Biotin

          

         

          

         

               U.S. Recommended Daily Allowances

         

             Infants      Children    Adults and           Pregnant or

         

            (0-12 mo.)    (1-3 years) Children 4 Years +  Nursing Women

         

            50 micrograms 150 mcg     300 mcg               300 mcg

         

               (The U.S. RDA amounts are sufficient to meet the needs

          of practically all healthy people. FDA set these based on

          the 1968 Recommended Dietary Allowances by the National

          Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences.

          However, in 1989, the council lowered its ranges of safe

          and adequate daily dietary intakes for biotin to 10 to 15

          micrograms for infants, 20 to 30 mcg for children, and 30

          to 100 mcg for adults. FDA is in the process of revising

          its U.S. RDAs.)

         

               Biotin is a sulfur-containing, B-complex vitamin found

          in foods and produced by microorganisms in the lower

          gastrointestinal tract.

         

               Functions: Activates certain enzymes that aid in

          metabolism of carbon dioxide; involved in metabolism of

          protein, fats and carbohydrates.

         

               Sources: Widely distributed in foods that are sources

          of B vitamins, including cereal-grain products, liver, egg

          yolk, soy flour, and yeast.

         

               Deficiency: Signs include loss of appetite, nausea,

          vomitting, inflammation of the tongue, pallor, depression,

          hair loss, and dry, scaly skin. Some rare biotin-related

          inborn errors of metabolism may cause deficiency;

          otherwise, deficiency is extremely rare in the United

          States.

         

               Excess: No effects have been reported.