B7 may help improve the strength and durability of your fingernails as well as well as improve your overall hair and skin health.

This makes it a useful natural solution for health skin and hair

Research suggests that it may even be helpful as a treatment for female pattern baldness

Additionally, vitamin B7 can also help protect your skin from acne, fungal infections, rashes, severe dryness, and cracking.

If you’re vitamin B7 deficient, you may experience hair that is thinning, splitting, and brittle as well as dry, scaly skin.

Hair, skin, and nail supplements containing vitamin B7 are widely available.

5. It Keeps Your Brain Healthy

Vitamin B7 plays a role in nerve signaling and neurotransmitter activity.

By helping to keep your brain healthy, vitamin B7 plays a role in memory function and the prevention of age related cognitive impairments, such as dementia.

Vitamin B7 also helps synthesize hormones related to mood regulation, energy, and concentration.

Signs Of Vitamin B7 Deficiency

Although rare, it’s possible to experience vitamin B7 deficiency.

Certain people are more likely experience vitamin B7 deficiency, including:

• People who are pregnant
• People who are receiving prolonged intravenous nutrition
• Infants who consume breast milk with low amounts of vitamin B7
• People who have a weakened ability to absorb vitamin B7 due to a gastrointestinal tract disorder, such as inflammatory bowel disease
• People who smoke

Signs of vitamin B7 deficiency include:

• Alopecia (hair loss)
• A scaly, red rash around the face and genitals
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Hallucinations
• Numbness in your hands and feet
• Ataxia (loss of control of bodily movements)
• Seizures
• Weakened immune function
• Increased risk of bacterial and fungal infections

Dietary Sources Of Vitamin B7

As previously mentioned, most people get their daily dose of vitamin B7 from their diets.

In food, vitamin B7 usually binds to proteins, such as:

• Baker’s yeast
• Wheat bran
• Organ meats
• Cooked, whole eggs
• Oysters

Conversely, raw eggs have properties that may inhibit the absorption of vitamin B7.

Can You Overdose On Vitamin B7?

There is no evidence to suggest that taking large quantities of vitamin B7 is particularly dangerous.

At most, you may experience an upset stomach.

Since vitamin B7 is water soluble, excess amounts are easily eliminated through urine.

However, some medications have been known to interact with vitamin B7.

Therefore, it’s important to inform your doctor of any vitamins you are taking before starting any new medications.

Book Your Appointment With Dr. Sheila Dyer, ND, Today

Would you like to learn more about the many vitamins and minerals that your body needs to maintain good health?

Are you interested in exploring natural remedies for several different ailments and conditions?

In my naturopathic practice, I provide a variety of services to help you make the best choices for your health.

Book an appointment with me today to get started.