Biotin, aka vitamin B-7, has been getting a lot of love in the health and beauty spheres of late — and for good reason. As an essential nutrient, biotin is an important building block and active compound in several different bodily functions. Biotin is also often called vitamin H, the “H” coming from the German words haar and haut (meaning hair and skin), and it’s become a popular way for people to support the growth of healthy hair and nails.
SWEET Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a fantastic source of antioxidants, fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Every cooked serving of ½ cup contains 2.4mcg of biotin, which accounts for 8% of the AI. Bonus: The good beta-carotene found in sweet potatoes supports the health of your hair and scalp. In addition to helping your scalp produce sebum at the base of your hair follicles, which makes your hair look lustrous and silky, beta-carotene is converted on demand into vitamin A.
Mushrooms
There are so many reasons why mushrooms are amazing. In addition to being rich in vitamins and minerals (and a good source of biotin), they also support the health of our gut microbiome. Chopped fresh button mushrooms yield 5.6mcg (19% of the AI) of biotin per cup.
Legumes
A balanced diet must include legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas. Legumes are generally low in calories, high in fibre, high in protein, and low in glycemic index foods. They also provide substantial levels of biotin. Legumes, such as roasted peanuts, can provide approximately 5mcg (17% of AI) of biotin per half-cup, whereas a ½ cup serving of whole beans from soybeans contains a staggering 19.3mcg (64% of AI).
Almonds
Two further essentials for a healthy diet are nuts and seeds, which also contain vitamins, minerals, and fibre in addition to protein and unsaturated fats. A quarter-cup serving of roasted almonds provides 1.5 milligrammes (5% of AI), making them a good source of biotin.
Also read: Nose Bleeding: Causes and Diagnosis
Sunflower Seeds
A road trip is not necessary to consume a handful of sunflower seeds. The amount of biotin (9% of AI) in a quarter-cup of roasted sunflower seeds is approximately 2.6 mcg.
Bananas
Bananas, which are high in potassium, fibre, B vitamins, and other nutrients, are also a good source of biotin. About 0.2 mcg of biotin can be found in a half-cup of bananas.