Get Thick, Strong Nails with Biotin

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Biotin, otherwise known as vitamin B7, or vitamin H is a popular supplement used to reinforce the strength of skin, hair and nails because biotin is required to build keratin. Keratin is a protein found in the body that makes up your skin, hair and nails.

Research has shown that biotin is very effective in improving health of nails, especially for individuals that have brittle nails.

One study showed that daily biotin supplementation significantly improved the firmness and hardness of nails for 91% of study subjects.

Another study showed that individuals with brittle nails who took a biotin supplement reduced splitting of the nails and increased nail thickness by 25%.

The subjects in each of the studies did have an underlying pathology for poor nail growth such as brittle nail syndrome, however, there is currently not enough research on supplementation in healthy individuals to clearly assess biotins role.

It is easy to get biotin from the foods you eat on a daily basis; although, most foods contain only trace amounts of biotin. Dietary sources of biotin include meat, organ meat, fish, eggs, almonds, walnuts, seeds and some vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, spinach and sweet potatoes.

Biotin Supplementation

The daily adequate intake (AI) is 30 mcg, which most people consume through diet, however you can take daily supplements up to 500-1,000 mcg. Due to a lack of research, there is not currently recommended daily allowances of biotin.

There were even 3 studies that showed 2,500 or 3,000 mcg daily supplementation of biotin improved nail strength among individuals suffering from brittle nail syndrome. It is unlikely that you would be able to get that amount of biotin just from diet alone. Based on these studies, taking higher doses of biotin has been shown to be safe and effective to improve nail strength.

If you’re tired of dealing with nails that are weak and chip often you could benefit from biotin supplementation. It simply will provide your body with the necessary nutrients to grow strong and thick nails.