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Biotin (B7)

Also called: Vitamin B7, vitamin H, d-biotin

A B vitamin that helps turn fats, carbs, and protein into energy. Popular for hair and nails, but it mainly helps people who are low. High amounts can throw off many lab tests.

Supplements can interact with medications and aren't right for everyone, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or with a chronic condition. Ask your provider before you start.

Studied for

  • Brittle nails (limited evidence)
  • Hair thinning linked to low biotin
  • Energy metabolism
  • General B-complex support

Found naturally in

  • Cooked egg yolks (raw egg whites block biotin)
  • Liver
  • Salmon
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Sweet potatoes
What variations of biotin exist?Our top pick, what to skip, and how to read the label

Label red flags

  • Very high-potency biotin, common in hair and nail products
  • Biotin hidden in several products at once (hair formula, multi, B-complex, prenatal)

Check with a provider

  • Getting blood work soon. Biotin can falsely raise or lower many lab results, including thyroid tests (TSH, T4, T3), troponin (used to check for a heart attack), and hormone tests. Tell your clinician you take it and ask how many days to stop before testing.
  • Thyroid conditions such as Hashimoto's or Graves'. Biotin can make thyroid labs look like overactive thyroid and lead to wrong medicine changes.
  • Taking anti-seizure medicines such as carbamazepine or phenytoin, which can lower biotin
  • Hair loss. Get checked for causes like low iron, thyroid problems, or other hormone shifts before relying on biotin.

Related conditions

Hashimoto's thyroiditisGraves' disease

Supplements that contain it

3 products in Dr. Lesher's dispensary list biotin (b7) on the label.

Check with your provider before taking any of these, especially if you're pregnant or take medications.

Parts of the body it affects

Explore what each area does and the conditions that can affect it.

Close-up of a hair follicle in the skin, showing the hair shaft, root and bulb, an oil gland, and blood vessels

Hair

Hair is often one of the first places to show what's happening inside the body. Changes in shedding or thickness can point to nutrient, thyroid, hormone, or autoimmune causes.

Cross-section of skin showing the epidermis, dermis and fat layer, with hair follicles, sweat and oil glands, nerves, and blood vessels

Skin

Your skin is your largest organ and a major immune barrier. Rashes, patches, and color changes are often the first visible signs of an autoimmune condition.

Illustrations: Servier Medical Art, CC BY 4.0

Dr. Lesher, ND

Ready to find the root cause?

Dr. Lesher is a Naturopathic Doctor who focuses on autoimmune and chronic conditions in women. Since 2020, she's helped hundreds of patients stop managing symptoms and start healing.

Book a consult now