What happens if I don’t have enough vitamin B7? Vitamin B7 deficiency is very rare. This is because vitamin B is produced by bacteria in the stomach and is widely found in food. Vitamin B7 deficiency can be caused by eating raw egg whites (two or more per day) for several months, as a white egg yolk contains a protein called avidin, which binds to vitamin B7.
People with genetic problems, such as biotinidase deficiency, high carboxylase deficiency, and holocarboxylase synthetase deficiency can also suffer from vitamin B7 deficiency.
Symptoms of Vitamin B7 deficiency
Missing signs include:
- scaly seborrhoeic dermatitis and/or red rash, usually on the face
- broken hair or hair loss
- poor motor communication (ataxia)
- fatigue
- loss of appetite and nausea
- slight depression
- madness
- birth defects (reported in animals)
- the immunity that may be reduced and susceptibility to bacterial/fungal infections
Causes and Risk Factors
Deficiency has been shown during long-term intravenous (‘parenteral’) diets without the addition of vitamin B7 and long-term use of raw egg whites (weeks to years) since the antibacterial protein found in egg white (avidin) binds to biotin and inhibits absorption.
Cooking avidin denature, which makes it digestible and therefore stops its disruption of biotin absorption. Studies show that a large number (at least one-third) of women also develop a small amount of biotin deficiency during normal pregnancy because the fast-growing fetus needs biotin-producing enzymes and protein-dependent proteins.
In addition, some forms of liver disease (cirrhosis) may increase the need for biotin due to a decrease in biotinidase activity, although no biotin deficiency has been shown in this study.
In addition, anticonvulsant medications used to prevent seizures in people with epilepsy increase the risk of biotin depletion, and smoking is associated with increased biotin metabolism. Congenital disruption of biotin metabolism is related to deficiencies in the enzyme biotinidase.
Should I take a vitamin B7 supplement?
The Department of Health advises that you should get all the B7 vitamins you need by eating a healthy and healthy diet. People who receive kidney dialysis or who get all the nutrients in a drip may need a supplement of vitamin B7, but this should be checked with the appropriate healthcare provider.
Studies suggest that vitamin B7 supplements may play a role in improving blood sugar levels in people with diabetes but further research is needed to confirm this.
Pregnant women with low levels of vitamin B7 may be advised to take vitamin B7 supplements. Preliminary evidence suggests that vitamin B7 can help strengthen cracked nails but the benefits are not realized.
Other uses of vitamin B7 supplements for conditions such as cradle cap, hair loss, depression, and hepatitis have not been evaluated. However, if you are taking biotin supplements, do not take too much as this can be harmful.
Side effects of Vitamin B7
What are the side effects and safety precautions for taking vitamin B7 supplements? Shortages are rare and support is rarely needed.
Vitamin B7 is considered to be probably safe for most people when taken orally in moderation. There is no presumption that there is anything wrong with taking up to 0.9mg daily.
What happens if I take too much vitamin B7?
Vitamin B7 is a water-soluble vitamin, which means that any excess is excreted in the urine and feces, making the toxin resistant. A little information is available about toxins but if you are worried that you may be overdosing on vitamin B7, then seek medical advice. A condition called eosinophilic pleuropericardial effusion can occur when an overdose of vitamin B7 and vitamin B5 are involved.
FAQ
What would cause a biotin deficiency?
Depression, lethargy, hallucination, and paresthesias of extremities. Pregnancy may cause subclinical biotin deficiency in healthy women because rapidly dividing cells of the developing fetus require biotin for the synthesis of essential biotin-dependent carboxylases and also for histone biotinylation.
What are the symptoms of biotin deficiency?
The signs and symptoms of biotin deficiency typically appear gradually and can include thinning hair with progression to loss of all hair on the body; scaly, red rash around body openings (eyes, nose, mouth, and perineum); conjunctivitis; ketolactic acidosis (which occurs when lactate production exceeds lactate clearance) and aciduria (abnormal amounts of acid in the urine); seizures; skin infection; brittle nails; neurological findings (e.g., depression, lethargy, hallucinations, and paresthesias of the extremities) in adults; and hypotonia, lethargy, and developmental delay in infants.
