3 Risks of Taking Biotin Every Day You Might Not Expect

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is often taken to support healthy hair, skin, and nails, though daily supplementation is usually not necessary for most people. While generally safe, biotin use can sometimes interfere with important lab tests or cause side effects or drug interactions

1. Interference With Laboratory Results

The most significant concern with daily biotin supplementation is interference with laboratory test results. High blood levels of biotin can lead to inaccurate results, which may result in misdiagnosis or inappropriate treatment.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned that high levels of biotin can lead to falsely high or low results on lab tests. These tests may include troponin, thyroid, parathyroid, and electrolyte assays, as well as many others.

Talk to your healthcare provider about your biotin use before undergoing lab tests. You may need to stop taking it for some time before the test to ensure accurate results.

2. Drug Interactions

Biotin can interact with certain medications. For example, some medications used to treat epilepsy may lower biotin levels in the body. These include:

• Tegretol (carbamazepine)
• Mysoline (primidone)
• Dilantin (phenytoin)
• Luminal (phenobarbital)

If you are taking any of these drugs, consult your healthcare provider.

3. Side Effects

The risk of severe side effects from biotin is low, even in high doses. While uncommon, a few potential side effects of biotin may include:

• Mild gastrointestinal discomfort, including nausea, stomach cramps, or diarrhea.
• Although rare, some individuals may experience an allergic reaction characterized by hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the lips, throat, and face. If you experience these symptoms, immediately seek emergency medical help.

What Is the Role of Biotin In the Body?

Biotin, also known as vitamin B7, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a vital role in growth and metabolism. It breaks down carbohydrates, amino acids, and fatty acids. Biotin is also used to benefit hair, skin, and nail health.

Biotin may influence the management of a few medical conditions; however, more research is required to establish the results. Some of these conditions include:

• Blood sugar control in people with obesity who also have diabetes (in combination with other medicines)
• Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
• Hyperlipidemia (high lipid levels)

How Much Biotin Should I Take Everyday?

Generally, you do not need to take biotin supplements daily. Your body makes the required biotin through your diet. Foods that contain biotin include:

• Organ meats
• Eggs
• Fish
• Meat
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Certain vegetables

There is no Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) established for biotin, as there isn’t enough evidence to determine the necessary requirements. Instead, biotin intake is measured by adequate intake (AI), or the assumed amount for meeting nutritional needs.

AI recommendations for biotin intake range from 5 micrograms (mcg) to 35 mcg per day, depending on age, sex, and pregnancy status. The AI for most healthy adults is 30 mcg.

Some rare health conditions may require people to take biotin supplements regularly. Take biotin supplements only if advised by a healthcare provider. They are commonly sold as part of a multivitamin pill or as its own supplement.

The FDA does not monitor supplements for purity or safety, so it’s essential to buy from a reputable manufacturer.

Can You Take Too Much Biotin?

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin, so the risk of biotin toxicity is very low. Your body does not store the excessive biotin and excretes it in the urine. However, high biotin intakes can interfere with the body in other ways, such as affecting laboratory test results.