While this is not a very common deficiency, many people will identify with these symptoms, and adding in a little of this very inexpensive nutrient might make all the difference. See if you could be deficient by looking at the following symptoms – come back tomorrow for the answers on how to address it through food and a supplement. If any of the following apply to you, it’s very possible you are deficient – see how many you answer “yes” to:
• Do you take medications?
• Have you been on a strict diet?
• Do you have brittle hair that breaks easily?
• Is your hair very fine?
• Brittle nails?
• Hair loss?
• Alopecia (hair loss with bald patches)
• Dry skin?
• Nausea?
• Muscle pain?
• Fatigue?
• Depression?
• Skin rashes?
• Anxiety?
• Have you been on a ketogenic diet for a long time?
• Do you have fungal infections?
• Hearing loss?
• Do you eat a lot of raw egg whites?
• Are you on anticonvulsant therapy?
• Have you been on long-term antibiotic therapy?
• Do you have seborrheic dermatitis?
Who wants to hazard a guess as to what this deficiency MIGHT be?
The answer to the Quiz:
So you ticked most of the boxes? Well the nutrient you could be deficient in is BIOTIN, also known as Vitamin H or Vitamin B7, a water-soluble vitamin. Here’s what biotin does for you:
• Supports adrenal function
• Calms and maintains a healthy nervous system
• Necessary for key metabolic processes
• Helps in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism
• Assists energy production in the body
• Maintains good skin, hair and nails
• Maintains healthy blood glucose levels
• Enables the nervous system to function effectively
• Biotin taken in higher doses is highly anti-fungal, at around 5mg a day
Foods high in biotin include:
• Cooked eggs, mostly the yolk
• Almonds and walnuts; healthy nut butters
• Cauliflower
• Mushrooms
• Bananas
• Dragon fruit
• Carrots
What else can you do?
• Take a Biotin supplement of around 300mcg a day – very inexpensive and effective – we have a fabulous Biotin-Bio in our online store at https://sallyanncreed.co.za/shop
• Take a good probiotic which will resupply the intestine with essential bacteria that can produce some biotin for you
• Eat plenty of biotin-rich food
