Biotin & Your Brain (Vitamin B7)

Increasing workload, tension, mental load, emotional ups and downs, lack of sleep. You sometimes feel mentally clouded, tired, and think: “Well, that's perfectly normal nowadays. Everyone goes through that, right?”

Feeling mentally drained is understandable.

But did you know some neuro-nutrients can help you fight off these challenges? Biotin (Vitamin B7) is one of these—an important nutrient not just for your cognitive health, but for all three brains (head, heart, and gut).*

Why is Biotin important? Because it's one of the B Vitamins that can help your body convert carbohydrates into Glucose. And your body relies on Glucose to produce energy—which, for sure, you want more of.*

However, when Biotin levels get too low, your entire metabolism may slow down, making you increasingly vulnerable to digestive issues, weight gain, and fatigue.*¹

Biotin can benefit all three brains? What does that mean?

By supporting neurotransmitter synthesis and nerve health, Biotin may help improve communication between the brain, heart, and gut. Efficient signal transmission is important for these organs to work together harmoniously.*

Biotin is also involved in the synthesis of fatty acids through its role as a coenzyme for acetyl-CoA carboxylase.*

While it may not sound like something particularly groundbreaking, this enzyme catalyzes the first step in the fatty acid synthesis pathway, converting acetyl-CoA to malonyl-CoA, which is then used to produce long-chain fatty acids needed for the entire head-heart-brain axis. Without sufficient Biotin, this process would be impaired, affecting overall health and metabolic efficiency.*

For example, a 2023 study conducted by the Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Jules Guyot (France) and published in Foods, observed “notable increases in all the fatty acid-related compounds appeared when increasing the initial Biotin concentration in the medium, highlighting a strong stimulatory effect of the vitamin on those compounds.”*²

And there’s more. Ongoing research suggests Biotin's involvement in myelin sheath formation (which covers the head-brain and spinal cord nerve cells).³ The myelin sheath facilitates faster communication and electrical impulses within the Head [1st Brain] and spinal cord.*

In fact, research points out that the amount of Biotin in your brain is 50 times (!) higher than in the plasma⁴. And since Biotin can play such an important role in Glucose metabolism, it may also directly affect energy production that could benefit the entire brain network (as already mentioned before).*

Interestingly, ongoing research suggests that how well your Mental Intelligence Center can use Glucose may be linked to improved memory, learning, and thinking.*

Following study discusses the critical role of glucose in brain function, highlighting that dips in glucose availability may negatively impact cognitive functions such as attention, memory, and learning.*⁵

Biotin deficiency—are you at risk?

Biotin deficiency can be pretty common. However, identifying a Biotin deficiency may be challenging since the effects can range from very mild (like a lack of energy and brain fog) to more severe. It's also the reason why many ignore the signs.*

So, who's most likely to be deficient? Certain groups (like those with dietary gaps or particular health challenges), may be more susceptible to low Biotin levels.

Did you know?

If you like adding raw eggs to your mayonnaise, Caesar dressing, or eggnog, you might want to reconsider this habit. Raw eggs contain a protein called avidin that can prevent the absorption of Biotin. However, cooked eggs are OK because the intense heat can break down the avidin.

Here are a few simple things you can do to increase your Biotin intake.

First and foremost—better eating habits. Biotin-rich foods include eggs (remember to cook them!), nuts, seeds, and certain vegetables like sweet potatoes and spinach.

And while many can get enough Biotin through diet alone, those at high risk of developing a deficiency may also consider a quality nootropic (like our advanced HCF® nootropics) that may help you tackle any nutritional gap.