Many people take vitamin B7 (biotin) supplements to add on to the body’s biotin content. Still, eating biotin-rich foods such as egg yolks, yeasts, mushrooms, legumes, sweet potatoes, liver, and bananas will help the body get enough of this vitamin.
Biotin (vitamin B7) is one of the B vitamins the body needs for healthy hair, nails, skin, and brain function. There are almost no studies on biotin deficiency, which is why it’s almost impossible to determine the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for this vitamin. Still, a person’s daily value for biotin is about 30 mcg. Many people take supplements to help the body get enough biotin, but eating biotin-rich foods should typically help the body meet its need for this nutrient. Here are the top foods that will supply your body with biotin.
i. Yeast
Yeast is a good source of biotin, whether you use the brewer’s or nutritional versions. However, the percentage of biotin differs in the two types of yeast, and even within the same type, there is biotin variation based on brands. Generally, nutritional yeast packs more biotin and has about 21 mcg of this vitamin, meeting more than 60% of the daily value.
ii. Egg yolks
Although studies reveal mixed findings about eggs due to their cholesterol content, they make good phosphorus and protein sources. Still, they are packed with biotin, and eating their yolks helps you contribute to the daily biotin value. For instance, a 50 g egg packs 10 mcg of biotin in its yolk, supplying the body with about 33% of its daily biotin value.
iii. Legumes
Legumes, particularly beans, make excellent sources of biotin, and you certainly need to include them in your diet to prevent biotin deficiency. Chickpeas, black, pinto, kidney, and soybeans all pack biotin. For instance, 28 g of cooked pinto beans packs about 7 mcg biotin, supplying about 21% DV.
iv. Nuts and seeds
Nuts and seeds supply the body with fibers, minerals, antioxidants, and micronutrients, making them healthy foods, especially when consumed in moderation. As if that’s not enough, nuts and seeds also pack modest amounts of biotin, helping the body meet its daily values for this vitamin. A handful of sunflower seeds, for instance, packs about 1.5 mcg of biotin.
v. Liver
The liver is a versatile meat that fits well with many recipes and can be wonderfully enjoyed. Besides, eating them benefits the body in several ways and supplies it with biotin, among other nutrients. Cooked chicken liver seems to be the richest in biotin since it is loaded with 130 mcg of this vitamin in a 75 g serving, adding 460% DV to the body! Cow’s liver also packs modest biotin, having as many as 31 mcg per 75 g serving.
vi. Sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes taste really good and can be enjoyed cooked, fried, or mixed with other foods with which they blend well. They also supply the body with antioxidants, minerals, and other nutrients, giving you more reasons to enjoy them. As if that’s not enough, they are wonderful vitamin sources, packing as many as 2.4 mcg of biotin in a 125 g cup, meeting 8% of the daily value.
vii. Salmon
We love salmon, mackerel, sardines, and many other fatty fish not just because they are delicious but because they also add important nutrients to the body. For instance, they have healthy unsaturated fats (particularly omega- 3s), which the body needs to maintain heart health and support brain function. Moreover, salmon makes an excellent source of biotin, adding 5 mcg to the body and accounting for about 18% DV. This amount represents what a 3-ounce cooked salmon serving offers.
viii. Mushrooms
Mushrooms make some of the most nutritious superfoods and are packed with many healthy compounds, including biotin. In fact, it is their rich biotin nature that makes them stand the wild conditions where they grow. Both canned and fresh mushrooms are rich in vitamin B7, with fresh ones offering more biotin. For instance, a 70 g serving of fresh mushrooms provides 19% DV biotin (5.9 mg), yet 120 g canned mushrooms only meet 10% DV of this vitamin. Still, they benefit the body, and what informs the type you use depends on your recipes.
ix. Avocadoes
Avocadoes are great fruits that fit well into many recipes and can also be used as wonderful spreading. Besides, they are sweet, fatty, and creamy, offering a great mouthfeel as you take them. Don’t forget that avocadoes pack unsaturated fats and fiber, which the body needs to keep the heart healthy. Still, these fruits are rich in modest biotin vitamin, packing 1.85 mcg per 200 g. This constitutes 6% of the daily value.
x. Spinach
Spinach are touted as healthy and suitably described as superfoods because of how nutritious they are. They are loaded with fibers, folic acid, vitamins, and trace amounts of several minerals needed for heart health and general well-being. Besides, they also pack modest amounts of biotin, providing about a third of the daily value in a single serving. What’s more, they are versatile and blend well with different recipes, and also make good salad components.
xi. Bananas
Bananas are a wonderful fruit addition to your diet that add to the body’s total antioxidant and fiber counts. Besides, they are versatile and can be enjoyed alone as whole fruits, squeezed to make non-dairy ice cream, taken with nuts as snacks, blended into smoothies, or used as spreading. As if that’s not enough, they have trace amounts of biotin, supplying the body with 0.3 mcg per medium-sized banana (about 100 g).
xii. Broccoli
The list of superfoods can never be complete without broccoli. Like spinach, they are packed with vitamins and beta-carotenoid antioxidants, boosting the body’s ability to fight free radicals and preventing them from resulting in oxidative stress. Broccoli also supplies the body with modest amounts of biotin, especially because a 43 g serving of raw, chopped broccoli adds about 0. 3 mcg biotin, accounting for 1% DV.
Conclusion
Biotin is one of the B vitamins, and the body needs it for healthy hair, nails, skin, and improved brain function. Although you can supplement with this vitamin to provide the body with enough, getting biotin from your diet should be better. Spinach, bananas, legumes, broccoli, egg yolks, yeast, sweet potatoes, salmon, mushrooms, and avocadoes top the list of biotin-rich foods you should eat.
