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The fluctuating hormones during menopause can cause hair loss and the problem can last for several months.
Eating a balanced diet is the key to staying healthy and youthful as it can give your body all the nutrients required in order to function properly. Lack of certain nutrients in the body can lead to different health issues. For example deficiency of biotin may cause hair loss or a scaly red rash. However, such a case occurs rarely. Experts say the biotin that we get from our diet is enough to reap the health benefits it offers. Still, many people are taking biotin supplements to get additional benefits. Is it safe? Should you increase your biotin intake? How can you get it naturally? Keep reading to get answers to these questions.
Biotin, also known as vitamin H, is a part of the vitamin B family. This water-soluble vitamin helps your body to convert the glucose from carbohydrates into energy. It aids amino acids in carrying out normal bodily functions. In addition, biotin is also essential for the health of your hair, skin, and nails.
Keratin is a type of protein that forms the cells that make up the tissue in hair, nails, and skin. And biotin helps improve your body's keratin infrastructure. In a 2015 study, researchers found that women with thinning hair experienced a significant amount of hair growth in the areas affected by hair loss after taking an oral marine protein supplement (MPS) containing biotin twice a day for 90 days. The hair loss also decreased in these women. The researchers had seen similar results in their previous study too. However, there are only a few studies on the effects of biotin on hair growth. Therefore, there's no strong evidence to suggest that additional biotin intake may help promote hair growth.
Experts recommend that people aged 10 or older should get between 30 and 100 mcg of biotin per day. Children below 10 need lesser doses. Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers may need higher levels of biotin.
According to experts, the daily recommended amount of biotin is already achieved from the food you eat. But if you still want to increase your intake to improve hair growth, you can add more biotin-rich foods into your diet. Here are some biotin-rich foods you can add to improve your hair growth:
To get the maximum benefits, eat these foods raw (only those which can be eaten raw) or minimally-processed dishes made from them. This is because heat can reduce biotin's efficacy.
You can find biotin supplements in capsule or tablet form. Taking biotin supplements is not known to cause any adverse effects, but some may exuberance minor side effects such as nausea, cramping, and diarrhea. The risk of side effects is less if you take the supplement with food. However, it is advisable to talk to your doctor before using any supplements.