Meta Information

ID:vitamin-b7

Name:Vitamin B7

Schema Version:1.5

Alternate Names

• Biotin
• Vitamin H

Active Compound

biotin

Intervention Type

therapeutic_agent

Delivery

Route:

oral

Scope:

• systemic

Regulatory Status

• us:dietary_supplement
• us:otc_drug

Indication

Focus:

healthspan

Description:

Primarily used to prevent or treat biotin deficiency, which impairs metabolism. It is also widely marketed for improving hair, skin, and nail health.

Typical Protocol

• The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for adults is 30 micrograms (mcg) per day, typically met through diet.
• Supplemental doses for cosmetic purposes often range from 2,500 to 10,000 mcg daily.

Expected Cost Mean

Low Cost:

5

High Cost:

15

Cost Type:

monthly

Description:

Widely available and inexpensive over-the-counter supplement; not covered by insurance.

Summary

Biotin is an essential B-vitamin that acts as a cofactor for several carboxylase enzymes critical for metabolism, including fatty acid synthesis and amino acid breakdown. While preventing deficiency is crucial for maintaining healthspan, deficiency is very rare in individuals with a normal diet. Supplementation beyond what is needed to correct a deficiency has not been shown to extend healthspan, though it is popularly used for cosmetic benefits.

Purpose

An essential B-vitamin cofactor for metabolic enzyme function.

Card Summary

An essential B-vitamin for metabolism, primarily useful for correcting rare deficiencies.

Drug Class

null

Drugs In Class

Empty Array

Impact

Score:

2.1

Justification:

Essential for metabolism, but deficiency is rare and supra-physiological doses lack healthspan evidence.

Evidence

Grade:

B

Score:

4

Justification:

Strong evidence for correcting deficiency, but weak evidence for healthspan benefits in non-deficient individuals.

Safety

Score:

2.5

Justification:

Generally recognized as safe (GRAS), but high doses can interfere with critical lab tests.

Flags

• High-dose biotin can severely interfere with many lab tests, including critical cardiac troponin assays.
• No established upper limit for intake, but long-term effects of mega-doses are not well-studied.
• May cause acne breakouts in some individuals at high supplemental doses.

Verdict

Essential for metabolism, but supplementation is unnecessary for most people.

Created

2026-05-06T18:24:38.891792Z

Ai Model

Gemini 2.5 Pro (High)