Biotin

http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6015&page=377

Clinical Effects of Inadequate Intake

include dermatitis, conjunctivitis, alopecia, and central nervous system abnormalities

…thinning of hair, frequently with loss of hair color….

Most adults with the deficiency demonstrated a red, scaly, skin rash, frequently around the eyes, nose, and mouth.
Most of the adults had neurological symptoms, including depression, lethargy, hallucinations, and paresthesia of
the extremities.

http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/biotin/

Biotin is attached at the active site of five mammalian enzymes known as carboxylases

Ultimate Diet & Energy:

In one human study, blood biotin levels were significantly lower in 43 patients with non-insulin dependent
diabetes mellitus (NIDDM; type 2 diabetes) than in non-diabetic control subjects, and lower fasting blood glucose
levels were associated with higher blood biotin levels. After one month of biotin supplementation (9,000
mcg/day), fasting blood glucose levels decreased by an average of 45% (20). In contrast, a study in ten type 2
diabetics and seven nondiabetic controls reported that biotin supplementation (15,000 mcg/day) for 28 days did
not decrease fasting blood glucose levels in either group (21). A more recent double-blind, placebo-controlled
study by the same group of investigators found that the same biotin treatment protocol lowered plasma
triglyceride levels in both diabetic and nondiabetic patients with hypertriglyceridemia (22). In this study, biotin
administration did not affect blood glucose concentrations in either diabetic or nondiabetic subjects.

Hair, Skin & Nails:

Brittle fingernails

Three uncontrolled trials examining the effects of biotin supplementation (2.5 mg/day for up to six months) in
women with brittle fingernails have been published (29-31). In two of the trials, subjective evidence of clinical
improvement was reported in 67-91% of the participants available for follow-up at the end of the treatment period
(29, 30). One trial that used scanning electron microscopy to assess fingernail thickness and splitting found that
fingernail thickness increased by 25% and splitting decreased after biotin supplementation (31). Although the results
of these small uncontrolled trials suggest that biotin supplements may be helpful in strengthening brittle nails, larger
placebo-controlled trials are needed to assess the efficacy of high-dose biotin supplementation for the treatment of
brittle fingernails.

Hair loss

Although hair loss is a symptom of severe biotin deficiency (see Deficiency), there are no published scientific
studies that support the claim that high-dose biotin supplements are effective in preventing or treating hair loss in
men or women.